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Anti-impact and vibration-damping design of cork-based sandwich structures for low-speed aerial vehicles

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Abstract

Nowadays, lightweight and eco-friendly composites with improved mechanical properties are highly interesting. Sandwich-structured composites are a type of high-performance structural composite that is lightweight with a high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent specific energy absorption capabilities. In this study, cork-based sandwich structures resistant to impact and vibrations were designed and produced for the possibility of being used in the protective structures of low-speed aerial vehicles. To identify and match the best combination of different face sheets with a cork core, first, aramid fabric-reinforced polymer (AFRP), carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), and glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) face-sheet composites were produced using the compression molding method (prepreg layup). Then, sandwich structures consisting of AFRP, CFRP, GFRP, and aluminum face sheets with a fixed core layer of cork were designed and assembled. Since the design goal of these structures is to use them in low-speed aerial vehicles, impact deceleration and vibration tests were applied to face sheets and sandwich structures individually, which are the most important factors involved in these structures during flight, particularly in rotary-wing drone applications. A low-energy drop-tower system was used for the calculation of deceleration results. Besides, the vibration properties of the structures were investigated using the modal analysis method and based on the natural frequency responses of the tested face sheets and sandwich structures, damping ratios and structural stiffness were measured. According to the results, compared to other face sheets, CFRP showed better resistance along with the cork core, when the structure was exposed to impact and vibration threats. This study provides useful information on cork core sandwich structures for academic and industrial researchers in choosing the right face sheet.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the European Union (#2020‐1‐TR01‐KA203‐092763).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Traffic Safety On Track of Ministry of Education, School of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410075, Hunan, China

    Mohammad Rauf Sheikhi

  2. Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Eskişehir Technical University, Eskişehir, Turkey

    Mohammad Rauf Sheikhi & Onder Altuntas

  3. State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Shaanxi ERC of NDT and Structural Integrity Evaluation, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China

    Mohammad Rauf Sheikhi

  4. Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey

    Selim Gürgen

  5. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey

    Mehmet Alper Sofuoğlu

Authors
  1. Mohammad Rauf Sheikhi
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  2. Selim Gürgen
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  3. Onder Altuntas
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  4. Mehmet Alper Sofuoğlu
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Contributions

Conceptualization: SG, OA. Methodology: SG, OA. Writing—reviewing and editing: SG, OA. Investigation: MRS, MAS. Data curation: MRS, MAS.

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Correspondence to Selim Gürgen.

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Sheikhi, M.R., Gürgen, S., Altuntas, O. et al. Anti-impact and vibration-damping design of cork-based sandwich structures for low-speed aerial vehicles. Archiv.Civ.Mech.Eng 23, 71 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43452-023-00613-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43452-023-00613-x

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