Vibrations of a Cylindrical Sandwich Shell with a Honeycomb Core Made Using FDM technology

Presented is a model of the dynamic deformation of a three-layer cylindrical shell with a honeycomb core, manufactured by fused deposition modeling (FDM), and skins reinforced with oriented carbon nano-tubes (CNT). A ULTEM 9085 thermoplastic-based honeycomb core is considered. To analyze the stress-strain state of the honeycomb core, a finite element homogenization procedure was used. As a result of this procedure, the dynamic response of the honeycomb core is modeled by a homogeneous orthotropic material, whose mechanical properties correspond to those of the core. The proposed model is based on the high-order theory, extended for the analysis of sandwich structures. The skin displacement projections are expanded along the transverse coordinate up to quadratic terms. The honeycomb core displacement projections are expanded along the transverse coordinate up to cubic terms. To ensure the integrity of the structure, shell displacement continuity conditions at the junction of the layers are used. The investigation of linear vibrations of the shell is carried out using the Rayleigh-Ritz method. For its application, the potential and kinetic energies of the structure are derived. Considered are the natural frequencies and modes of vibrations of a one-side clamped cylindrical sandwich shell. The dependence of the forms and frequencies of vibrations on the honeycomb core thickness and the direction of reinforcement of the shell skins have been investigated. It was found that the eigenforms of a sandwich shell are characterized by a smaller number of waves in the circumferential direction, as well as a much earlier appearance of axisymmetric forms. This means that when analyzing the resonant vibrations of a sandwich shell, it is necessary to take into account axisymmetric shapes. Changing the direction of reinforcement of the skins with CNTs makes it possible to significantly influence the frequencies of the natural vibrations of the shell, which are characterized by a nonzero number of waves in the circumferential direction. It was found that this parameter does not affect the frequencies of the axisymmetric shapes of the shell under consideration.

Vibroacoustic design optimization of curved composite shells

The need to simultaneously optimize the structural design properties, and attain a satisfactory vibroacoustic performance for composite structures, has been a challenging task for modern structural engineers. This work is aimed at developing a statistical energy analysis (SEA) based numerical scheme for computing the optimal design parameters of each individual layer of layered curved shells having arbitrary complexities and layering. The main novelty of the work focuses on the computation of SEA properties for curved composite shells and derive the sensitivities of the acoustic transmission coefficient, expressed through the computed SEA properties, with respect to the structural design characteristics to be optimized. A wave finite element approach is employed to calculate the wave propagation constants of the curved shell. The calculated wave constants are then applied to compute the vibroacoustic properties for the curved shell using a SEA approach. Sensitivity analyses are conducted on the vibroacoustic properties to estimate their response to changes in the structural properties. Gradient vector is then formulated and hence the Hessian matrix, which is employed to formulate a Newton-like optimisation algorithm for optimizing the properties of the layered composite shell. The developed scheme is applied to a sandwich shell; optimal design parameters of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are obtained for the facesheet and the core of the shell whose base parameters are [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. This simultaneously optimizes the structure with maximum stiffness and minimum mass and attains a satisfactory dynamic performance for acoustic transmission through the sandwich shell. The principal advantage of the scheme is the ability to accurately model composite panels of arbitrary curvature at a rational computational time.

Vacuum Balloon–A 350-Year-Old Dream

The centuries-old idea of a lighter-than-air vacuum balloon has not materialized yet as such structure needs to be both light enough to float in the air and strong enough to withstand atmospheric pressure. We propose a design of a rigid spherical sandwich shell and demonstrate that it can satisfy these stringent conditions with commercially available materials, such as boron carbide ceramic and aluminum alloy honeycomb. A finite element analysis was employed to demonstrate that buckling can be prevented in the proposed structure. Also discussed are other modes of failure and approaches to manufacturing.

Investigation on the free vibration behavior of sandwich conical shells with reinforced cores

The free vibration behavior of sandwich conical shells with reinforced cores is investigated in the present study using experimental, analytical, and numerical methods. A new effective smeared method is employed to superimpose the stiffness contribution of skins with those of the stiffener in order to achieve equivalent stiffness of the whole structure. The stiffeners are also considered as a beam to support shear forces and bending moments in addition to the axial forces. Using Donnell’s shell theory and Galerkin method, the natural frequencies of the sandwich shell are subsequently derived. To validate analytical results, experimental modal analysis (EMA) is further conducted on the conical sandwich shell. For this purpose, a method is designed for manufacturing specimens through the filament winding process. For more validation, a finite element model (FEM) is built. The results revealed that all the validations were in good agreement with each other. Based on these analyses, the influence of the cross-sectional area of the stiffeners, the semi-vertex angle of the cone, stiffener orientation angle, and the number of stiffeners are investigated as well. The results achieved are novel and can be thus employed as a benchmark for further studies.

Vibration analysis of a sandwich cylindrical shell in hygrothermal environment

The sandwich structures are three- or multilayered structures such that their mechanical properties are better than each single layer. In the current research, a three-layered cylindrical shell including a functionally graded porous core and two reinforced nanocomposite face sheets resting on the Pasternak foundation is used as model to provide a comprehensive understanding of vibrational behavior of such structures. The core is made of limestone, while the epoxy is utilized as the top and bottom layers’ matrix phase and also it is reinforced by the graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The pattern of the GNPs dispersion and the pores distribution play a crucial role at the continuous change of the layers’ properties. The sinusoidal shear deformation shells theory and the Hamilton’s principle are employed to derive the equations of motion for the mentioned cylindrical sandwich shell. Ultimately, the impacts of the model’s geometry, foundation moduli, mode number, and deviatory radius on the vibrational behavior are investigated and discussed. It is revealed that the natural frequency and rotation angle of the sandwich shell are directly related. Moreover, mid-radius to thickness ratio enhancement results in the natural frequency reduction. The results of this study can be helpful for the future investigations in such a broad context. Furthermore, for the pipe factories current study can be effective at their designing procedure.