Vibration and damping analysis of a composite blade

This paper is concerned with the damping design of a composite propeller blade. A hybrid method is proposed for predicting the structural damping of the composite blade. This method consists of the statistical prediction of high-frequency material damping, the numerical calculation of modal damping, and the conceptual modification of Rayleigh damping. The vibration damping experiment is carried out to investigate the validity of the hybrid method. The effects of fiber orientation angle and stacking sequence on the damping characteristics are investigated. The damped dynamic responses of the composite blade under parametric variations are evaluated. The results show that the dynamic performance of the composite structure can be improved by completing the damping design.

► A hybrid method is proposed for predicting the structural damping of the composite blade.
► The damping characteristics of the composite blade is designed by using different laminated parameters.
► The effect of different laminated parameters on the damped dynamic responses of the composite blade is validated.