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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Sound transmission characteristics of sandwich panels with a truss lattice core Moosavi Mehr, Ehsan

Abstract

Sandwich panels are extensively used in constructional, naval and aerospace structures due to their high stiffness and strength-to-weight ratios. In contrast, sound transmission properties of sandwich panels are adversely influenced by their low effective mass. Phase velocity matching of structural waves propagating within the panel and the incident pressure waves from the surrounding fluid medium lead to coincidence effects (often within the audible range) resulting in reduced impedance and high sound transmission. Truss-like lattice cores with porous microarchitecture and \emph{reduced} inter panel connectivity relative to honeycomb cores promise the potential to satisfy the conflicting structural and vibroacoustic response requirements. This study combines Bloch-wave analysis and the Finite Element Method (FEM) to understand wave propagation and hence sound transmission in sandwich panels with a truss lattice core. Three dimensional coupled fluid-structure finite element simulations are conducted to compare the performance of a representative set of lattice core topologies. Potential advantages of sandwich structures with a lattice core over the traditional shear wall panel designs are identified. The significance of partial band gaps is evident in the sound transmission loss characteristics of the panels studied. This work demonstrates that, even without optimization, significant enhancements in STL performance can be achieved in truss lattice core sandwich panels compared to a traditional sandwich panel employing a honeycomb core under constant mass constraint.

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Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 Canada