Free vibration characteristics of integrated fluted-core composite sandwich cylinders

Due to their excellent mechanical properties and inherent design versatility, fluted-core composite sandwich structures have gained substantial attention in aerospace and rail transit applications. This study investigated the free-vibration characteristics of composite fluted-core sandwich cylinders. Theoretical models were established following the Rayleigh-Ritz method to predict the natural frequencies of sandwich cylinders under free vibration. The representative cylindrical specimens were prepared using carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) and integrated forming co-cured method. To analyze the additional effects of cutouts on vibration performance, specimens with circular cutouts were also fabricated. The vibration tests were performed to determine the natural frequencies and modal shapes under free-free boundary conditions. Validated finite element simulations were employed to assess the accuracy of theoretical results and investigate the influences of geometric parameters on the structural vibration behavior. The results indicated that circumferential lobar modes characterized the first five mode shapes. Significant enhancements were attained by increasing the structural stiffness through adjustments in the circumferential cell number, core-ribs thickness, or size of cutouts. However, when the structural stiffness increases beyond a certain threshold, it has limited effect on the vibration frequencies. The findings provided a comprehensive understanding of the vibration characteristics and optimized design of fluted-core sandwich cylinders.