FREE VIBRATION ANALYSIS OF SYMMETRICALLY COMPOSITE THICK PLATE

Hicham BEZZAR
Automatic laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, Tlemcen University, Algeria.
E-mail : Hicham_bezzar@hotmail.com Fax : 213 43 28 56 85

Abstract : Free vibration analysis of symmetrically composite thick plate with different boundary conditions is
studied using an alternative hierarchical finite element method. This new version of hierarchical finite element
method use a trigonometric shape functions to model the displacement and the rotations under the plate. In
addition to the advantages that the polynomial version gives, this version uses a very simple shape functions.
The plate is formulated using the REISSENER MINDLIN plate Theory where the effects of transverse shear and
rotary inertia are included. Symbolic computation is used to evaluate integrals of the products of assumed higher
order polynomials that occur when computing the inertia and stiffness matrices. It is shown that the natural
frequencies converge rapidly with an increase in the number of polynomials used. The frequencies produced
using the hierarchical finite element method agree closely with the results in the published literature using
different methods.
Keywords: Symmetrically composite plate, Thick plate, free vibration, hierarchical finite element method.

1. INTRODUCTION
The use of composite materials, especially laminated composite plates, has increased steadily during the last
decades, particularly aerospace applications. This is largely because many of these materials exhibit high
strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios. These is therefore a need for accurate prediction of their
dynamic characteristics of fully clamped, rectangular and symmetrically plates.
The study of the linear dynamic behaviour of plates, especially isotropic rectangular plates, is not a new topic.
Leissa [1] gave an extensive study of plate vibration. On the dynamic behaviour of laminated plates, most
published literature is restricted to free vibration analysis. For example, Lin and King [2] used classical
laminated plate theory to compute the natural frequencies of un-symmetrically laminated, rectangular plates.
Reddy [3] developed a finite element method based on a typical first-order shear deformation plate theory and
computed the natural frequencies of simply supported, anti-symmetric angle ply, laminated plates, in which the
transverse shear deformations are included. Bert and Mayberry [4] predicted the natural frequencies of un-
symmetrically laminated plates with clamped edges using the Rayleigh-Ritz method using admissible two-
dimensional orthogonal polynomials.
The p-version finite element method, also called hierarchical finite element method (HFEM), is a relatively new
finite element method. Han et al. [6] have extended Bardells model [7] to geometrically non-linear static
analysis of symmetrically laminated rectangular plates. For the study of vibrations in thin plates, Houmat [14]
have developed an alternative hierarchical finite element formulation. In this version, the plate element is
formulated by a trigonometric shape functions in addition to the polynomial nodal shape functions.
The convergence of the natural frequencies with increasing number of shape functions is investigated. The
natural frequencies obtained with the THFEM model are then compared with those available in the literature and
those obtained using the conventional finite element analysis.
2. Trigonometric hierarchical finite element method formulation
2.1. Bar element

Figure 1: Coord inates and dimensions of a bar element.
The transverse displacement w is: w() = c
1
+ c
2
+ c
r+2
sin
r
(1)
where the sum is involved in the subscript r :

r
= r. r = 1, 2, 3 (r: subscript repeated) (2)
The equation (1) can be written as
w() = [g] . {c} (3)
where [g] = [1, , sin
r
]
T
(4)
and {c} = {c
1
, c
2
, c
r+2
} (5)
In each node, the displacements are {p} = {w
1
, w
2
, w
r+2
}
T
(6)
with {p} = [h] . {c} (7)
where

=
1 0 0
0 1 1
0 0 1
] [h (8)
The constants column matrix {c} is determined form t he equation (7)
{c} = [h]
-1
{p} (9)
Were

1 0 0
0 1 1
0 0 1
] [
1
h (10)
By substituting the equation (9) in (3), w() = [g] [h]
-1
{p} (11)
The shape function column matrix (f) f = [g] [h]
-1
(12)
Where {f} = {f
1
(), f
2
(), f
r+2
()}
T
(13)
And f
1
() = 1 - ; f
2
() = ; f
r+2
() = sin
r
(14-16)
2.2. Plate element
The plate is considered as one hierarchical finite element. figure 2 (b). The coordinates x, y and the non-
dimensional coordinates and are relied by:
a
x
= ,
b
y
= (17)
The transverse displacement and the rotations around x and y in the plate are:

