A solid-shell layerwise finite element for non-linear geometric and material analysis

The application of layerwise theories to correctly model the displacement field of sandwich structures or laminates with high modulus ratios usually employs plate or facet-shell finite element formulations to compute the element stiffness and mass matrices for each layer. In this work an alternative approach is proposed, using a high performance hexahedral finite element to represent the individual layer mass and stiffness. This eight-node hexahedral finite element is formulated based on the application of the enhanced assumed strain method (EAS) to solve several locking pathologies coming from the high aspect ratio of the finite element and the usual incompressibility condition of the core materials. The solid-shell finite element formulation is introduced in the layerwise theory through the definition of a projection operator, based on the finite element variables transformation matrix. The non-linear geometric and material capabilities are introduced into the finite element formulation, allowing for the representation of large displacements, large deformation and material non-linear behaviors. The developed formulation is numerically tested and benchmarked, being validated by using published experimental results obtained from sandwich specimens.     

An enhanced layerwise finite element using a robust solid-shell formulation approach

The application of layerwise theories to correctly model the displacement field of sandwich structures or laminates with high modulus ratios, usually employs plate or facet shell finite element formulations to compute the element stiffness and mass matrices for each layer. In this work, a different approach is proposed, using a high performance hexahedral finite element to represent the individual layer mass and stiffness. This 8-node hexahedral finite element is formulated based on the application of the enhanced assumed strain method (EAS) to resolve several locking pathologies coming from the high aspect ratios of the finite element and the usual incompressibility condition of the core materials. The solid-shell finite element formulation is introduced in the layerwise theory through the definition of a projection operator, which is based on the finite element variables transformation matrix. The new finite element is tested and the implemented numerical remedies are verified. The results for a soft core sandwich plate are hereby presented to demonstrate the proposed finite element applicability and robustness.     

A Viscoelastic Sandwich Finite Element Model for the Analysis of Passive,Active and Hybrid Structures

In this paper we present a finite element model for the analysis of active sandwich laminated plates with a viscoelastic core and laminated anisotropic face layers, as well as piezoelectric sensor and actuator layers. The model is formulated using a mixed layerwise approach, by considering a higher order shear deformation theory (HSDT) to represent the displacement field of the viscoelastic core and a first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) for the displacement field of the adjacent laminated anisotropic face layers and exterior piezoelectric layers. The dynamic problem is solved in the frequency domain with viscoelastic frequency dependent material properties for the core. Control laws are also implemented for the piezoelectric sensors and actuators. The model behaviour in dynamics is assessed with the few solutions found in the literature, including experimental data, and a laminated composite active sandwich application is proposed. In this numerical application, velocity feedback control law is implemented for active control, using co-located piezoelectric patch sensors and actuators.     

Optimal design and parameter estimation of frequency dependent viscoelastic laminated sandwich composite plates

Recent developments in optimization and parameter estimation of frequency dependent passive damping of sandwich structures with viscoelastic core are presented in this paper. A finite element model for anisotropic laminated plate structures with viscoelastic frequency dependent core and laminated anisotropic face layers has been formulated, using a mixed layerwise approach, by considering a higher order shear deformation theory (HSDT) to represent the displacement field of the viscoelastic core, and a first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) for the displacement fields of adjacent laminated face layers. The complex modulus approach is used for the viscoelastic material behaviour, and the dynamic problem is solved in the frequency domain, using viscoelastic material data for the core, assuming fractional derivative constitutive models. Constrained optimization of passive damping is conducted for the maximisation of modal loss factors, using the Feasible Arc Interior Point Algorithm (FAIPA). Identification of the frequency dependent material properties of the sandwich core is conducted by estimating the parameters that define the fractional derivative constitutive model. Optimal design and parameter estimation applications in sandwich structures are presented and discussed.     

