Wave characteristics of nonsymmetric cross-ply laminated composite beams

Abstract

The free vibration characteristics of a nonsymmetric cross-ply laminated composite beam coupled in bending and longitudinal deformation is studied using a wave approach. The effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia are included in the analysis. Exact analytical expressions are derived for the natural frequencies, mode shapes, and the power flow of the propagating waves. The derived expressions are validated using the results from past literature and provide a benchmark for numerical models. The advantages of the wave approach over conventional free vibration analysis methods are highlighted. Specifically, the wave approach is used to derive a simplified expression for the mode count function of the composite beam. Additionally, the wave approach is also used to investigate the power flow and cross-conversion of the propagating wavetypes across various classical boundary conditions. The influence of the number of cross-ply layers on the natural frequencies and power flow are also investigated. The efficacy of the wave analysis is illustrated through several numerical examples.