Computational and Experimental Studies of Microvascular Void Features for Passive-Adaptation of Structural Panel Dynamic Performance

The performance, integrity, and safety of built-up structural systems are critical to their effective employment in diverse aerospace, automotive, civil, and marine engineering applications. In conflict with these goals, harmonic or random excitations of structural panels, which are common operating conditions for such systems, lead to oscillations at the modes of vibration occurring at the natural frequencies. The result is large amplitude vibrations that contribute directly to fatigue concerns, performance degradation, and ultimately failure. While many studies have considered active or passive damping treatments for structural control, these approaches exert little authority to tailor the frequency sensitivities central to the concern. To provide a more authoritative means to adapt the spectral properties of structural panels for advanced performance and safety, this research explores a new idea of designing the static and dynamic mass distribution of panels through embedded microvascular voids. Finite element model and experimental investigations study how removing mass in the form of microscale voids influences the global vibration modes and frequency sensitivities of structural panels. Through parameter studies, the relationships among void shape, size, number, and location are determined to serve as a guide for their use in subsequent dynamic mass distribution investigations. This research enables next-stage efforts that will characterize opportunities for real-time adaptation of the dynamic performance via fluid-filled microvascular channels that interface the microscale voids.No embargoAcademic Major: Mechanical Engineerin