Assessing different nonlinear analysis methods for free vibrations of initially stressed composite laminated plates

In this paper, the nonlinear free vibrations of thin symmetric and non-symmetric cross-ply composite plates subjected to biaxial initial stresses are investigated. Because of their excellent properties such as specific strength and specific stiffness, composite plates have wide applications in aerospace and mechanical structures. Based on Von-Karman's strain-displacement relations and using Galerkin method, the nonlinear differential equation of free vibrations of initially stressed composite plate is obtained. This nonlinear equation is solved using two different analytical perturbation methods, namely method of multiple scales (MTS) and homotopy perturbation method (HPM), to analyze the nonlinear vibrations of initially stressed cross-ply composite plates. Effects of tensile and compressive biaxial initial stresses, initial vibration amplitude, thickness, and aspect ratios of the composite plates on the frequency behavior are investigated. The validity of the results is confirmed by making a comparison with those reported in the literature. According to the results, both analytical solutions show increasing trends for natural frequency parameters by increasing normal initial stresses. Regardless of the value of initial biaxial stresses, for both symmetric and non-symmetric plates, the results of MTS and HPM are in close agreement for the smallest initial amplitude. However, for compressive initial stresses, by increasing initial amplitude ratios, the discrepancies between the results of HPM and MTS increase for symmetric and non-symmetric plates. Although HPM includes less computational effort (smaller length of formulation) than MTS, the linear-to-nonlinear frequency ratios obtained using MTS method become closer to those obtained by HPM as initial vibration amplitude is decreased and initial stress is increased.