Free vibration and stochastic dynamic response of functionally graded graphene platelet-reinforced composite cabin assemblages

Abstract

The pursuit of higher performance and lighter weight in aircraft design poses critical challenges to cabin structures, particularly from stationary and non-stationary stochastic excitations during service, which threaten vibration resistance. However, existing studies are predominantly limited to the deterministic or stationary vibration of single composite shells. A significant gap exists in the development of unified dynamic models for functionally graded graphene platelet-reinforced composite (FG-GPLRC) cabin assemblages, particularly for analyzing their non-stationary responses. This gap hinders reliable engineering design. This study conducts dynamic modeling and characteristic analysis of FG-GPLRC cabin assemblages. In this study, the material properties of each layer were first determined using the Halpin-Tsai model and the rule of mixtures. Subsequently, a unified dynamic model for the combined shell structures was developed based on the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), the spectro-geometric method (SGM), and the pseudo-excitation method (PEM). The interactions between adjacent shells were simulated with elastic couplers, whose potential energy was formulated based on displacement continuity and force balance conditions. The final model, established by incorporating the work done by external loads and the energy of boundary constraint springs, was validated through convergence studies and comparisons with finite element method (FEM) results. The free vibration and stationary/nonstationary stochastic dynamic characteristics of the assemblages were thoroughly investigated. The results elucidate the dynamic behaviour of FG-GPLRC cabin assemblages and provide a theoretical foundation for the vibration-resistant design of aircraft cabins.