Computational prediction and redesign for viscoelastically damped structures

Abstract Viscoelastic materials are very effective in suppressing excessive vibrations and noise. The shear modulus of these materials has an important effect on the loss factors of damped structures. However, it changes rapidly with frequency, an effect, which has to be taken into account. This paper presents a method, namely the finite element perturbation method, which provides a simple tool for the prediction in a wide frequency range without repeated analysis. This approach also enables a simplified redesign of damping.