Flexural wave band gaps and vibration attenuation characteristics in periodic bi-directionally orthogonal stiffened plates

Abstract

Vibrations in ship and offshore structures owing to various ocean environmental loads and excitations of power systems become increasingly serious. In this paper, the flexural wave propagation and vibration attenuation characteristics in periodic bi-directionally orthogonal stiffened plates are investigated. The dispersion relations and the displacement fields of the eigenmodes of infinite periodic bi-directionally orthogonal stiffened plates are calculated by using the finite element method in combination with Bloch periodic boundary conditions. Numerical results show that periodic bi-directionally orthogonal stiffened plates can yield complete and directional flexural wave band gaps, in which the propagation of flexural vibrational waves is prohibited and flexural vibration suppression is dramatically achieved. With the introduction of bi-directionally orthogonal stiffeners, the flexural wave and vibration energy is confined in the four corners of the plate owing to the scattering effect of the bi-directionally orthogonal stiffeners. The transmission spectra for a finite periodic stiffened plate are numerically and experimentally achieved to verify the existence of the flexural wave band gaps and vibration suppression characteristics. Furthermore, the effects of geometrical parameters on the flexural wave vibration band gaps are carried out. The flexural wave band gaps and vibration attenuation properties can be artificially modulated by changing the geometrical parameters of periodic bi-directionally orthogonal stiffened plates.