An experimental study of particle damping for beams and plates

This paper describes an experimental investigation of a particle damping method for a beam and a plate. Tungsten carbide particles are embedded within longitudinal (and latitudinal) holes drilled in the structure, as a simple and passive means for vibration suppression. Unlike in traditional damping materials, mechanisms of energy dissipation of particle damping are highly nonlinear and primarily related to friction and impact phenomena. Experiments are conducted with a number of arrangements of the packed particles including different particle sizes and volumetric packing ratios. The results show that the particle damping is remarkably effective and that strong attenuations are achieved within a broadfrequency range. The effects of the system parameters including particle size, packing ratio and particle material are studied by broadband and narrowband random excitations. The experimental results confirm a numerical prediction that shear friction in the longitudinal (and the latitudinal) directions is effective as the major contributing mechanism of damping in the case. Another unique feature of linear decay in, free vibrations is also observed in this case of particle damping.