High‐order layerwise finite element for the damped free‐vibration response of thick composite and sandwich composite plates

A high‐order layerwise finite element methodology is presented, which enables prediction of the damped dynamic characteristics of thick composite and sandwich composite plates. The through‐thickness displacement field in each discrete layer of the laminate includes quadratic and cubic polynomial distributions of the in‐plane displacements, in addition to the linear approximations assumed by linear layerwise theories. Stiffness, mass and damping matrices are formulated from ply to structural level. Interlaminar shear stress compatibility conditions are imposed on the discrete layer matrices, leading to both size reduction and prediction of interlaminar shear stresses at the laminate interfaces. The C¹ continuous finite element implemented yields an element damping matrix in addition to element stiffness and mass matrices. Application cases include thick [0/90/0], [±θ]_S and [±θ] composite plates with interlaminar damping layers and sandwich plates with composite faces and foam core. In the latter case, modal frequencies and damping were also experimentally determined and compared with the finite element predictions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A layerwise finite element formulation for vibration and damping analysis of sandwich plate with moderately thick viscoelastic core

Abstract

Most previous studies of viscoelastic sandwich plates were based on the assumption that damping was only resulting from shear deformation in the viscoelastic core. However, extensive and compressive deformations in the viscoelastic core should also be considered especially for sandwich plates with moderately thick viscoelastic core. This paper presents a finite element formulation for vibration and damping analysis of sandwich plates with moderately thick viscoelastic core based on a mixed layerwise theory. The face layers satisfy the Kirchhoff theory while the viscoelastic core meets a general high-order deformation theory. The viscoelastic core is modeled as a quasi-three-dimensional solid where other types of deformation such as longitudinal extension and transverse compression are also considered. To better describe the distribution of the displacement fields, auxiliary points located across the depth of the sandwich plate are introduced. And based on the auxiliary points, the longitudinal and transverse displacements of the viscoelastic core are interpolated independently by Lagrange interpolation functions. Quadrilateral finite elements are developed and dynamic equations are derived by Hamilton’s principle in the variation form. Allowing for the frequency-dependent characteristics of the viscoelastic material, an iterative procedure is introduced to solve the nonlinear eigenvalue problem. The comparison with results in the open literature validates the remarkable accuracy of the present model for sandwich plates with moderately thick viscoelastic core, and demonstrates the importance of the higher-order variation of the transverse displacement along the thickness of the viscoelastic core for the improvement of the analysis accuracy. Moreover, the influence of the thickness and stiffness ratios of the viscoelastic core to the face layers on the damping characteristics of the viscoelastic sandwich plate is discussed.     

Development of semianalytical axisymmetric shell models with embedded sensors and actuators

This paper presents the development of two semianalytical axisymmetric shell finite element models, which have the possibility of having embedded and/or surface-bonded piezoelectric ring actuators and/or sensors. A mixed finite element approach is used, which combines the equivalent single-layer higher-order shear deformation theory, to represent the mechanical behavior with a layerwise discretization in the thickness direction to represent the distribution of the electrical potential of each piezoelectric layer of the frusta conical finite element. The electrical potential function is represented through a layerwise discretization in the thickness direction and can be assumed linear or quadratic with two or six electrical potential ring nodes per piezoelectric layer. The displacement field and the electrical potential are expanded by Fourier series in the circumferential direction, considering symmetric and anti-symmetric terms. Several examples are presented and discussed to illustrate the accuracy and capabilities of both models.     

A triangular plate element for thermo‐elastic analysis of sandwich panels with a functionally graded core

A sandwich construction is commonly composed of a single soft isotropic core with relatively stiff orthotropic face sheets. The stiffness of the core may be functionally graded through the thickness in order to reduce the interfacial shear stresses. In analysing sandwich panels with a functionally gradient core, the three‐dimensional conventional finite elements or elements based on the layerwise (zig‐zag) theory can be used. Although these elements accurately model a sandwich panel, they are computationally costly when the core is modelled as composed of several layers due to its grading material properties. An alternative to these elements is an element based on a single‐layer plate theory in which the weighted‐average field variablescapture the panel deformation in the thickness direction. This study presents a new triangular finite element based on {3,2}‐order single‐layer theory for modelling thick sandwich panels with or without a functionally graded core subjected to thermo‐mechanical loading. A hybrid energy functional is employed in the derivation of the element because of a C¹ interelement continuity requirement. The variations of temperature and distributed loading acting on the top and bottom surfaces are non‐uniform. The temperature also varies arbitrarily through the thickness. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Delamination modeling in doubly curved laminated shells for free vibration analysis using zigzag theory-based facet shell element and hybrid continuity method

