Modeling of active constrained layer damping structures using a commercial finite element code

Active Constrained Layer Damping (ACLD), involving a hybrid of active and passive damping elements, has been shown to be a promising method for maximizing vibration damping effectiveness. Active damping can be effective at reducing vibration of a given single mode. Passive damping has dissipative qualities for all modes. There has been much discussion comparing and contrasting the uses of these different methods in the literature. It has been found that using a hybrid ACLD layer can be more effective than just using an active control (AC) approach or a Passive Constrained Layer Damper (PCLD) approach, in some cases. ACLD structures are characterized in the literature either by the development of analytic equations, or by finite element modeling. In cases where the ACLD structure is modeled using finite elements, the formulation is done by the author in developing a code. This limits the availability of the result beyond a specific application. For the modeling of ACLD structures to be more generally applicable, and available, modeling could be done using a commercial finite element code. A greater variety of different structures could be modeled, and structural optimization could easily be integrated. The study of ACLD structures would be available to an audience without the resources to construct their own elements. To the author's knowledge, no studies of ACLD structures exist using a generally available finite element code. The ABAQUS commercial finite element code, with certain customizations, is used in this study. Results compare favorably with other sources in the literature.