Modal study of trapezoidal cantilever plate like composite beam

Abstract

The laminated composite beams are in use for various components in engineering applications. These beams are subjected to different environments and loads. The Dynamic analysis of composite components is essential to avoid the failure of the component. The component exhibits irregular behavior under certain working condition which can be analyzed by the natural frequency and mode shape. The complexity of the analysis of composite structures is faced as it often operates in complex environmental conditions and is frequently exposed to a variety of dynamic excitations. The orientation of the fiber layer also plays an important role on deciding the mechanical properties of the composite material. In this work a comparative modal analysis between specimen having rectangular and trapezoidal geometry is carried out. The effect of variation of taper angle and fiber orientations on natural frequency is studied. Bi directional woven Glass fiber is taken as reinforcement and general purpose polyester resin as matrix for the composite material of beams. The modal analysis of the specimen is conducted using finite element analysis using finite element analysis software.