Free vibration of symmetrically laminated quasi-isotropic super-elliptical thin plates

Abstract

Free vibration analysis of super-elliptical composite thin plates was investigated. Plate is formed by symmetrical quasi-isotropic laminates. Rayleigh-Ritz method was used for parametric analysis based on the governing differential equations of Classical Laminated Plate Theory (CLPT). Simply supported and clamped boundary conditions at the periphery of plates were considered. Parametric study was performed for the effect of different lamination type, aspect ratio, thickness and super-elliptical power on natural frequencies. Convergence study and validation of isotropic case were achieved. A number of design parameters like different dimensions, structure systems, panel sizes, panel thicknesses, lamination sequences, boundary conditions and loading conditions must be considered in the production of composite ships. The number of possible combinations practically may be so high that a parametric study should be carried out in order to determine the optimum design parameters rapidly during the preliminary design stage. The use of Rayleigh-Ritz method could make this parametric study possible. Thereby it might be decreasing the consumption of time, material and labor. Certain results for some different super-elliptical powers presented in tabulated form in Appendix for designers as well.