Estimation of the SEA coupling loss factors by means of spectral element modeling

Abstract

The coupling loss factors are of critical importance when building and solving Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) models. This paper proposes a methodology to numerically estimate these factors for frame-type structures. The estimated factors are compared with those obtained through analytical expressions for frame structures, where members are joined at right angles. The example used to verify the proposed technique consists of two infinite beams connected at a right angle modeled via the Spectral Element Method (SEM) using throw-off elements. It is shown that the obtained coupling loss factors compare very well with the analytical expressions that may be derived for this simple right-angle connection case. By using the SEM approach, the coupling loss factors can be obtained for arbitrary frame structure connections, thus facilitating the analysis via SEA.