The stochastic dynamic snap-through response of thermally buckled composite panels

The stochastic nonlinear snap-through response of a clamped composite panel under the combination of a severe acoustic excitation and a steady thermal effect has been investigated through the single-mode Fokker-Planck distribution function. The snap-through is a post-buckling behavior, which results in large amplitude vibration between two equilibrium configurations. A novel parameter, which is deduced from the single-mode Fokker-Planck distribution function and the depth of the potential energy well, is proposed to predict the transition from no snap-through to a persistent stochastic snap-through. The effects of the excitation, damping, the stiffness and the temperature variation on the stochastic dynamic snap-through response boundary have been given by a parametric analysis. Results from the single-mode analysis have been validated extensively by the explicit finite element numerical simulation for a heated clamped composite panel under the overall sound pressure (OASPL) of 120-176 dB.