Abstract
The purpose of this article is to present a simplified methodology for analysis of sandwich structures using the homogenization method. This methodology is based upon the strain energy criterion. Normally, sandwich structures are composed of hexagonal core and face sheets and a complete and complex hexagonal core is modeled for finite element (FE) structural analysis. In the present work, the hexagonal core is replaced by a simple equivalent volume for FE analysis. The properties of an equivalent volume were calculated by taking a single representative cell for the entire core structure and the analysis was performed to determine the effective elastic orthotropic modulus of the equivalent volume. Since each elemental cell of the hexagonal core repeats itself within the in-plane direction, periodic boundary conditions were applied to the single cell to obtain the more realistic values of effective modulus. A sandwich beam was then modeled using determined effective properties. 3D FE analysis of Three- and Four-Point Bend Tests (3PBT and 4PBT) for sandwich structures having an equivalent polypropylene honeycomb core and Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) composite face sheets are performed in the present study. The authenticity of the proposed methodology has been verified by comparing the simulation results with the experimental bend test results on hexagonal core sandwich beams.
Highlights
Applications of composite sandwich structures are continuously increasing in the recent times due to their excellent out-of-plane shear and compressive properties
A typical sandwich structure consists of a central core material covered by top and bottom face sheets
An alternative strategy is desired in which a complex shaped core material may be replaced by a simple equivalent volume having elastic orthotropic properties
Summary
Applications of composite sandwich structures are continuously increasing in the recent times due to their excellent out-of-plane shear and compressive properties. Complex and large hexagonal honeycomb core shapes are difficult to model and are computationally expensive Due to these limitations, an alternative strategy is desired in which a complex shaped core material may be replaced by a simple equivalent volume having elastic orthotropic properties. A 3D sandwich structure with face sheets and simple inner core volume was modeled along with the calculated equivalent properties and analyzed for Three-Point Bend Test (3PBT) and Four-Point Bend Test (4PBT). Once the orthotropic properties of homogenized volume are known, one can model the large and complex sandwich structures with simple homogenized volume for different FE analyses
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