Free-Vibration of Rotating Composite Beams Incorporating Higher-Order Transverse Shear Effects

The free vibration behavior of a rotating blade modeled as a laminated composite hollow (single celled) box beam is studied. The geometrically nonlinear structural model developed herein incorporates a number of non-classical effects such as anisotropy, heterogeneity, transverse shear flexibility, and warping inhibition. The centrifugal and Coriolis force field effects are also included. The main focus here being the refinement of the existing model, the traction-free boundary conditions are satisfied here in contrast to the existing model. The resulting linearized equations and numerical results based on them are presented. Results obtained for the present higher-order shearable model are compared with those of the existing first-order shearable and the non-shearable models. Tailoring studies using the present model reveal an enhancement of eigenfrequency characteristics.