Development of an Equivalent Composite Honeycomb Model

Finite element analysis of complex geometries such as honeycomb composites, brings forth several difficulties. These problems are expressed primarily as high calculation times but also memory issues when solving these models. In order to bypass these issues, the main goal of this research paper is to define an appropriate equivalent model in order to minimize the complexity of the finite element model and thus minimize computation times. A finite element study is conducted on the design and analysis of equivalent layered models, substituting the honeycomb core in sandwich structures. A comparison is made between available equivalent models. An equivalent model with the right set of material property values is defined and benchmarked, consisting of one continuous layer with orthotropic elastic properties based on different available approximate formulas. This way the complex geometry does not need to be created while the model yields sufficiently accurate results.