The dynamic stability of a composite plate with external electrorheological (ER) damper subjected to an axial periodic load is investigated. Electrorheological fluids are a class of smart materials, which exhibit reversible changes in mechanical properties when subjected to an electric field. As a result, the dynamic behavior of the structure is changed. The ER damper is used for suppressing the vibrations and improving the stability of the system. The Bingham plastic model is employed to express the behavior of the ER fluid. The finite element model of the structure is developed and constant acceleration average method is used to obtain the response of the system. Effect of different parameters such as the electric field, the orientation of the ER damper, the initial gap between the two electrodes of the ER damper and the stacking sequences of the plate on the first instability boundaries of the composite plate are investigated.

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