Vibration Damping by a Nearly Continuous Distribution of Nearly Undamped Oscillators
Abstract
It has been claimed that vibration damping can be derived from the coupling of a continuous distribution of undamped oscillators. This claim stems from the fact that the contribution to the damping of a master oscillator by a coupled set of continuously distributed satellite oscillators, is independent of the loss factors of the oscillators in this set (The distribution is with respect to the frequency of resonance of the satellite oscillators in the set.) The transition from a discrete-to-a continuous distribution, however, cannot be achieved without the imposition of modal overlap on the distribution of the satellite oscillators. It is this imposition that ensures that the contribution to the damping by these satellite oscillators is intuitively real. The imposition forbids equating the loss factors of the satellite oscillators to zero just because their contribution, to the surrogate damping of the host master oscillator to which they are coupled, is independent of these loss factors. Notwithstanding that the quantification of this contributed damping in terms of a dimensionless ratio of dynamic quantities does not uniquely qualify it as a loss factor. Moreover, the analysis of nearly continuous distribution of nearly undamped satellite oscillators brings insights into the manner by which they contribute damping to the mechanical system of which they are an integral part. In part, these insights are obscured in an analysis that is based on the a priori introduction of extreme limits. Indeed, these insights may be the overwhelming justification for the present paper.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 30, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA362958
Entities
People
- Gideon Maidanik
Organizations
- Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division