Forced vibration analysis of composite-geometrically exact elliptical cone helices via mixed FEM

In this pioneering study, the cross-sectional warping included transient response and normal/shear stress components of composite elliptical and elliptical cone helices over exact axis geometry are investigated using a mixed FEM. The transient analysis is performed using the Newmark time integration algorithm with or without the amplitude decay factor. The constitutive equations of composite curved rods are derived from three-dimensional elasticity theory. A displacement-type finite element formulation computing the warping-included torsional rigidity is incorporated with the mixed finite element formulation. The curvatures and displacement-type finite elements are used to estimate the normal and shear stress distributions on the respective cross-sections. The maximum normal/shear stresses of a composite straight beam are compared with the literature. An excellent agreement is obtained for the results of an exact elliptical cone helix under dynamic loads compared to the results of 3D solid finite elements. During the implementation of the time integration scheme, the first and second time derivatives of forces and moments are preserved, and their time histories are discussed. Finally, the influences of helix geometry, lamination, and the ratios of material constants on the transient response besides the stresses are investigated. All the numerical examples in this paper are original for the literature.