Sound transmission loss behavior of honeycomb sandwich plate structure under thermal loading

Abstract

This paper presents an accurate and analytical method for investigating the sound transmission loss (STL) characteristics of honeycomb sandwich plate structure subjected to combined thermal and acoustic excitation. In the analysis, the governing equations of sandwich plate structure in thermal environments are established by first order shear deformation theory. Two types of thermal conditions with and without heat flux are considered. The fluid-structure coupling interaction between the plate structure and acoustic excitation is described analytically by applying velocity continuity condition at fluid-structure interfaces. By using the modal expansion approach, the sound transmission loss is described analytically. The experimental measurements of honeycomb sandwich plate are carried out to validate the theoretical model, and good agreement is achieved. Finally, the influences of honeycomb core dimensions, material parameter and temperature distribution on sound transmission loss behavior of honeycomb sandwich structure have been investigated. It has found that the resonance dips of STL curves move to higher frequencies with the increase of ratio of elastic modulus and honeycomb core wall thickness, but the increase of the honeycomb core side length causes the resonance dips to move to low frequencies. The magnitudes of the STL curves are found to be decreasing with increase of temperature values.