Structural intensity on shell structures via a Finite-Element-Method approximation

Abstract

The study of energy transmission on plate-like structures is widely documented in literature. Its analysis requires the computation of the spatial derivatives of the out-of-plane displacement field of the studied sample and a priori knowledge of its material properties. However, if the structural intensity is to be assessed on irregular shells, such a study requires a more elaborate data processing. In addition to in-plane displacements, also the spatial derivatives along the sample’s local coordinates are needed. For this purpose, a method was developed to approximate both the experimental displacement data and the spatial coordinates of a given arbitrary shell using a Finite-Element-Method model. After measuring the global displacement fields and their corresponding spatial coordinates for a given sample, the data was transferred to a shell model whose basis functions were properly defined in accordance to the application’s demands and whose individual elements were assumed to behave in accordance with the Kirchhoff plate theory. The proposed method was able to process the experimental displacement and shape data of shells structures and proved to be a reliable tool to assess energy transmission.