Vibro-acoustical responses of a sandwich panel consist of aluminum honeycomb core and fabric-reinforced graphite facings

Abstract

This research presents a numerical study on vibro-acoustic and sound transmission loss behavior of an aluminum honeycomb core sandwich panel with fabric-reinforced graphite (FRG) composite face sheets. The sandwich theory, which assumes the honeycomb core as an orthotropic structural layer, is applied to investigate the free and forced vibration behavior of the panel. The radiated sound power from the panel is quantified by Rayleigh integral method, and the random diffuse field as an incident sound source is derived based on finite element method with the employment of ACTRAN. A validation between the simulated results and the experimental data published is carried out to demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of the present approach. The comparison between different materials of honeycomb sandwich structures illustrates the advantages of the fabric-reinforced graphite honeycomb sandwich structure over the other types of sandwich structures considered. The effects of different boundary conditions and honeycomb structural geometry properties on the acoustical performance of the stiffness of the FRG panel are also investigated. The approach of the present research provides useful guidance for evaluating and selecting the other honeycomb sandwich panels when the vibratory and acoustic behaviors of the panels are considered.