Experimental and Numerical Modal Analysis of Hybrid Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composite Leaf Springs

• Published in: Journal of the Institution of Engineers (India) Series C Vol. 103; no. 6; pp. 1361 - 1372
• Main Authors: Erdoğan, Gökhan, Güçlü, Mehmet, Turan, Fatih, Taşkın, Yener
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aerospace Technology and Astronautics; Carbon; Carbon fibers; Composite structures; Cost analysis; Engineering; Fiber composites; Fiber reinforced polymers; Finite element method; Glass fiber reinforced plastics; Glass-epoxy composites; Hand lay-up; Impact tests; Industrial and Production Engineering; Leaf springs; Mechanical Engineering; Mechanical properties; Modal analysis; Original Contribution; Production costs; Recreational vehicles; Resonant frequencies; Springs (elastic); Hybrid composites; Natural frequency; Composite leaf spring; Modal analysis
• ISSN: 2250-0545; 2250-0553
• DOI: 10.1007/s40032-022-00876-y

In this study, the effect of reinforcement type on the dynamic properties of fiber-reinforced epoxy composite leaf springs was investigated experimentally and numerically. Glass fiber (G type)-, carbon fiber (C type)-, hybrid of glass-carbon-glass fibers (GCG type)-, and hybrid of carbon-glass-carbon (CGC type)-reinforced composite leaf springs were fabricated by hand lay-up method. Mechanical properties of four types of composite structures were determined in order to utilize in finite element analysis. The experimental modal analysis of the composite leaf springs carried out via impact test method. Results showed that experimental and numerical data obtained for modal analysis of composite leaf springs are consistent to each other with small error deviation. Bending modes occur in the first, second and fourth modes, whereas torsional mode occurs in the third mode for all types of composite leaf springs. C-type composite leaf springs possess the highest natural frequency and spring rate, although the G-type composite leaf springs have the least natural frequency. The layer numbers and the weights were compared for all type composite leaf springs with the same spring rate. Carbon-reinforced C-type composite leaf spring has the least layer number and the weight due to having the highest rigidity for the same spring rate. It is recommended by the authors that the most convenient version is the CGC-type composite leaf spring considering the results of modal and static analysis and the production costs.