Optimum design of sandwich composite structures under various dynamic loads using the equivalent static load method

Abstract

Sandwich composite structures are high-performance materials with greater specific strength and specific stiffness properties, than widely used conventional metals. In this study, sandwich composite structures under dynamic loads were optimized using the equivalent static load method (ESLM). First, a finite element analysis was performed on the sandwich composite structure, using the high-order sandwich panel theory (HSAPT), considering the core material to be compressible. Further, it was optimized by applying the ESLM to three different sandwich composite structures under different types of dynamic loads. The results of the proposed method and conventional dynamic response optimization method were compared. The ESLM was observed to attain a convergence at a rate 1/24 times faster than the conventional method.