A reduced formulation for the free-wave propagation analysis in composite structures

• Published in: Composite structures Vol. 113; pp. 134 - 144
• Main Authors: Droz, C., Lainé, J.-P., Ichchou, M.N., Inquiété, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acoustics; Broadband; Composite structures; Composite waveguides; Cross sections; Dispersion curves; Engineering Sciences; Finite element method; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Reduction; Wave finite elements; Wave propagation; Waveguides; Reduction; Composite waveguides; Wave propagation; Wave finite elements; Dispersion curves; dispersion curves; reduction; wave finite elements; composite waveguides
• ISSN: 0263-8223; 1879-1085
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2014.03.017

This paper presents an improved numerical strategy for the broadband analysis of wave propagation in composite or complex cross-sectional waveguides using the wave finite element method (WFE). Numerical analysis of such structures require highly discretized finite element models and leads to extensive computations. The proposed formulation relies on a projection of the cross-sectional transfer matrices on a reduced set of shape functions associated to propagating waves. Dispersion curves are then predicted only using a reduced number of eigenvectors. The performances and stability of this method are evaluated using the wavenumbers and wave shapes. Validations are provided for a sandwich composite beam and a cylindrical elasto-acoustic waveguide.