TY - JOUR
T1 - Finite Element Analysis of Bend Test of Sandwich Structures Using Strain Energy Based Homogenization Method
AU - Ijaz, Hassan
AU - Saleem, Waqas
AU - Zain-ul-Abdein, Muhammad
AU - Mabrouki, Tarek
AU - Rubaiee, Saeed
AU - Bin Mahfouz, Abdullah Salmeen
N1 - Copyright © 2017 Hassan Ijaz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
PY - 2017/6/11
Y1 - 2017/6/11
N2 - The purpose of this article is to present a simplified methodology for analysis of sandwich structures using the homogenization method. This methodology is based upon the strain energy criterion. Normally, sandwich structures are composed of hexagonal core and face sheets and a complete and complex hexagonal core is modeled for finite element (FE) structural analysis. In the present work, the hexagonal core is replaced by a simple equivalent volume for FE analysis. The properties of an equivalent volume were calculated by taking a single representative cell for the entire core structure and the analysis was performed to determine the effective elastic orthotropic modulus of the equivalent volume. Since each elemental cell of the hexagonal core repeats itself within the in-plane direction, periodic boundary conditions were applied to the single cell to obtain the more realistic values of effective modulus. A sandwich beam was then modeled using determined effective properties. 3D FE analysis of Three- and Four-Point Bend Tests (3PBT and 4PBT) for sandwich structures having an equivalent polypropylene honeycomb core and Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) composite face sheets are performed in the present study. The authenticity of the proposed methodology has been verified by comparing the simulation results with the experimental bend test results on hexagonal core sandwich beams.
AB - The purpose of this article is to present a simplified methodology for analysis of sandwich structures using the homogenization method. This methodology is based upon the strain energy criterion. Normally, sandwich structures are composed of hexagonal core and face sheets and a complete and complex hexagonal core is modeled for finite element (FE) structural analysis. In the present work, the hexagonal core is replaced by a simple equivalent volume for FE analysis. The properties of an equivalent volume were calculated by taking a single representative cell for the entire core structure and the analysis was performed to determine the effective elastic orthotropic modulus of the equivalent volume. Since each elemental cell of the hexagonal core repeats itself within the in-plane direction, periodic boundary conditions were applied to the single cell to obtain the more realistic values of effective modulus. A sandwich beam was then modeled using determined effective properties. 3D FE analysis of Three- and Four-Point Bend Tests (3PBT and 4PBT) for sandwich structures having an equivalent polypropylene honeycomb core and Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) composite face sheets are performed in the present study. The authenticity of the proposed methodology has been verified by comparing the simulation results with the experimental bend test results on hexagonal core sandwich beams.
U2 - 10.1155/2017/8670207
DO - 10.1155/2017/8670207
M3 - Article
SN - 1687-8434
VL - 2017
JO - Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
JF - Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
M1 - 8670207
ER -