Wave based optimization of distributed vibration absorbers

Abstract

The concept of distributed vibration absorbers or DVAs has been investigated in recent years as a method of vibration control and sound radiation control for large flexible structures. These devices are comprised of a distributed compliant layer with a distributed mass layer. When such a device is placed onto a structure it forms a sandwich panel configuration with a very soft core. With this configuration the main effect of the DVA is to create forces normal to the surface of the structure and can be used at low frequencies to either add damping, where constrain layer damper treatments are not very effective, or to pin the structure over a narrow frequency bandwidth (i.e., large input impedance/vibration absorber approach). This paper analyses the behavior of these devices using a wave based approach and finds an optimal damping level for the control of broadband disturbances in panels. The optimal design is calculated by solving the differential equations for waves propagating in coupled plates. It is shown that the optimal damping calculated using the infinite case acts as a good ‘‘rule of thumb’’ for designing DVAs to control the vibration of finite panels. This is bourn out in both numerical simulations and experiments.