Stability analysis of delaminated composite beams

This study describes the dynamic stability of composite cantilever beams subjected to periodic axial loading with delaminations at pre-set locations. A computer code based on the finite element method is developed to calculate the natural frequencies, critical buckling loads and dynamic instability regions of the woven and laminated composite beams with different stacking sequences ([0]4, [0/90](s) and [90](4)), corresponding to this peculiar delamination case. The results of the developed code for the natural frequencies are compared with the natural frequencies obtained experimentally and numerically with commercial FEA (ANSYS). The critical buckling loads are also compared with the ones obtained from ANSYS simulations. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.