Dispersive properties of metamaterial beams with rod-like resonators: A coupled axial-flexural analysis

This paper addresses the propagation of coupled axial-flexural waves in metamaterial beams with rod-like resonators. Utilizing an exact frequency-dependent stiffness method, based on Euler-Bernoulli beam assumption for rods and host beam, and fully accounting for axial-flexural coupling phenomena, several adimensional parametric analyses are performed for investigating the dispersive properties of the metamaterial beams. The analyses reveal novel and relevant aspects unaddressed in previous studies. Firstly, they show that certain rod configurations lead to significant interference between flexural resonance and the band gaps opened by axial resonance, whereas other configurations enable flexural resonance to open substantial band gaps without interference from axial resonance. Results are complemented by 3D finite element analyses proving evidence of the findings and validating the method. Additional analyses demonstrate that adding a tip mass to the rods, while keeping the total mass of the resonator unchanged, can significantly reduce the opening frequency of the band gaps and can attenuate or remove the interference caused by flexural resonance within the band gaps opened by axial resonance; the rotational inertia of the tip mass can also play a significant role in removing flexural resonance interference. Notably, the paper also reveals that the attenuation phenomena for the coupled problem with a single set of rods are governed by the opening of weak band gaps, rather than by traditional band gaps; this aspect is elucidated by showing Bloch mode shapes of the infinite metamaterial beam and frequency response of the corresponding finite beam. Results and proposed design prove to be useful and promising for locally resonant beams featuring rod-like resonators, both as an alternative to traditional beam-like resonators and for their applicability in the 3D printing process of locally resonant structures, where rods serve as elastic elements in constructing the resonators.