Blended isogeometric Kirchhoff–Love and continuum shells

The computational modeling of thin-walled structures based on isogeometric analysis (IGA), non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS), and Kirchhoff–Love (KL) shell formulations has attracted significant research attention in recent years. While these methods offer numerous benefits over the traditional finite element approach, including exact representation geometry, naturally satisfied high-order continuity within each NURBS patch, computationally efficient rotation-free formulations, they also present a number challenges real-world engineering considerable complexity. Specifically, NURBS-based models are usually comprised patches, with discontinuous derivatives, non-conforming discretizations, non-watertight connections at their interfaces. Moreover, such often requires full stress strain tensors (i.e., transverse normal shear components) for subsequent failure remaining life prediction. Despite efficiency provided by KL shell, formulation cannot accurately predict response directions due to its kinematic assumptions. In this work, penalty-based blended coupling continuum shells is presented. proposed approach embraces both availability full-scale stress/strain where needed critical structural components using other shells. method enforces displacement rotational continuities variational manner applicable non-smooth efficacy developed demonstrated through benchmark studies variety configurations, linear nonlinear analyses, matching non-matching isotropic composite materials. Finally, an aircraft horizontal stabilizer considered demonstrate applicability