A Simplified Semi-Analytical Model for Predicting the Global and Local Responses of Hybrid Honeycomb-Like Sandwich Panel

The hybrid honeycomb-like sandwich panel (hybrid HSP) is composed of FRP facesheets and an aluminum/steel honeycomb-like core, which has excellent mechanical properties and lower cost. This paper presents a fast and accurate semi-analytical model for evaluating the mechanical behavior of hybrid HSP based on the variational asymptotic theory and considering two small parameters: thickness-to-width ratio and heterogeneity. The original HSP is decomposed into 2-D equivalent plate model (2D-EPM) analysis at the macro level and 2-D unit cell constitutive modeling at the micro level to obtain the equivalent stiffness matrix. The static and dynamic analysis is carried out by using the 2-D panel with the equivalent stiffness matrix, and the local stress, strain, and displacement fields are recovered by using the recovery relationship. Finally, the effects of material and geometric parameters on the effective performance of hybrid HSPs are systematically analyzed. Numerical examples show that the static and dynamic results of 2D-EPM are in good agreement with the 3D finite element results, with a relative error of less than 5%. Most importantly, calculation efficiency has been considerably improved. Compared with the traditional finite element model, the novelties of cell tailoring and local field recovery within the unit cell are very important features, which significantly facilitate the effective analysis of hybrid HSPs.