Analysis of vibrational characteristics of all-composite honeycomb core sandwich panels: theoretical and experimental study

Theoretical modeling is established for an all-composite honeycomb core sandwich panel (ACHCSP) using the higher-order shear deformation theory and Gibson equivalent theory. The central honeycomb layer is equivalently modeled as a thick layer of orthotropic material. The vibration characteristics are solved using energy methods and orthogonal polynomial approaches. Experimental specimens of ACHCSP are fabricated, and a dedicated experimental setup is constructed for vibration response testing. The experimental results validate the accuracy of the theoretical model in predicting the intrinsic properties and vibration response of ACHCSP. A comparison between experimental and theoretical vibration response values indicates a maximum error of 10.91%. Finally, the impact of different fiber layer thicknesses, honeycomb cell wall thicknesses, and honeycomb cell wall lengths on the vibration characteristics of ACHCSP is discussed.