A Meshfree Approach for Dynamic Analysis of Sandwich Conical and Cylindrical Shells with Varying Thicknesses

Abstract

In this paper, a meshfree Jacobi point interpolation (MJPI) approach for the dynamic analysis of sandwich laminated conical and cylindrical shells with varying thickness is presented. The theoretical formulations for sandwich laminated shells with varying thickness are established using the modified variational principle within the framework of first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The displacement components of the sandwich shell are expanded using the MJPI shape function and Fourier series in the meridional and circumferential directions, respectively. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed MJPI shape function are validated against numerical results from published literature and the commercial simulation tool Abaqus. Finally, the effects of different parameters such as thickness gradient, thickness power index and boundary condition on the free vibration and dynamic response of the sandwich laminated shell are investigated.