Combined Damping Effect of the Composite Material and Magnetorheological Fluid on Static and Dynamic Behavior of the Sandwich Beam

Abstract

Purpose: In the present study, the influence of combined damping due to composite facings and magnetorheological (MR) fluid on the static and dynamic response of the graphite/epoxy composite sandwich beam is investigated because the combined damping effect plays a crucial role in suppressing the high amplitudes of vibration for the structural applications. Methods: The sandwich beam element with 12 degrees of freedom is considered for the finite element (FE) formulation and the Lagrange’s approach is employed to obtain the equations of motion (EOM). The FE code is developed and validated with the available literature to examine the static, free and forced vibration response of the MR composite sandwich beam. Results: The influence of laminate angle, magnetic field, and thickness ratio on the static deflection, loss factor, natural frequency and forced vibration response are presented. Further, the influence of the applied magnetic field on the percentage of reduction in static deflection and the deviation in the first fundamental natural frequency and loss factor are evaluated. Conclusion: It is observed that the central static deflection of the sandwich beam is more for the composite facings at higher laminate angles. The percentage of deviation in the first fundamental natural frequency and loss factor significantly improved with the applied magnetic field. The damping considered in both the composite facings and MR fluid displayed a good attenuation in vibration amplitude. © 2022, Krishtel eMaging Solutions Private Limited.