We present a finite element (FE) formulation for the free vibration analysis of doubly curved laminated composite and sandwich shells having multiple delaminations, employing a facet shell element based on the efficient third-order zigzag theory and the region approach of modeling delaminations. The methodology, hitherto not attempted, is general for delaminations occurring at multiple interfacial and spatial locations. A recently developed hybrid method is used for satisfying the continuity of the nonlinear layerwise displacement field at the delamination fronts. The formulation is shown to yield very accurate results with reference to full-field three-dimensional FE solutions, for the natural frequencies and mode shapes of delaminated shallow and deep, composite and highly inhomogeneous soft-core sandwich shells of different geometries and boundary conditions, with a significant computational advantage. The accuracy is sensitive to the continuity method used at the delamination fronts, the usual point continuity method yielding rather poor accuracy, and the proposed hybrid method giving the best accuracy. Such efficient modeling of laminated shells with delamination damage will be of immense use for model-based techniques for structural health monitoring of laminated shell-type structures.     

Vibration and Buckling of Truss Core Sandwich Plates on An Elastic Foundation Subjected to Biaxial In-plane Loads

Truss-core sandwich plates are thin-walled structures comprising a truss core and two thin flat sheets. Since no direct analytical solution for the dynamic response of such structures exists, the complex three dimensional (3D) systems are idealized as equivalent 2D homogeneous continuous plates. The macroscopic effective bending and transverse shear stiffness are derived. Two representative core topologies are considered: pyramidal truss core and tetrahedral truss core. The first order shear deformation theory is used to study the flexural vibration of a simply supported sandwich plate. The buckling of the truss core plate on an elastic foundation subjected to biaxial in-plane compressive loads is also investigated. It's found that the lowest buckling loads and modes are dependent on the foundation stiffness as well as bending and transverse shear stiffness of the plate. The geometric parameters of a sandwich plate are optimized to obtain strongest buckling resistance per unit weight. To verify the accuracy of analytical solutions, 3D finite element (FE) models are established, and good agreement is observed between them. It's obvious that the homogenization procedure leads to great savings in computational effort.     

A generalized layerwise finite element for multi-layer damping treatments

This paper presents a 4-node facet type quadrangular shell finite element, based on a layerwise theory, developed for dynamic modelling of laminated structures with viscoelastic damping layers. The bending stiffness of the facet shell element is based on the Reissner–Mindlin assumptions and the plate theory is enriched with a shear locking protection adopting the MITC approach. The membrane component is corrected by using incompatible quadratic modes and the drilling degrees of freedom are introduced through a fictitious stiffness stabilization matrix. Linear static tests, using several pathological tests, showed good and convergent results. Dynamic analysis evaluation is provided by using two eigenproblems with exact analytical solution, as well as a conical sandwich shell with a closed-form analytical solution and a semi-analytical ring finite element solution. The applicability of the proposed finite element to viscoelastic core sandwich plates is assessed through experimental validation.     

