Constrained-layer damping

Constrained-layer damping is a mechanical engineering technique to suppress vibrations. Typically a viscoelastic or other damping material, is sandwiched between two sheets of stiff materials that lack sufficient damping by themselves. The result is that any vibration generated on either side of the constraining materials (the two stiffer materials on the sides) is suppressed by the viscoelastic material, by turning it into heat. The damping is associated with the shear deformation of the viscoelastic material.

Gypsum panel with constrained-layer damping

References

1. Kerwin, Edward M. (1959). "Damping of Flexural Waves by a Constrained Viscoelastic Layer". The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 31 (7): 952–962. doi:10.1121/1.1907821.
2. Baz, A.; Ro, J. (1995). "Optimum Design and Control of Active Constrained Layer Damping". Journal of Mechanical Design. 117 (B): 135–144. doi:10.1115/1.2836447. eISSN 1528-9001. ISSN 1050-0472.
3. Gallimore, Craig Allen (2008). Passive Viscoelastic Constrained Layer Damping Application for a Small Aircraft Landing Gear System (Masters thesis). Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.