Optimum placement and control of active constrained layer damping using modal strain energy approach

The Active Constrained Layer Damping (ACLD) treatment has been used successfully for controlling the vibration of various flexible structures. It provides an effective means for augmenting the simplicity and reliability of passive damping with the low weight and high efficiency of active controls to attain high damping characteristics over broad frequency bands. In this paper, optimal placement strategies of ACLD patches are devised using the modal strain energy (MSE) method. These strategies aim at minimizing the total weight of the damping treatments while satisfying constraints imposed on the modal damping ratios. A finite element model is developed to determine the modal strain energies of plates treated with ACLD. The treatment is then applied to the elements that have highest MSE in order to target specific modes of vibrations. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the utility of the devised optimization technique as an effective tool for selecting the optimal locations of the ACLD treatment to achieve desired damping characteristics over a broad frequency band.