Vibration damping of cylindrical shells partially coated with a constrained viscoelastic treatment having a standoff layer

The task of providing lightly-damped shells with an enhanced modal damping is encountered in many applications. This paper explores the use of a standoff-layered viscoelastic damping treatment for cylindrical shells requiring a minimal distribution area and low added weight. It is shown that partial distribution of the treatment as damping patches can be more beneficial than using full coverage, provided the patches are located in regions of high modal strain energy, as determined from strain energy intensity distribution maps derived for the purpose. The analysis uses the finite element method, and a suitable curved shell element is formulated for the add-on damping treatment. Numerical studies show that the combination of partial coating and a standoff layer can offer a viable approach for achieving optimal damping in the presence of space and weight constraints. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.