Optimization and modelling methodologies for electro-viscoelastic sandwich design for noise reduction

In this paper a multilayered laminated sandwich with viscoelastic core, surface bonded piezoelectric patches and shunted damping is optimized in order to reduce sound radiation. The viscoelastic core is used since it is especially effective in damping higher frequencies while the piezoelectric patches can actuate on the lower end by tuning its circuit accordingly. Firstly, a single objective optimization is conducted to obtain the optimal stacking parameters of the laminate. Secondly, a multi-objective optimization approach is developed to distribute the piezoelectric shunted patches on the top of the sandwich panel, where the objectives are to reduce the weight, the sound radiation, and the number of shunted RL circuits. The sound radiation characteristics of different configurations are assessed by calculating their radiated sound power through the Rayleigh integral. Finite element analyses are conducted with the use of commercial software ANSYS(C) and the optimization procedures are implemented with the use of MATLAB(C) functions.