Free vibration analysis and testing of magnetorheological fluid embedded viscoelastic cored sandwich beam

Abstract

In this study, free vibration characteristics of a three layered magnetorheological fluid embedded viscoelastic cored sandwich beam have been investigated using numerical and experimental approaches. The numerical approach involves finite element method incorporating layerwise modelling considering Euler – Bernoulli’s theory for top and bottom aluminium sheets. The axial displacement field for the central core is linearly interpolated in terms of the corresponding displacements of the face sheets. The transverse displacement field is assumed to be same for all the layers. Natural frequencies of the beam in cantilever configuration have been determined using numerical and experimental approaches for different strengths of magnetic fields exposed to the magnetorheological fluid. The results obtained from both the approaches agree closely with each other and illustrate the effect of introducing magnetorheological fluid in the sandwich beam.