Free Vibrations Analysis of a Functionally Graded Honeycomb (FGH) Sandwich Cylindrical Shell Using a Quasi-3D Theory

This paper examines the free vibration behavior of functionally graded (FG) hexagonal honeycomb sandwich cylindrical shells using a quasi-3D theory. The material properties are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness, following a power-law distribution that ranges from zero at the inner surface to one at the outer surface. Shear deformation and thickness stretching effects are captured by modeling all displacement fields with a hyperbolic distribution through the thickness. The governing equations are derived using Hamilton’s principle, and natural frequencies are calculated via the Navier technique. The accuracy of the hybrid quasi-3D theory is validated through comparisons with existing literature. Additionally, the influence of material and geometric parameters on natural frequencies is investigated within this framework.