A Three-Dimensional Vibration Theory for Ultralight Cellular Sandwich Plates Subjected to Linearly Varying In-Plane Distributed Loads

Thin structural elements such as large-scale covering plates of aerospace protection structures and vertical stabilizers of aircraft are strongly influenced by gravity (and/or acceleration); thus, exploring how the mechanical behaviors of such structures are affected by gravitational field is necessary. Built upon a zigzag displacement model, this study establishes a three-dimensional vibration theory for ultralight cellular-cored sandwich plates subjected to linearly varying in-plane distributed loads (due to, e.g., hyper gravity or acceleration), with the cross-section rotation angle induced by face sheet shearing accounted for. For selected boundary conditions, the theory enables quantifying the influence of core type (e.g., close-celled metal foams, triangular corrugated metal plates, and metal hexagonal honeycombs) on fundamental frequencies of the sandwich plates. For validation, three-dimensional finite element simulations are carried out, with good agreement achieved between theoretical predictions and simulation results. The validated theory is subsequently employed to evaluate how the geometric parameters of metal sandwich core and the mixture of metal cores and composite face sheets influence the fundamental frequencies. Triangular corrugated sandwich plate possesses the highest fundamental frequency, irrespective of boundary conditions. For each type of sandwich plate considered, the presence of in-plane distributed loads significantly affects its fundamental frequencies and modal shapes.