Nonlinear Stability of Higher-Order Porous Metal Foam Curved Panels with Stiffeners

In the framework of third-order shear deformation shell theory, this research explores stability behavior of metal foam double-curvature shells under transverse mechanical loading. It is also assumed that the metal foam shell has been reinforced with eccentrical stiffeners. Metal foam has been considered identical to porous materials having uniform or non-uniform pores. The double-curvature foam shell has been exposed to out-of-plane pressure load which leads to post-buckling stability in nonlinear regimes. Employing an analytical procedure and taking into consideration Airy stress function, the established governing equations have been solved to determine the stability load of stiffened double-curvature metal foam shells. Curvature radius, stiffeners, pore volume and shell geometry are shown to have remarkable influences on stability curves.