Design, analysis and experimental investigation of three-dimensional structures with inertial amplification induced vibration stop bands

Three-dimensional (3D) phononic band gap structures are formed using identical inertial amplification mechanisms. The resonance and antiresonance frequencies that characterize the first vibration stop band of the building block mechanism are obtained analytically and by finite element method. The mechanism is optimized to yield wide vibration stop bands in two different 3D structures, namely, an octahedron and a 2 x 3 array of octahedrons. Furthermore, these structures are manufactured using a 3D polymer printer and their experimental frequency responses are obtained. Structural damping is added to the finite element model in order to match the resonant peak magnitudes of the numerical and experimental frequency response results. It is demonstrated that the 3D structures are capable of isolating excitations in longitudinal and two transverse directions in a very wide frequency range. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.