Hybrid multidamped composite plates with viscoelastic composite plies and shunted piezoelectric layers

A laminate mechanics formulation and a finite element method are presented for predicting the overall damping of composite laminates with shunted piezoelectric layers. The mechanics encompass both damping contributions of the viscoelastic composite plies and the resistively shunted piezoelectric layers. A novel plate finite element is formulated for analyzing the total damping capacity of laminated piezocomposite plate structures. The modal damping of composite beams with a shunted piezoceramic patch is measured for variable shunting resistance and correlated with predicted values. Numerical results for beams and plates illustrate the strong dependence of each damping mechanism on the laminate configuration, and their beneficial interaction in producing a more uniform overall damping capacity in composite structures.