考虑芯层横向变形的粘弹性复合材料夹层板结构的声振特性分析

夹层板结构具有很高的比强度和比刚度。若芯层采用粘弹性阻尼材料，夹层板结构还具有良好的隔振和隔声特性，因此在工程结构中得到广泛应用。以往的夹层板理论大多忽略了芯层的横向正应变和横向正应力，在分析芯层较厚的夹层板或者夹层结构的高频振动问题时由于不能体现芯层的横向压缩变形，往往显得不够合理。针对这一不足，构造了一个复合材料夹层板单元：夹层板的上下面板采用基于一阶剪切变形理论的Mindlin假定以及层合板理论进行分析；采用文献[6，7]中提出的Timoshenko层合厚梁理论构造了单元每边的转角和剪应变场，消除了Mindlin板单元当板厚变小时的剪切锁死问题；假定芯层的位移沿厚度方向线性变化，并用上下面板的自由度表示，最终形成以上下面板自由度表示的系统总的运动方程。该单元不仅考虑了芯层的横向剪切变形，还考虑了芯层的横向压缩变形。数值计算结果表明：无论对于静力问题、动力问题还是声辐射等问题，考虑芯层的横向压缩变形是合理的，也是有必要的。     

基于分层理论的螺栓连接夹芯复合材料加筋结构振动特性

针对采用螺栓连接方式固定的夹芯复合材料加筋结构,表层采用分层理论单元、芯层采用体单元,结合有限元方法计算固有频率和振型。通过试验验证,有限元计算结果与试验结果吻合,并得到了在有限元分析中模拟实际结构边界条件的处理方法。试验结果对比表明,与钢制结构相比,夹芯复合材料加筋结构前三阶固有频率提高2倍以上,夹芯复合材料加筋结构能大幅提高整体结构刚度,改善结构的振动特性。      

Modeling of functionally graded sandwich shells accounting for variation in transverse displacement

In this study, a simple C₀ isoparametric finite element formulation based on higher-order shear deformation theory is presented for static analysis of functionally graded material sandwich shells (FGMSS). To characterize the membrane-flexure behavior observed in a functionally graded shell, a displacement field involving higher-order terms in in-plane and transverse fields is considered. The proposed kinematics field incorporates for transverse normal deformation, transverse shear deformation, and nonlinear variation of the in-plane displacement field through the thickness to predict the overall response of the shell in an accurate sense. To develop the efficient C₀ formulation, the derivatives of transverse displacement are treated as independent field variables (nodal unknowns). Voigt's rule of mixture is employed to ascertain the mechanical properties of each layer's constituents along the thickness direction. A wide range of numerical problems are solved assuming various parameters: side-thickness ratio, curvature-side ratio, and gradation parameter, and their interactions with regard to static analysis of FGMSS are discussed in brief. Deflection and stresses incorporating different thickness schemes of sandwich shells are presented in the form of figures. To validate the results, a functionally graded shell without sandwich arrangement is considered. Since no results are available on static analysis of FGMSS, the present 2D model based on the finite element method might be helpful in assessing the applicability of other analytical and numerical models in this area in the future.     

A generalized layerwise higher-order shear deformation theory for laminated composite and sandwich plates based on isogeometric analysis

This paper presents a generalized layerwise higher-order shear deformation theory for laminated composite and sandwich plates. We exploit a higher-order shear deformation theory in each layer such that the continuity of the displacement and transverse shear stresses at the layer interfaces is ensured. Thanks for enforcing the continuity of the displacement and transverse shear stresses at an inner-laminar layer, the minimum number of variables is retained from the present theory in comparison with other layerwise theories. The method requires only five variables, the same as what obtained from the first- and higher-order shear deformation theories. In comparison with the shear deformation theories based on the equivalent single layer, the present theory is capable of producing a higher accuracy for inner-laminar layer shear stresses. The free boundary conditions of transverse shear stresses at the top and bottom surfaces of the plate are fulfilled without any shear correction factors. The discrete system equations are derived from the Galerkin weak form, and the solution is obtained by isogeometric analysis (IGA). The discrete form requires the C¹ continuity of the transverse displacement, and hence NURBS basis functions in IGA naturally ensure this condition. The laminated composite and sandwich plates with various geometries, aspect ratios, stiffness ratios and boundary conditions are studied. The obtained results are compared with the 3D elasticity solution, the analytical as well as numerical solutions based on various plate theories.     