+
=
+
=
=
2
1
2
1
,
) ( ) ( ) , (
M
m
N
n
n m n m
f f w w (18a)
( )

+
=
+
=
=
2
1
2
1
,
) ( ) ( ) , (
M
m
N
n
n m n m x x
f f (18b)
( )

+
=
+
=
=
2
1
2
1
,
) ( ) ( ) , (
M
m
N
n
n m
n m
y y
f f (18c)
Where W
r,s
are generalized displacements, f
r
(), f
s
() are the hierarchical displacements functions, M and N are
the number of functions in the x- and y-direction, see fig.2 (b).
3. The equation of motion
The mathematical model developed is based upon the hierarchical or p-version finite element method. In this
method, the displacement field inside a finite element method is supplemented by a series of trigonometric
functions of increasing order.

Fig2. A rectangular plate and an element, (a) a rectangular plate and its coordinate system
(b) an element and its coordinate system

The equations of motion of the plate are obtained by substituting the equations (18) into the expression of kinetic
and strain energy, and then making use of Lagranges equations. Thick plate or REISSNER-MINDLIN theory is
employed in this paper which means that the transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia are not neglected.
The Kinetic energy of the plate is given by : ( )dV z z w E
V
y x c

+ + =
2 2 2 2 2
2
1
& (19)
The strain energy can expressed in the form : { }{ }

=
V
d
dV E (20)
Write expressions (18) in the form ( )q N w , = (21)
Where N(,) is row matrix of the hierarchical functions and q a column matrix of w
r,s
,
xr,s
and
yr,s
.
Substitute equation (21) into expressions (19) and (20) and use Lagranges equations to give the following
equations : 0 = + Kq q M& & (22)
4. Plates analysed
The main objective of this paper is to study the linear free vibration of symmetrically laminated plates using
THFEM. The edge condition considered in this paper is fully clamped on all four edges. The following
symmetrically laminated rectangular plates have been analysed.
(1) Plate I: 5 layer symmetrical angle-ply (,-, ,-, ) and E
L
/E
T
= 15.4, G
LT
/E
T
= 0.79,
LT
= 0.30, h =1.0 mm.
E
L
is the Youngs modulus in the fibre direction; while E
T
is the one orthogonal to the fibre direction; G
LT
is the
shear modulus;
LT
is the major Poisson ratio. The orientations of the layer are taken as 0 , 15, 30 and 45.
(2) Plate II, 16-layer symmetrically laminated. The lay-up is (45, -45, 0, -45, 0, 45) sym, h = 2.72 mm
The elastic properties [10] are E
L
= 173.0 GN m
-2

, E
T
= 7.2 GN m
-2

, G
LT
= 3.76 GN m
-2

,
LT
= 0.29
The in-plane dimensions of the plate are a b = 0.45 mm 0.30 mm, and the averaged density = 1540 kg m
-3
.
(3) Plate III, 16-layer symmetrically laminated graphite/epoxy rectangular plates analysed by Saigal et al. [11].
The stacking sequences of the plate is (45, -45, 0, 0,45, -45, 90, 90) sym, h = 2.114 mm
And E
L
=131.0 GN.m
-2

, E
T
=13.03 GN.m
-2

, G
LT
=6.41 GN.m
-2

,
LT
=0.38, ab=0.45mm0.30mm, =1630 kg.m
-3
.
5. Numerical study
4.1. Convergence properties of the THFEM on the free vibration analysis of laminated plates
The plate I, which are five-layer angle ply square plates, are used to study the convergence properties of THFEM
for free vibration. Only the fibre orientation ( = 0) is considered in the convergence study. The numbers of out-
of-plane displacement shape functions M and N are taken to be 4-8.
The frequency parameters
D
h
b

