Vibration analysis of simply supported curved sandwich panels with square honeycomb cores

A theoretical model based on Hoff sandwich panel theory is proposed to investigate the vibration behavior of curved sandwich panels with square honeycomb cores. The square core is an equivalent isotropic layer and the curvature of the panel is taken into account. A finite element model considering all geometrical details is presented to investigate the influence of internal pressure and to validate the theoretical model. A systematic investigation is performed to quantify the influences of the morphological parameters of the square honeycomb core and the internal pressure. It is found that the vibration modes of the honeycomb sandwich panel are similar to those of a monolithic panel. The natural frequencies increase and are far beyond those of the monolithic panel with equal mass as the internal pressure increases. The results obtained from the present study show the advantage of curved sandwich panels in lightweight and high-safety, and are helpful for optimal design of this kind of lightweight structures.