An evaluation of equivalent-single-layer and layerwise theories of composite laminates

A review of equivalent-single-layer and layerwise laminate theories is presented and their computational models are discussed. The layerwise theory advanced by the author is reviewed and a variable displacement finite element model and the mesh superposition techniques are described. The variable displacement finite elements contain several different types of assumed displacement fields. By choosing appropriate terms from the multiple displacement field, an entire array of elements with different orders of kinematic refinement can be formed. The variable kinematic finite elements can be conveniently connected together in a single domain for global-local analyses, where the local regions are modeled with refined kinematic elements. In the finite element mesh superposition technique an independent overlay mesh is superimposed on a global mesh to provide localized refinement for regions of interest regardless of the original global mesh topology. Integration of these two ideas yields a very robust and economical computational tool for global-local analysis to determine three-dimensional effects (e.g. stresses) within localized regions of interest in practical laminated composite structures.     

Identification of the elastic and damping properties in sandwich structures with a low core-to-skin stiffness ratio

A mixed numerical–experimental identification procedure for estimating the storage and loss properties in sandwich structures with a soft core is developed. The proposed method uses at the experimental level a precise measurement setup with an electro-dynamic shaker and a scanning laser interferometer, and at the computational level an original structurally damped shell finite element model derived from the higher-order shear deformation theory with piecewise linear functions for the through-the-thickness displacement. The parameter estimation is derived from adequate objective functions measuring the discrepancy between the experimental and numerical modal data. Through a sensitivity analysis it is shown that for sandwich structures with a soft core only one specimen is required for characterizing the dominant properties of both the core and the skins. The procedure is then applied to two test cases for which all the influent elastic properties and the major damping parameters could be estimated with a fairly good precision.     

Layerwise modeling of progressive damage in fiber-reinforced composite laminates

This paper investigates the effects of discrete layer transverse shear strain and discrete layer transverse normal strain on the predicted progressive damage response and global failure of fiber-reinforced composite laminates. These effects are isolated using a hierarchical, displacement-based 2-D finite element model that includes the first-order shear deformation model (FSD), type-I layerwise models (LW1) and type-II layerwise models (LW2) as special cases. Both the LW1 layerwise model and the more familiar FSD model use a reduced constitutive matrix that is based on the assumption of zero transverse normal stress; however, the LW1 model includes discrete layer transverse shear effects via in-plane displacement components that are C ⁰ continuous with respect to the thickness coordinate. The LW2 layerwise model utilizes a full 3-D constitutive matrix and includes both discrete layer transverse shear effects and discrete layer transverse normal effects by expanding all three displacement components as C ⁰ continuous functions of the thickness coordinate. The hierarchical finite element model incorporates a 3-D continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model that predicts local orthotropic damage evolution and local stiffness reduction at the geometric scale represented by the homogenized composite material ply. In modeling laminates that exhibit either widespread or localized transverse shear deformation, the results obtained in this study clearly show that the inclusion of discrete layer kinematics significantly increases the rate of local damage accumulation and significantly reduces the predicted global failure load compared to solutions obtained from first-order shear deformable models. The source of this effect can be traced to the improved resolution of local interlaminar shear stress concentrations, which results in faster local damage evolution and earlier cascading of localized failures into widespread global failure.     

Bending Response of Foldcore Composite Sandwich Beams

In order to solve bending behavior difference of corrugated structure in L andWorientation, bending response for composite sandwich beams with foldcores of three different wall thicknesses were experimentally and numerically investigated. Effect of the cell walls thickness on the strength and failure behavior of the composite sandwich beams with L and W orientations was also examined. The deformation mode was obtained by the numerical method; a constitutive law of laminated material has been incorporated into a finite element (FE) analysis program. Numerical calculations give accurate prediction to the bending response of foldcore composite sandwich beams comparing with experiments. Structural flexural stiffness, strength and failure mechanism at a given topological geometry depended on the nature of core itself: the bending stiffness and strength of the sandwich beam increased with the core wall thickness (relative density). Also, bending isotropy was shown in this study for foldcore composite sandwich beams with selected core geometry.