An RSM Approach to Maximize Fundamental Frequency of E-glass Epoxy Composite Panels

Abstract

In the current paper, the response surface methodology has been applied to maximize the fundamental frequency of composite panels. In total 4 different input parameters namely aspect ratio (b/a), thickness ratio (h/a), number of plies (n) and ply angle (?) are considered. The effect of these parameters on natural frequency is studied in detail. The dataset used for building the RSM model is obtained from FEA simulations. The FEA, in turn, are first compared with experimental data to validate the accuracy of the numerical schemes. It is found that for maximizing the fundamental frequency, thickness ratio should be high. Low aspect ratio and fewer number of plies are desirable.