Structural Strength Assessment of Stiffened Panels Under Torsional Loads Through Finite Element Modeling

Stiffened panels are fundamental structural components that maintain the integrity of engineering structures subjected to torsional loading, making accurate strength assessment essential in design and evaluation. Conventional finite element method (FEM) analyses often involve complex geometric modeling and extensive pre-processing, which can reduce efficiency and limit practical applicability. This study presents a structured FEM-based framework supported by a Python-based interface that streamlines model generation while preserving analytical rigor. The interface assists in geometry definition, meshing, material assignment, and boundary condition implementation, thereby improving consistency and reducing pre-processing time without altering the numerical formulation. Nine stiffened panel configurations were investigated by combining three plate thicknesses with three longitudinal stiffener geometries. The results indicate that increasing plate thickness significantly enhances torsional resistance. Stiffener geometry also markedly influences structural response: the 80 × 80 × 8 stiffener provides the highest resistance under general torsional loading, whereas the 100 × 65 × 9 stiffener exhibits superior performance under pure torque conditions. Overall, the results demonstrate that the proposed framework provides a consistent and efficient approach for evaluating the torsional strength of stiffened panels.