A rapid prediction model for the radiation efficiency of baffled constrained layer damping plate

It’s well-known that constrained layer damping (CLD) can effectively reduce the vibration and radiation noise from the (plate-like or shell-like) thin-walled structures under various of dynamic excitations. As one of the key properties deciding the CLD’s performance, the CLD’s acoustic radiation characteristics has always been a focus of researchers. In this study, an analytical model based on equivalent principle is proposed to predict the acoustic radiation efficiency of the CLD plate. In this model, a laminated CLD plate is equivalent to a single-layer plate and the equivalent stiffness and loss factor are obtained using the strain energy method. The vibration velocity of the plate is calculated using mode-superposition method and the sound pressure on the plate surface is calculated using Rayleigh integral formula. Variable mesh sizes and frequency steps are employed to improve the calculation efficiency. The difference between the base and CLD plates in sound radiation characteristics is investigated using this model. The results indicate that CLD involving a damping layer with a low Young’s modulus can mitigate more vibration at low frequencies. A higher Young’s modulus of the damping layer results in a higher radiation efficiency of the CLD plate between the fundamental and critical frequencies. By increasing the loss factor, the spatially averaged mean square velocity would decrease, more modes would contribute to the response, and the CLD plate can consequently achieve a higher radiation efficiency below the critical frequency. Moreover, the simplified formulae for the average radiation efficiency of the CLD plate is developed to achieve the rapid calculation. Its accuracy is then validated by comparing the results to the more comprehensive model.