Constrained Viscoelastic Layer Damping of Thick Aluminum Plates: Design, Analysis and Testing

Modern naval warfare has been increasingly dependent upon the acoustic silencing of the participants. Constrained viscoelastic layer damping of vibrating elements is one method which can be used to meet acoustic silencing goals. This paper considers constrained viscoelastic layer damping treatments applied to a thick aluminum plate, including single layer, double layer, a milled pocket plate, and a milled floating element configuration. High modal damping values were obtained for each damping configuration. The Modal Strain Energy method, using finite element analysis to estimate modal loss factors, was investigated for use as a tool in constrained viscoelastic layer damping design. A comparison of experimentally measured frequency response and modal loss factors with those predicted by the modal stain energy method is presented to confirm the possible use of the modal strain energy method as a design tool. Keywords Vibration, Damping, Viscoelastic material, Constrained layer damping.