A new method for the determination of damping in cocured composite laminates with embedded viscoelastic layer

A new method for the determination of damping in cocured composite laminates with embedded viscoelastic layer is developed based on mode superposition and modal strain energy method. The calculated damping value is not modal loss factor but a combination of damping from the contributing modes. The dynamic mechanical properties of the viscoelastic material cocured with composites were investigated and were substituted in the present method for calculating the damping in cocured composites. The analytical results were compared with the experimental results by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The results demonstrate a good agreement between analytical and experimental results. This work provides a means for the study of damping in this structure with different environment temperature and excited frequency. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.