Detection of directional energy damping in vibrating systems

Abstract

The transmission efficiency, frequency and amplitude alteration have been measured by a simple technique of coupled oscillators with a frequency gradient and in a system of non-Newtonian fluid in the form of corn-flour slime. The system of coupled oscillators was found to exhibit preferential energy transfer towards the low frequency end with the reverse propagation severely damped. Energy transfer in all directions was damped in the non-Newtonian fluid in comparison with water. Also the damping in non-Newtonian fluids works only after a lower limit for input amplitude. While most of the previous studies focussed on dissipation of energy within shock-absorbing systems, we demonstrate the contribution of re-distribution of energy reaching the output end to achieve shock absorbing.