On the use of the asymptotic scaled modal analysis for time-harmonic structural analysis and for the prediction of coupling loss factors for similar systems

The paper presents the results of an ongoing research on a scaling procedure aimed at the reduction of the computational cost associated, in a deterministic approach, to the wavelength simulation. The adoption of the energy distribution approach allowed to completely define the way in which a scaled model can represent the mean response of a given original model. This goal is achieved through a reduction in the dimensions not involved in the energy propagation and accordingly in an increase of the original damping loss factors. Here, the coupled systems under observation are those in which the same wave is allowed to travel, exchange and reflect. Specifically the results coming from the classical modal response and the statistical energy analysis are compared with those in output from the scaling procedure. Some highlights with experimental test-case results and comparisons for a plate assembly are also given. The work presents also an investigation about the possibility of estimating the energy influence coefficients through scaled finite element models. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.