Passive Vibration Control Scheme Using Circular Viscoelastic Waveguide Absorbers

Abstract

A waveguide absorber is a device mounted on a vibrating structure at the selected points to transfer energy from the structure to the device which dampens the energy. The waveguide absorbers reported here are made of viscoelastic material which absorbs vibration energy and dissipates it in the form of heat. The novelty of this approach to damping is the simplicity of application and the effectiveness in the broadband frequency range with relatively less material. In this study, the impedances of the circular viscoelastic waveguide absorbers were evaluated experimentally at different temperatures and the results were compared with those of prediction. The application of the waveguide absorbers in the most effective manner to maximize damping of the structure is also studied. The impedance matching techniques were studied to minimize the vibration amplitude of the structure.