Static and Free-Boundary Vibration Analysis of Egg-Crate Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panels Using the VAM-Based...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Structural Analysis

Background:

• Conventional lattice and grid structures have limitations in stability and performance.
• Advanced sandwich panels require efficient analysis methods to optimize structural properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel egg-crate honeycomb core sandwich panel (SP-EHC).
• To develop and validate a computationally efficient two-dimensional equivalent plate model (2D-EPM) for the SP-EHC using the variational asymptotic method (VAM).

Main Methods:

• Development of a 2D-EPM based on the variational asymptotic method (VAM).
• Derivation of a Reissner-Mindlin-type formulation for local field reconstruction.
• Validation through experimental testing and 3D finite element analysis (3D-FEM).

Main Results:

• The 2D-EPM achieved high accuracy in static (load-displacement <10%) and dynamic (modal frequency <10.23%) analyses.
• Buckling and bending analyses showed strong agreement with 3D-FEM, with critical buckling load deviations <5.23%.
• Local field reconstruction predicted stress and displacement with errors below 2.7%.

Conclusions:

• The VAM-based 2D-EPM is a robust and computationally efficient tool for analyzing advanced sandwich panels.
• The SP-EHC design enhances structural performance, including out-of-plane stiffness and buckling resistance.
• The developed model accurately predicts both global and local structural responses.