TITLE:
Effective Elastic Properties of Honeycomb Core with Fiber-Reinforced Composite Cells
AUTHORS:
F. Ernesto Penado
KEYWORDS:
Lightweight Structures; Composite Mirrors; Sandwich Construction; Hexagonal Cell Core; Effective Core Properties
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Composite Materials,
Vol.3 No.4,
September
12,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Sandwich
construction incorporating a honeycomb cellular core offers the attainment of
structures that are very stiff and strong in bending while the weight is kept
at a minimum. Generally,
an aluminum or Nomex honeycomb core is used in applications requiring sandwich
construction with fiber-reinforced composite facesheets. However, the use of a fiber-reinforced
composite core offers the potential for even lower weight, increased stiffness
and strength, low thermal distortion compatible with that of the facesheets,
the absence of galvanic corrosion and the ability to readily modify the core
properties to suit specialized needs. Furthermore, the material of the core
itself will exhibit anisotropic material properties in this case. In order to
design, analyze and optimize these structures, knowledge of the effective
mechanical properties of the core is essential. In this paper, the effective
three-dimensional
mechanical properties of a composite hexagonal cell core are determined using a
numerical method based on a finite element analysis of a representative unit
cell. In particular, the geometry of the simplest repeating unit of the core as
well as the appropriate loading and boundary conditions that must be applied is presented.