Dynamic characterization of high damping viscoelastic materials from vibration test data

The numerical analysis and design of structural systems involving viscoelastic damping materials require knowledge of material properties and proper mathematical models. A new inverse method for the dynamic characterization of high damping and strong frequency-dependent viscoelastic materials from vibration test data measured by forced vibration tests with resonance is presented. Classical material parameter extraction methods are reviewed; their accuracy for characterizing high damping materials is discussed; and the bases of the new analysis method are detailed. The proposed inverse method minimizes the residue between the experimental and theoretical dynamic response at certain discrete frequencies selected by the user in order to identify the parameters of the material constitutive model. Thus, the material properties are identified in the whole bandwidth under study and not just at resonances. Moreover, the use of control frequencies makes the method insensitive to experimental noise and the efficiency is notably enhanced. Therefore, the number of tests required is drastically reduced and the overall process is carried out faster and more accurately. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated with the characterization of a CLD (constrained layer damping) cantilever beam. First, the elastic properties of the constraining layers are identified from the dynamic response of a metallic cantilever beam. Then, the viscoelastic properties of the core, represented by a four-parameter fractional derivative model, are identified from the dynamic response of a CLD cantilever beam.     

Finite element analysis and experimental study on dynamic properties of a composite beam with viscoelastic damping

This paper investigates the frequency dependent viscoelastic dynamics of a multifunctional composite structure from finite element analysis and experimental validation. The frequency-dependent behavior of the stiffness and damping of a viscoelastic material directly affects the system's modal frequencies and damping, and results in complex vibration modes and differences in the relative phase of vibration. A second order three parameter Golla–Hughes–McTavish (GHM) method and a second order three fields Anelastic Displacement Fields (ADF) approach are used to implement the viscoelastic material model, enabling the straightforward development of time domain and frequency domain finite elements, and describing the frequency dependent viscoelastic behavior. Considering the parameter identification a strategy to estimate the fractional order of the time derivative and the relaxation time is outlined. Agreement between the curve fits using both the GHM and ADF and experiment is within 0.001 percent error. Continuing efforts are addressing the material modulus comparison of the GHM and the ADF model. There may be a theoretical difference between viscoelastic degrees of freedom at nodes and elements, but their numerical results are very close to each other in the specific frequency range of interest. With identified model parameters, numerical simulation is carried out to predict the damping behavior in its first two vibration modes. The experimental testing on the layered composite beam validates the numerical predication. Experimental results also show that elastic modulus measured from dynamic response yields more accurate results than static measurement, such as tensile testing, especially for elastomers.     

Forced response of FRP sandwich panels with viscoelastic materials

In this paper a new analytical model is presented that accurately predicts the forced response of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) sandwich plates subjected to transverse applied loads. It is based on Reddy's refined high order shear deformation theory and offers the feasibility of accounting for the viscoelastic properties of the constitutive materials without restriction to the steady state motion. This is achieved by modelling the viscoelastic behaviour of the constitutive materials using the Golla Hughes McTavish mathematical tool. Validation of the new approach is achieved by comparing results under harmonic loading conditions against data obtained using the proposed new analytical model. Subsequently, predicted responses for a given FRP sandwich plate under various transverse applied loads are presented. The results outline the importance of being able to account for the viscoelastic properties of the constitutive materials when modelling the dynamic behaviour of sandwich structures.     

Nonlinear finite element model updating of an infilled frame based on identified time-varying modal parameters during an earthquake

A model updating methodology is proposed for calibration of nonlinear finite element (FE) models simulating the behavior of real-world complex civil structures subjected to seismic excitations. In the proposed methodology, parameters of hysteretic material models assigned to elements (or substructures) of a nonlinear FE model are updated by minimizing an objective function. The objective function used in this study is the misfit between the experimentally identified time-varying modal parameters of the structure and those of the FE model at selected time instances along the response time history. The time-varying modal parameters are estimated using the deterministic–stochastic subspace identification method which is an input–output system identification approach. The performance of the proposed updating method is evaluated through numerical and experimental applications on a large-scale three-story reinforced concrete frame with masonry infills. The test structure was subjected to seismic base excitations of increasing amplitude at a large outdoor shake-table. A nonlinear FE model of the test structure has been calibrated to match the time-varying modal parameters of the test structure identified from measured data during a seismic base excitation. The accuracy of the proposed nonlinear FE model updating procedure is quantified in numerical and experimental applications using different error metrics. The calibrated models predict the exact simulated response very accurately in the numerical application, while the updated models match the measured response reasonably well in the experimental application.     

