Dynamic performance of co-cured composite structure with sandwich damping film

In this paper, a research on theoretical analysis and finite element simulation of the damping sandwich composite plate with fixed support condition is carried out, and the dynamic characteristics of composite plates are explored by modal experiments. The vibration equilibrium equation of damping sandwich composite plate with fixed support condition is derived by combining first-order shear deformation theory, variational principle, and Hamilton principle. A set of modal basis functions satisfying the fixed support condition are established. The analytical solution is obtained via Galerkin weighted residual theory. The influence of structural parameters on the free vibration characteristics of the sandwich composite plates is investigated based on the mutual verification of theoretical calculation, numerical simulation, and modal test results. When the damping layer (0.2 mm) is located on the surface of the skin (2 mm), the first-order mode frequency and first-order loss factor are 196.66 Hz and 0.01, respectively. When the damping layer is in the neutral layer, the first-order mode frequency and first-order loss factor are 189.99 Hz and 0.14, respectively. Compared with the damping layer in the skin, the first-order mode frequency is reduced by 3.39%, while the first-order loss factor is 14 times higher. The results show that the damping performance of the structure is optimal when the damping layer is located in the neutral layer, and the structural stiffness is higher when the damping layer is close to the skin. The work provides theoretical guidance for the development and application of lightweight composite structures with large damping and high stiffness.