Influence of cross-sectional discontinuity on the damping characteristics of viscoelastically supported rectangular plates

Abstract

The geometry of a rectangular plate used in a structural application is an important design parameter that influences the vibrational response of the plate when it is subjected to an impact. In this study, the influence of a cross-sectional discontinuity on the vibration characteristics of viscoelastically supported plates was investigated. The discontinuity was induced at a specific location in the length-wise span. Experimental studies were performed to identify the effect of the discontinuity on the plate vibration response. The mode shapes and damping ratios of the plates with and without discontinuities in the cross-section were measured and compared. Forced vibration responses and modal properties were predicted using a numerical model. The variation in cross-sectional geometry was modeled to determine the changes in bending stiffness. The translational and rotational viscoelastic stiffnesses at the plate edges were used for modeling the vibration damping at the boundaries. This damping occurred at the contact surface between the plate and the fixtures. To investigate the effect of support stiffness on the vibration damping, flexural wave propagation analysis was performed with different boundary conditions. The ratio between the incident and reflected waves from the boundaries was predicted for flexural waves of different wavelengths. The predicted reflection ratios of the plate with and without the discontinuities were compared to the predicted loss factors using numerical analysis. The vibration energy dissipation at the viscoelastic supports was proportional to the measured modal damping.