Abstract:
Laminated composite plates are very important engineering structure with wide
application in aerospace, automobile, and nuclear industry due to their high specific
strength and specific modulus. In recent years, these materials have been used
extensively in aircraft. In such cases certain portions of the aircraft structure may be
subjected to experience thermal and moisture environment. It is therefore necessary
to predict the free vibration response of the composite plate when subjected to
thermal and moisture environment. The free vibration behaviour of laminated
composite plates is considerably more complicated than that of isotropic ones due to
the anisotropy of the individual lamina. The effect of temperature and moisture on
the free vibration of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) plates has been
investigated. First-order shear deformation theory was applied in Finite Element
Method (FEM) to investigate free vibration analysis of fully clamped laminated
plate. FEM results of simply supported composite plates were compared with
analytical results to validate the FEM analysis. Composite plates of [02, 902], [0,
90]4, [±452], [±45]4, [0, 90]2s, [±45]2s, [0, ±45, 90]s layup were investigated. The
parametric study showed that the single cross ply [02, 902] and double angle ply
[±452] laminates showed greatest variations in fundamental frequencies with
temperature and moisture. Only slight variations are predicted for the multi-ply
laminates of [0, 90]4, [±45]4, [0, 90]2s, [±45]2s, [0, ±45, 90]s.
