Dynamic stability analysis of shear-flexible composite beams

Dynamic stability behavior of the shear-flexible composite beams subjected to the nonconservative force is intensively investigated based on the finite element model using the Hermitian beam elements. For this, a formal engineering approach of the mechanics of the laminated composite beam is presented based on kinematic assumptions consistent with the Timoshenko beam theory, and the shear stiffness of the thin-walled composite beam is explicitly derived from the energy equivalence. An extended Hamilton’s principle is employed to evaluate the mass-, elastic stiffness-, geometric stiffness-, damping-, and load correction stiffness matrices. Evaluation procedures for the critical values of divergence and flutter loads of the nonconservative system with and without damping effects are then briefly introduced. In order to verify the validity and the accuracy of this study, the divergence and flutter loads are presented and compared with the results from other references, and the influence of various parameters on the divergence and flutter behavior of the laminated composite beams is newly addressed: (1) variation of the divergence and flutter loads with or without the effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia with respect to the nonconservativeness parameter and the fiber angle change, (2) influence of the internal and external damping on flutter loads whether to consider the shear deformation or not.