Similitudes for vibration characteristic of composite laminated plates

Similitude laws can be used to extrapolate the vibration characteristic of a small, inexpensive, and easily tested model into structural behavior for the full-size prototype. In this article, a systematic similitude approach is proposed to predict the natural frequency, mode shape, and vibration response of composite laminated plates. The emphasis of this article is to predict the vibration characteristic of composite laminated plates in an effective and convenient way. Sensitivity analysis (SA) is introduced to improve the prediction accuracy of natural frequency. For distortion similarity, the prediction accuracy is improved close to 5%. Modal assurance criterion (MAC) measures the consistency of mode shapes of the full-size prototype and scaled models. The influence of stacking sequence on mode consistency is investigated. Similitude based on virtual mode and statistical energy (SVMSE) is proposed to extrapolate the transient response of the prototype to simulate the shock environment, such as satellite–rocket separation, etc. In conclusion, the prediction accuracy of natural frequency, mode consistency, and response coincidence are considered comprehensively to extrapolate the vibration characteristic of the full-size laminated plates.