Damping of patched structures subjected to acoustic fatigue : A numerical study
This numerical study seeks to evaluate a set of reinforcement/damping treatment options to alleviate the acoustic fatigue damage ofthe nacelle panel ofthe F/A-18 aircraft. This study focuses on the use of constrained layer damping to increase the structural loss factor in the nacelle region in a bid to reduce the incidence of acoustic fatigue. The findings of this report show that where add-on damping material is to be implemented on a repair/reinforcement, orthotropic material, (e.g. boron/epoxy), is a more appropriate material to use as a repair/reinforcement material than isotropic material, e.g. aluminium. In addition, the results presented in this paper revealed that boron/epoxy laminate can be used as an alternative constraining layer for the damping treatment in regions of intense acoustic excitation.