Nonlinear vibrations for three-dimensional four-directional braided composite cylindrical shell subjected to aerodynamic force and external excitation

Advanced composite components are increasingly applied in the aerospace industry, and engineers have high hopes to reduce overall weight and maintain structural stability according to new composite materials. In this paper, a three-dimensional four-directional braided composite material consisting of T300-3K carbon fibers and TDE-85 epoxy resin is presented and its equivalent mechanical property parameters are calculated using the bridging model and volume averaging approach. Our calculations are in good agreement with values in the available literature. We focus on a typical cylindrical shell structure and analyze the effects of external excitation, fiber volume fraction, aerodynamic force, structural damping, and braiding angle on the nonlinear resonant responses of this braided composite cylindrical shell. Additionally, we also study the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the cylindrical shell considering the variation of the external excitation. Our findings indicate that complex environmental factors and material parameters play a significant role in the nonlinear vibrations of the braided composite cylindrical shell.