Applications of FEM on Free and Forced Vibration of Laminated Shells

Abstract

In this paper, the finite element method has been applied to solve free and forced vibration problems of isotropic and laminated composite shells with and without cutouts employing the eight-node isoparametric finite element formulation. Specific numerical problems of earlier investigators are solved to compare their results. Moreover, free vibration problems of cylindrical, spherical, saddle (hyperbolic paraboloid bounded by parabolas), hypar (hyperbolic paraboloid bounded by straight lines), and conoidal shells with cutouts and forced vibration of composite hypar and conoidal shells without cutouts are examined to arrive at some conclusions useful to the designers. Eccentrically positioned cutouts and transient stresses are other aspects studied in detail in free and forced vibration analyses, respectively.