Modelling of constrained layer damping for bending waves in frequency domain using finite shell elements

Constrained layer damping (CLD) is a damping principle which utilizes a viscoelastic layer between two elastic covering layers. Bending of the resulting plate structure mainly causes shear deformation in the viscoelastic layer which in theory leads to more efficient dissipation than damping due to pure strain deformation. This principle is brought into application by applying damping tape to the surface of a metallic base plate. Since extensive use of damping tape is economically expensive, a common aim is to achieve maximum dissipation with a limited amount of modified area. Therefore, there is an interest in predicting the optimal distribution of a given amount of damping tape by numerical simulations. In most applications where the Finite Element Method (FEM) is applied, shell elements are preferred over volume elements, because the shell elements are computationally more efficient. To be able to model CLD with shell elements, a mechanical model has to be derived first that represents the three layer structure with homogenized parameters. In this contribution, CLD is modelled in two different ways and solved with FEM: First, an experimentally validated volume model of a CLD‐structure and second, an effective material model using shell elements. The frequency responses of both models are compared.