Dynamic characteristics of three-layer beams with load-bearing layers made of alumino-glass plastic

Aluminum-fiber-reinforced plastics (GLARE) are promising aviation materials with increased characteristics of specific stiffness and strength, fatigue strength, impact resistance, and residual strength after impact. Nowadays, GLARE are used for making elements of the fuselage of the long-haul passenger aircraft Airbus A380, as well as some other elements of aircraft structures. The results of experimental studies of eigenfrequencies and damping coefficients of three-layer beams made with face sheets of five-layer GLARE and with a core made of polyimide foam are presented. The tests were performed using the method of free bending vibrations of cantilever samples. The dynamic parameters of the three-layer beams were calculated based on the analysis of amplitude-frequency characteristics obtained by the fast Fourier transform method. Mechanical characteristics of GLARE and filler samples are preliminary determined in static and dynamic tests. The damping factor of the core is determined by the dynamic mechanical analysis method. The core shear modulus is determined by measuring the flexural rigidity of manufactured three-layer beams in a quasi-static three-point bending test. Based on a comparison of the design data and the results of the experiments, it is shown that in dynamic tests, the flexural rigidity of three-layer specimens is reduced in comparison with the estimated values, which may be due to the peculiarities of changing the characteristics of the foam core under dynamic loading. The value of the damping factor of GLARE samples was ~0.02, the foamed core was ~0.08 and three-layer beams were ~0.067 in the range of vibration frequency up to 60 Hz.