Free Vibration of Thermally Stressed Angle-Ply Laminated Composite Using First-Order Shear Deformation Theory Model with Assumed Natural Shear Strain

Abstract

A four-nodded rectangular finite element based on first-order shear deformation theory is used to investigate the dynamic behavior of thermally stressed angle-ply laminated composite plates. Total potential energy and Hamilton’s principles have been used to formulate stiffness, geometric and mass matrices. Assumed natural strain method has been employed to avoid potential shear locking. Convergence of the first natural frequency and critical temperature rise has been checked out through a set of examples whose results compare well with 3D solution and other finite elements models from the literature. The effects of side-to-thickness ratio, anisotropy degree and fibers orientation angle, on the first natural frequency and critical temperature have also been investigated. Furthermore, the free vibration of thermally stressed angle-ply laminated composite plates has been investigated for different side-to-thickness ratios and fiber orientations. The results have shown that the first natural frequency decreases linearly with temperature rise, which is in accordance with those from the literature.