MEASUREMENT OF THE VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES OF DAMPING MATERIALS: ADAPTATION OF THE WAVE PROPAGATION METHOD TO TEST SAMPLES OF SHORT LENGTH

Wave propagation methods allow the deduction of the viscoelastic damping properties of materials from the waveform pattern of a transitory wave: the wave profile is recorded at two travel distances in a thin bar made of the medium studied. In the case of linear viscoelasticity, the characteristics of the material are deduced directly from the transfer function of the two pulses measured. From a theoretical point of view, these methods are of great interest as they bridge a gap between vibratory methods and ultrasonic methods, allowing results to be obtained in a frequency range covering one and a half to two decades in the audiometric range (20 Hz-20 kHz). However, they have not been used much in industrial applications due to the difficulty and cost involved in producing samples in the form of bars. This study shows how this type of method can be adapted to measuring the viscoelastic properties of damping materials using reduced size and common shaped samples such as end-stop buffers.     

Semi-analytical solution for three-dimensional transient response of functionally graded annular plate on a two parameter viscoelastic foundation

The three-dimensional transient analysis of functionally graded annular plates with arbitrary boundary conditions is carried out in this paper. The material properties of the FGM plate are assumed to vary smoothly in an exponential law along the thickness direction. The plate is assumed to rest on a two parameter viscoelastic foundation. A semi-analytical method, which integrates the state space method (SSM), Laplace transform and its inversion, as well as the one-dimensional differential quadrature method (DQM), is proposed to obtain the transient response of the plate. The state space method is used to obtain the analytical solution in the thickness direction. The differential quadrature method is employed to approximate the solution in the radial direction. The Laplace transform and the numerical inversion are used to obtain the solution in time domain. Numerical results show a good agreement between the response histories obtained by the present method and finite element method. The effects of the boundary conditions at the edges, the material graded index, the Winkler and shearing layer elastic coefficients, and the damping coefficient are studied. Numerical examples show that the peak response decreases as the material graded index, the Winkler and shearing layer elastic coefficients, and the damping coefficient increase. The results obtained in this paper can serve as benchmark data in further research.     

Measurement of viscoelastic properties from the vibration of a compliantly supported beam

A laboratory method is presented by which the viscoelastic properties of compliant materials are measured over a wide frequency range. The test setup utilizes a flexible beam clamped at one end and excited by a shaker at the free end. A small specimen of a compliant material is positioned to support the beam near its midpoint. The deformation from gravity is minimized since the specimen is not loaded by an attached mass. Forced vibration responses measured at two locations along the beam are used to derive a transfer function from which the dynamic properties of compliant materials are directly determined by use of a theoretical procedure investigating the effects of specimen stiffness on the propagation of flexural waves. Sensitivity of the measured properties to experimental uncertainties is investigated. Young's moduli and associated loss factors are determined for compliant materials ranging from low-density closed-cell foams to high-density damping materials. The method is validated by comparing the measured viscoelastic properties to those from an alternative dynamic test method.     

FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION AND ACTIVE VIBRATION CONTROL STUDY ON BEAMS USING SMART CONSTRAINED LAYER DAMPING (SCLD) TREATMENT

This work deals with the active vibration control of beams with smart constrained layer damping (SCLD) treatment. SCLD design consists of viscoelastic shear layer sandwiched between two layers of piezoelectric sensors and actuator. This composite SCLD when bonded to a vibrating structure acts as a smart treatment. The sensor piezoelectric layer measures the vibration response of the structure and a feedback controller is provided which regulates the axial deformation of the piezoelectric actuator (constraining layer), thereby providing adjustable and significant damping in the structure. The damping offered by SCLD treatment has two components, active action and passive action. The active action is transmitted from the piezoelectric actuator to the host structure through the viscoelastic layer. The passive action is through the shear deformation in the viscoelastic layer. The active action apart from providing direct active control also adjusts the passive action by regulating the shear deformation in the structure. The passive damping component of this design eliminates spillover, reduces power consumption, improves robustness and reliability of the system, and reduces vibration response at high-frequency ranges where active damping is difficult to implement. A beam finite element model has been developed based on Timoshenko's beam theory with partially covered SCLD. The Golla-Hughes-McTavish (GHM) method has been used to model the viscoelastic layer. The dissipation co-ordinates, defined using GHM approach, describe the frequency-dependent viscoelastic material properties. Models of PCLD and purely active systems could be obtained as a special case of SCLD. Using linear quadratic regulator (LQR) optimal control, the effects of the SCLD on vibration suppression performance and control effort requirements are investigated. The effects of the viscoelastic layer thickness and material properties on the vibration control performance are investigated.     

Numerical investigation of elastic modes of propagation in helical waveguides

Steel multi-wire cables are widely employed in civil engineering. They are usually made of a straight core and one layer of helical wires. In order to detect material degradation, nondestructive evaluation methods based on ultrasonics are one of the most promising techniques. However, their use is complicated by the lack of accurate cable models. As a first step, the goal of this paper is to propose a numerical method for the study of elastic guided waves inside a single helical wire. A finite element (FE) technique is used based on the theory of wave propagation inside periodic structures. This method avoids the tedious writing of equilibrium equations in a curvilinear coordinate system yielding translational invariance along the helix centerline. Besides, no specific programming is needed inside a conventional FE code because it can be implemented as a postprocessing step of stiffness, mass and damping matrices. The convergence and accuracy of the proposed method are assessed by comparing FE results with Pochhammer-Chree solutions for the infinite isotropic cylinder. Dispersion curves for a typical helical waveguide are then obtained. In the low-frequency range, results are validated with a helical Timoshenko beam model. Some significant differences with the cylinder are observed.     

A fuzzy finite element procedure for the calculation of uncertain frequency-response functions of damped structures: Part 1—Procedure

This work introduces a numerical algorithm to calculate frequency-response functions (FRFs) of damped finite element (FE) models with fuzzy uncertain parameters. Part one of this paper describes the numerical algorithm for the solution of the underlying interval finite element (IFE) problem. First, the IFE procedure for the calculation of undamped envelope FRFs is discussed. Starting from the undamped procedure, a strategy is developed to analyse damped structures based on the principle of Rayleigh damping. This is achieved by analysing the effect of the proportional damping coefficients on the subsequent steps of the undamped procedure. This finally results in a procedure for the calculation of fuzzy damped FRFs based on an analytical extension of the undamped algorithm. Part one of this paper introduces the numerical procedure. Part two of this paper illustrates the application of the methodology on four numerical case studies.     

VIBRATION ATTENUATION VIA CONSTRAINED LAYER DAMPING AND DASHPOT ON A SPRING-MASS-PLATE SYSTEM

The vibrations and damping characteristics of an annular plate with constrained layer damping (CLD) treatment subject to a traveling spring-mass-damper (SMD) are investigated. The equations of the CLD-treated plate are first derived from the energy principle. These equations are simplified via the Donnell-Mushtari-Vlasov assumptions. The response equations are eventually uncoupled for each mode and are in terms of a single-degree-of-freedom (s.d.o.f.) linear oscillator with hysteretic damping. The receptance method follows to joint the plate and the SMD, and the resulting change of natural frequencies and damping ratios are investigated. Individual effects due to the inertia and the stiffness are illustrated as well. The results shows that the damping ratios resulted from the viscoelastic core are more significant than that from the viscous damper. In addition, there exists a best design on the thickness of the viscoelastic material core to have the maximum damping ratios. The results also show that the attachment of SMD bifurcated the plate's natural frequencies for every mode but n = 0. The bifurcation becomes more obvious with the rotational speed. These results provide useful information for vibration suppression in engineering design.     