4 2
= (23)
are listed in tables 1-2 for = 0, 15, 30 and 45, respectively.
The corresponding frequency parameters using conventional finite element method ANSYS [12] are also
listed as reference. The element selected in calculating the natural frequencies in ANSYS is and eight-node shell
laminated element with 6-DOF at each node. The in-plane displacements and transverse shear deformation are
included in the formulation of the element. The element mesh used in ANSYS model 9 9 in the whole plate,
instead of the quarter of the plate.
Table1 : Convergence study ( = 0) Linear natural frequency parameter of symmetrically five-layer angle
ply, square plates with fully clamped edges.
Mode
M=N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
4 23.854 29.811 42.835 64.167 68.472 77.612 128.945 132.475
5 23.854 29.205 42.835 63.098 64.599 68.148 76.878 94.125
6 23.853 29.719 41.765 62.996 64.598 67.492 76.489 94.125
7 23.853 29.717 41.764 60.232 62.974 67.465 76.476 91.232
8 23.853 29.717 41.764 60.232 62.974 67.465 73.451 85.101
ANSYS 23.770 29.687 41.327 60.327 62.457 67.105 76.105 84.760

It can be seen form the two tables that the frequency parameters for (M=N= 7 and M=N= 8) for most cases differ
very little. The results for M=N = 7 agree very closely with the results from ANSYS. With the increase of M
and/or N, the frequency parameters in all two tables converge monotonically towards the data given by ANSYS.
Excellent convergence properties of THFEM for free vibration analysis of symmetrically laminated plates are
observed, which were also found in the same analysis of isotropic plates [14]. Accurate results for the eight
lowest frequencies have been obtained with the THFEM.
Table2 : Comparison of natural frequency parameter of symmetrically five-layer angle ply, square plates with
fully clamped edges obtained with THFEM and ANSYS.
Mode
M=N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
THFEM 23.458 31.483 45.495 60.389 66.382 67.988 81.412 92.387
15
ANSYS 23.383 31.446 45.850 59.962 66.341 67.697 81.503 92.110
THFEM 22.714 36.548 54.019 57.165 70.082 83.375 95.277 100.384
30
ANSYS 22.661 36.472 53.715 57.057 69.870 83.174 94.890 99.575
THFEM 22.382 41.646 48.318 65.088 77.751 84.043 93.709 109.151
45
ANSYS 22.334 41.509 48.172 64.872 77.360 83.722 93.470 108.56

The maximum discrepancies between M = N = 6 and 8 in the table 1 happen in the mode 8 of = 0.
4.2. Natural frequencies of laminated rectangular plates
Table 2 gives the first eight frequency parameters of Plates I with fully clamped edge conditions using three
methods, i.e. the present THFEM, the ANSYS shell element and the method given in Ref. [5]. The number of
two-dimensional polynomials used in the Ref. [5] model was 50.

Table3 : Comparison of natural frequency parameter of symmetrically five-layer angle ply, square plates with
fully clamped edges (1) obtained with THFEM, ANSYS and CLL [5].
Mode
M=N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
THFEM 23.458 31.483 45.495 60.389 66.382 67.988 81.412 92.387
CLL 23.86 29.71 41.73 60.24 62.93 67.45 76.46 85.06 0
ANSYS 23.770 29.687 41.831 60.327 62.457 67.105 76.627 84.706
THFEM 23.458 31.483 45.495 60.389 66.382 67.988 81.412 92.387
CLL 23.46 31.48 45.86 60.38 66.47 67.96 81.36 92.42 15
ANSYS 23.383 31.446 45.850 59.962 66.341 67.697 81.503 92.110
THFEM 22.714 36.548 54.019 57.165 70.082 83.375 95.277 10.384
CLL 22.72 36.54 54.02 57.17 70.09 83.37 95.27 100.40 30
ANSYS 22.661 36.472 53.751 57.057 69.870 83.174 94.890 99.575
THFEM 22.382 41.646 48.318 65.088 77.751 84.043 93.709 109.151
CLL 22.40 41.64 48.32 65.09 77.76 84.06 93.58 109.00 45
ANSYS 22.334 41.509 48.172 64.872 77.360 83.722 93.470 108.56

