Surface crack effect on frequency and vibration mode switching of solar-powered aerospace structures

Abstract

In the engineering design of modern wing panels and their optimal control system, the first step is to find and predict their dynamic characteristics. These characteristics are dependent on material properties, panel geometry, and boundary conditions. In addition, possible fracture existence, imperfections and environmental conditions may unpredictably change the frequency and modes shape of the panel and then the parameters of a control system. In the present paper, the effect of surface fracture depth and orientation on frequency and vibration mode switching of perovskite solar cells-based aircraft wing panels is investigated for the first time. The PSC (perovskite solar cell) panel is made of a polymer substrate reinforced with even-distributed graphene platelets (GPLs) and thin solar layers to enhance the overall electromechanical performance of the whole structure. Equations of motion of the panel are obtained by the Hamilton approach based on the properties of Reddy's third-order shear deformation theory and linear components of the Green-Lagrange strain tensor. The novel aspect is a line-spring model of surface crack by Cartmell et al. adapted to the model of the PSC panel under consideration. The discretization of the established equations of motion for the cracked panel is carried out by the element-free IMLS-Ritz method with mesh-free features. Validation of the obtained solutions is carried out by comparisons with results from previous studies for cracked laminated plates.First, material and geometric properties effect on vibration characteristics of the PSC structure was investigated. Next, partial surface crack depth and orientation angle are examined to show changes in frequency and vibration modes shape of the panel. It is shown, that there is a mode swapping between the second and third modes when transitioning from an intact panel to a cracked one. As the crack length increases, higher-order mode variations become more noticeable, potentially leading to their swapping or the excitation of new ones. Additionally, the findings demonstrate that the surface crack orientation angle significantly impacts the higher-order modes of the panel. When the orientation angle is 90°, the first six modes align with those of the intact plate. Mode shapes and frequency shifts are significant for crack orientation angles between 0° and 90°.