Viscoelastic damping design - Experimental analysis of optimized constrained layer damping treatments at different ambient temperatures

• The widths of CLD treatments are appropriate design parameters for damping design • The optimal design of CLD treatments depends on temperature • A general guideline for optimal widths of CLD treatments is not deriverable Constrained Layer Damping (CLD) is an established technology for passive vibration damping. Vibrational energy is dissipated by forcing a viscoelastic material into shear strain. However, the damping performance of CLD treatments is highly dependent on the temperature and the design of such structures can be tailored to operational conditions. This paper presents an experimental analysis of shape-optimized CLD treatments over a temperature range from -20°C to +20°C. The samples were designed and manufactured with respect to maximum damping of the first bending mode at minimum and maximum temperature. Eigenfrequencies and damping ratios identified from a modal test in a climatic chamber are compared with those obtained from numerical simulations. The comparison shows a good correlation of the modal parameters. The results proof that using the widths of virtually segmented core and face layers as design parameters is a valid approach to determine the optimal design of CLD treatments. Furthermore, the optimal shape of a CLD treatment is temperature-dependent and its damping performance varies with the ambient temperature condition.