Method for optimizing the mass of a composite panel

A method for optimizing the mass of a composite panel, the said panel being composed of a plurality of uniform thickness zones, each uniform thickness zone being defined by a vertical arrangement of plies having different orientation angles, the said arrangement being defined by a determined number of plies, a positioning order of the plies having a given orientation angle with respect to the others in the vertical arrangement, and the proportion of plies having a given orientation angle with respect to all the plies composing the vertical arrangement, characterized in that the said optimization method includes the following main steps:

• a) a lay-up table is defined, the said table defining a vertical arrangement of the plies for each uniform thickness zone,
• b) starting from the said lay-up table, a function describing the physical properties of each zone of the composite panel is built, as a function of the total thickness of each zone, the total thickness for each zone is adjusted using a discrete variables iteration process, the aim of the process being reached when the mass of the panel is minimum.