Experimental and Numerical Modal Analysis of a Honeycomb Panel for Aircraft Structures Application

Abstract Aluminum honeycomb panels are widely utilized in aerospace applications due to their lightweight nature, high strength under specific bending loads, and excellent damping properties. These panels are commonly found in structural and non-structural components, including monuments, shelving, partitions, bulkheads, and galleys. The unique construction and manufacturing process of honeycomb panels results in composite structures with various parameters, such as faceplate thickness and core geometry. The dynamic behavior of these composite panels is influenced by multiple factors, presenting design, cost, and research challenges. This paper investigates experimental modal analysis and numerical modeling to determine the modal parameters of aluminum honeycomb panels. The goal is to provide accurate estimates of natural frequencies and damping ratios for the most common panel configurations used in aerospace structures. Both experimental modal testing and finite element models are developed for comparison. The study reveals that existing finite element modeling platforms, such as Ansys, face challenges in accurately capturing the dynamic properties of honeycomb panels. The findings suggest that improved finite element models are needed to better represent the true sandwich behavior of these panels. This approach holds promise for researchers and engineers in further exploring the vibration and acoustic characteristics of honeycomb panels and optimizing the design of aerospace components utilizing these materials.