Integrated Design and Control of Laminated Hybrid Plates with Dynamic Response and Buckling Objectives

Abstract An integrated approach is given to determine the optimal levels of hybridization and feedback control force for symmetric, cross-ply laminates. The optimization objectives are the maximization of the biaxial buckling load and the minimization of the vibrational energy subject to constraints on the thickness and control energy. The plate is constructed as a sandwich hybrid laminate with outer and inner layers being constructed from high stiffness and low stiffness materials, respectively. Comparative numerical results are given for hybrid and non-hybrid laminates, and the similarities and differences between them are discussed. It is observed that a low stiffness and inexpensive material such as glass fiber reinforced plastics can be used in inner layers with minimal effect on the performance of the plate and substantial material cost savings.