Prediction of Natural Frequencies of a Sandwich Panel Using Thick Plate Theory

The vibration of a sandwich panel with two identical isotropic facesheets and an orthotropic core was studied. The governing partial differential equation was derived using a variational principle. Linear shear theory was employed to describe the transverse deformation of the panel, and the rotational effect was taken into consideration. The natural frequencies of a rectangular sandwich panel can be predicted on the basis of the proposed analytical model. Results from the proposed model were compared with those from thin plate theory. The effects of the structural and material parameters such as core anisotropy, core density, and facesheet thickness on natural frequencies were discussed.