Rayleigh-Lamb wave propagation on a fractional order viscoelastic plate

A previous study of the authors published in this journal focused on mechanical wave motion in a viscoelastic material representative of biological tissue [Meral et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 126, 3278-3285 (2009)]. Compression, shear and surface wave motion in and on a viscoelastic halfspace excited by surface and sub-surface sources were considered. It was shown that a fractional order Voigt model, where the rate-dependent damping component that is dependent on the first derivative of time is replaced with a component that is dependent on a fractional derivative of time, resulted in closer agreement with experiment as compared with conventional (integer order) models, such as those of Voigt and Zener. In the present study, this analysis is extended to another configuration and wave type: out-of-plane response of a viscoelastic plate to harmonic anti-symmetric Lamb wave excitation. Theoretical solutions are compared with experimental measurements for a polymeric tissue mimicking phantom material. As in the previous configurations the fractional order modeling assumption improves the match between theory and experiment over a wider frequency range. Experimental complexities in the present study and the reliability of the different approaches for quantifying the shear viscoelastic properties of the material are discussed.     

Investigation and modelling of damping in a plate with a bonded porous layer

Behavior of a poro-elastic material bonded onto a vibrating plate is investigated in the low-frequency range. From the analysis of dissipation mechanisms, a model accounting for damping added by the porous layer on the plate is derived. This analysis is based on a 3-D finite element formulation including poro-elastic elements based on Biot displacement theory. First, dissipated powers related to thermal, viscous and viscoelastic dissipation are explicited. Then a generic configuration (simply-supported aluminium plate with a bonded porous layer and mechanical excitation) is studied. Thermal dissipation is found negligible. Viscous dissipation can be optimized as a function of airflow resistivity. It can be the major phenomenon within soft materials, but for most foams viscoelastic dissipation is dominant. Consequently an equivalent plate model is proposed. It includes shear in the porous layer and only viscoelasticity of the skeleton. Excellent agreement is found with the full numerical model.     

An enhanced beam model for constrained layer damping and a parameter study of damping contribution

An enhanced analytical model is presented based on an extension of previous models for constrained layer damping (CLD) in beam-like structures. Most existing CLD models are based on the assumption that shear deformation in the core layer is the only source of damping in the structure. However, previous research has shown that other types of deformation in the core layer, such as deformations from longitudinal extension and transverse compression, can also be important. In the enhanced analytical model developed here, shear, extension, and compression deformations are all included. This model can be used to predict the natural frequencies and modal loss factors. The numerical study shows that compared to other models, this enhanced model is accurate in predicting the dynamic characteristics. As a result, the model can be accepted as a general computation model. With all three types of damping included and the formulation used here, it is possible to study the impact of the structure's geometry and boundary conditions on the relative contribution of each type of damping. To that end, the relative contributions in the frequency domain for a few sample cases are presented.     

Three-dimensional hybrid model for predicting air-coupled generation of guided waves in composite material plates

For contact-less, non-destructive testing (NDT) purposes using air-coupled ultrasonic transducers, it is often required to numerically simulate the propagation of ultrasonic waves in solid media, and their coupling through air with specific transducers. At that point, one could simulate the propagation in the air and then in the solid component, using a Finite Element (FE) model. However, when three-dimensional (3D) modeling becomes necessary, such a solution reveals to be extremely demanding in terms of number of degrees of freedom and computational time. In this paper, to avoid such difficulties, the propagation in air from an ultrasonic transmitter to a tested solid plate is modeled in 3D using a closed-form solution. The knowledge of the transducer characteristics (diameter, frequency bandwidth, efficiency in Pa/V) allows the spatial distribution and actual pressure (in Pa) of the acoustic field produced in the air to be predicted, for a given input voltage. This pressure field is applied in turn as a boundary condition in a 3D FE model, to predict the plate response (displacement and stress guided beams) for a given distance between the transmitter and the plate, and for a given angle of orientation of the transmitter with respect to the plate. The FE model is so restricted to modeling of the solid structure only, thus reducing very significantly the number of degrees of freedom and computational time. The material constituting the plate is considered to be an anisotropic and viscoelastic medium. To validate the whole modeling process, an air-coupled ultrasonic transducer is used and oriented at a specific angle chosen for generating one specific Lamb mode guided along a composite plate sample, and a laser probe measures the normal velocity at different locations on the surface of the plate. In the field of NDT, it is generally suitable to excite a pure Lamb mode in order to ease the interpretation of received signals that would represent waves scattered by defects. After a validation step, the numerical model is then used to investigate the effect of the material anisotropy on the purity of the incident guided mode.     