Outstanding agreement for all groups of results with the four different angles , can be clearly seen in table 3. In
most cases, the frequency parameters given by the THFEM are less than those form Ref. [5]. As the solution of
the THFEM is upper bound to the problem [14], it seems that the results from THFEM are slightly better than
those form Ref. [5]. In most cases the frequency parameters obtained using ANSYS are less than those produced
by the two other. The small differences three methods results confirm that transverse shear deformation effects
can be neglected for very thin laminated plates. The mode shapes of these plates have been presented in Ref. [5].
Table 4 : Comparison of natural frequency parameter of plate (2) obtained with THFEM and ESDU.
Mode
M=N 1 2 3 4 5
THFEM 230.2 400.8 522.7 655.2 715.5
ESDU 213.2 404.1 524.4 662.0 722.3

The first five natural frequencies of plate II, which is specially orthotropic plates, were calculated using the
THFEM with M = N = 8 and the method given by ESDU [10]. The results are listed in table 4. The method used
by ESDU is a Rayleigh-Ritz method using beam mode shapes with the same boundary conditions. It can be seen
from the table that such approximation produces quite and good frequency prediction. The difference between
the two groups of results are less than 1.5% for all the five modes. This error is acceptable in engineering
application.
Table 5 : Natural frequency parameter of plate (3) obtained with THFEM.
Mode
M=N 1 2 3 4 5
THFEM 158.8 277.3 364.1 458.0 487.1
Conclusion
The THFEM is successfully applied to a linear free vibration analysis for symmetrically laminated rectangular
plates in this paper. It has been shown that the natural frequencies calculated using the THFEM agreed closely
with the result in the published literature and with those from the conventional finite element method. It has also
been found that the solutions converge rapidly with the increase in the hierarchical numbers, resulting in far
fewer degrees of freedom than those when using the conventional finite element method.
References
1. W. Leissa. Vibration of plates 1969. Nasa SP-160
2. C.C. Lin and W.W. King. Free transverse vibration of un-symmetrically rectangular laminated plate. J. Sound
and Vibration 1974. 36, p. 91-103.
3. J.N. Ready. Free vibration of antisymmetric, angle-ply laminated plate including transverse shear deformation
by finite element method. J. Sound and Vibration 1979. 66, p. 565-576.
4. C.W. Bert and B.L. Mayberry, Free vibration of unsymmetric laminated anisotropic plate with clamped edges.
J. Composite materials 1969. 3, p. 282-293.
5. S.T. Chow, K.M. Liew and K.Y. Lam. Transverse vibration of symmetrically laminated rectangular composite
plates. Composite structures 1992. 20, p. 213-226.
6. W. Ham, M. Petyt and K.M. Hsiao. An investigation into geometrically nonlinear analysis of rectangular
laminated plates using the hierarchical finite element method. Finite element Anal. Des 1994. 18, p. 273-288.
7. N.S. Bardell. Free vibration analysis of rectangular laminated plates using hierarchical finite element method.
J. Sound and Vibration. 1991. 151, p. 263-289.
8. REDUCE Users Manual, V. 3.2. Rand Corporation, Santa Monica. 1985.
9. W. Han. The analysis of isotropic and laminated rectangular plates including geometrically non-linearity using
the p-version finite element method. 1994. PhD Thesis. U. Southampton, Southampton.
10. ESDU. Natural frequencies of rectangular, specially orthotropic laminated plate. 1992. ESDU International.
11. S. Saigal, K. Kapania and T.Y. Yang. Geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis of imperfect laminated
shells. J. Composite mat. 1986. 20, p. 197-214.
12. ANSYS Engineering Analysis System Users Manual. Swanson Anal. Sys. Inc. 1989.
13. ANSYS Engineering Analysis System Theoretical Manual. Swanson Anal. Sys. Inc. 1989.
14. HOUMAT. An alternative hierarchical finite element formulation applied to plates vibrations. Journal of
Sound & Vibration 1997, 206(2), 201-215.