A finite element model for sandwich viscoelastic beams: Experimental and numerical assessment

Among the passive control systems for attenuation of vibrations in structures, those that use viscoelastic materials as a damping core in laminated-plate-like components are focused herein. In the present work an assessment of a time-domain formulation for numerical modelling of viscoelastic materials is made. This formulation, which is called Golla–Hughes method (GHM), is based on a second-order time-domain realization of Laplace-domain motion equations. The GHM parameters used in the characterization of a viscoelastic material are experimentally determined and a sandwich GHM-based finite element model is presented and validated through numerical comparisons with classic formulation results. Finally, a time-domain simulation of an experimentally tested sandwich beam is carried out.     

Geometry independence of the normalized relaxation functions of viscoelastic materials in indentation

The normalized relaxation modulus represents a salient feature of viscoelastic materials and its determination is of great significance for various applications. From the normalized relaxation modulus, for instance, one can derive the loss factor of a viscoelastic polymer and judge whether a material is suitable for damping applications or not. By using dimensional analysis and the elastic–viscoelastic correspondence principle, the normalized relaxation function of a linear viscoelastic material obtained from indentation relaxation tests is shown to depend only on the indentation load but not on the indenter geometry and the shape of the indented solid. The result could enable circumvention of the difficulties encountered in the calibration of the indenter geometry and the preparation of indented samples. Numerical simulations are performed on a number of cases of practical interest, including the spherical indentation test of a soft layer lying on a rigid substrate, a flat punch indenter indenting into a soft layer with a rough surface bonded to a rigid substrate, a rigid indenter with irregular shape indenting into a particle, inclined contact of a cylindrical indenter with a cylinder, and indentation of porous substrates. The numerical examples demonstrate that the conclusion from the theoretical analysis is valid for all these situations.     

Rotor drop and following thermal growth simulations using detailed auxiliary bearing and damper models

Catcher bearings (CBs) or auxiliary bearings provide mechanical backup protection in the events of magnetic bearing failure. This paper presents numerical analysis for a rotor drop on CBs and following thermal growths due to their mechanical rub using detailed CB and damper models. The detailed CB model is determined based on its material, geometry, speed and preload using the nonlinear Hertzian load–deflection formula, and the thermal growths of bearing components during the rotor drop are estimated using a 1D thermal model. A finite-element squeeze film damper provides the pressure profile of an annular oil film and the resulting viscous damping force. Numerical simulations of an energy storage flywheel with magnetic suspensions failed reveal that an optimal CB design using the detailed simulation models stabilizes the rotor drop dynamics and lowers the thermal growths while preventing the high-speed backward whirl. Furthermore, CB design guides based on the simulation results are presented.     

Dynamics of two-dimensional composites of elastic and viscoelastic layers

Models of frequency response, acoustic transmission, and transient wave propagation are presented for a two-dimensional composite of elastic and viscoelastic layers, simply supported at the two boundaries. The three models adopt transfer matrices to relate state variables over the two faces of a layer. In the frequency domain, a viscoelastic constitutive law is derived by nonlinear fitting a Padé series to measured data of complex shear modulus. For an elastic material, the eigenproblem admits positive real eigenvalues and their negatives. For a viscoelastic material, it admits positive complex eigenvalues and their negative conjugates. The imaginary part of the eigenvalue acts as a velocity-dependent viscous damper. Modal analysis solving transient response utilizes the complex eigenquantities and the static-dynamic superposition method.