Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Reduc Acoustics AB
Sundbyber~
Sweden
, Vibration damped structures ~
The present invention relates to vibration damped structures
and objects, which normally emit substantial sound when set in vibra-
tion.
Structures, as related to here, could be structures made of com-
mon structural materials such as steel or other metals, concrete, in-
cluding light concrete, plaster, wood, including structural parts manu-
factured o~ wood fibres or wood chips, as well as synthetic materials.
Structures herein referred to can be buildings and parts thereof, such
as frameworks, beams, slabs, walls and ~loors; constructional works,
such as bridges; machines and engines.
Objects, as related to in this specification, could be e.g. con-
tinuously or intermittently rotating, oscillating or translatory move-ing objects, which due to their movement, or through strokes, blows
or vibrations transmitted to same, are set in sympathetic vibrations
and thereby emit sound. Circular saw blades, ~or instance, are an
example of such rotating objects, which, as is known, by sawing emit
substantial sound. Intermittentl~ movable objects which due to blows
emit sound, can be exemplified by rock drills for rock drilling ma-
chines.
Other objects, herein referred to, could be such, which due to
turbulence or cavitation, possibly in combination with some other
cause of vibration~ when operating in fluids start oscillating, e.g.
turbine blades and pump rotor blades.
Further objects related to hexein, could be such which are im-
mobile per se, but due to contact wlth a source of ~ibration can be
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~~ set in sympathetic vibrations, e.g. engine foundations.
It is previously known -to increase -the inner damping in
plates by applying a thin layer of viscoelastic material
between two plates. Such a unit is usually called a sandwich
plate. As a sandwich plate starts vibrating the two plates
move relative each other, whereby shearing takes place in
the viscoelastic layer adhering to the plates, which layer
thereby absorbs a substantial part of the vibrating energy.
V.S. Patent Specification 3,828,504 disclosures corres-
pondingly damped structuresof concrete and light concrete.
In the damped sandwich plates as well as the structuresaccording to the cited Patent Specification the plates and
the structure parts respectively are totally separated by the
viscoelastic layer.
The Swedish Patent Specification 7407174-7 discloses
structures, wherein partial damping layers are applied. Also
in certain embodiments of the invention described therein
the structure parts are separated from each other by the
viscoelastic damping layer in such a manner that in each
section through the structure at least two structure parts
and possibly a viscoelastic damping layer can be distinyuished.
For the damping of many structures and objects an
application of the prior art as in practice unsuitable. Even
if it is possible to achieve a satisfactory damping by employ-
ing the prior art, several applications imply that an activepart of an object not without important disadvantages in its
full extent can be divided into two or more parts with
intermediate viscoelastic layers.
It is also known -to damp structures and objects by
applying, on a surface thereof, one or more damping fields in
the form of a metal sheet or foil for damping structure borne
noise provided with a viscoelastic damping layer comprising
a self-adhesive glue.
The object of the present invention is partly to remove
certain inconveniences with the prior art and partly to offer
a substi-tute for the prior art in certain applications, which
results in an equally good damping performance. According to
the present invention this has been achieved in that the
- invention has been given the characterizing features set forth
in the appended claims.
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Thus the invention consists of a structure or object,
wherein vibration energy is absorbed in a viscoelastic
material, characterized in tha-t the viscoelastic material is
applied in first bores in a rigid part which is decoupled
from at least one part of the structure or object and may be
a detail of the structure or object, said part bearing on the
structure or object in such a manner that it participates in
vibrational oscillations of -the structure or object, said
viscoelastic material adhering to at least the limiting sur-
faces of the bores.
The invention is described more in detail below,
reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein
fig. la-f and fig. 2a-f show sections through different
fundamental embodiments of the inven-
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tion regarding the location of the viscoelastic dampin~ material in
a damped structure or object, fig. 3 shows a section through an examp-
le according to the invention o~ a damped structure of concrete or
light concrete, fig. 4 shows a section through a damping field accor-
ding to fig. 2b applied outside a structure or object, fig. 5 shows
similarly a damping field according to fig. lb set in a structure or
object, fig. 6 shows a damping field arranged according to fig. la,
which is let into a structure or object and, furthermore, is provided
with a covering layer, figs 7-11 show examples of different damped
objects in accordance with the invention, where figs 7 and 8 show a
part of and a section through a part of a saw blade, respectively,
figs 9 and 10 show a rock drill and on an enlar~ed scale a section
through same, respectively, fig. 11 sho~s a section through a cylin-
drical shaft, and figs 12 and 13 show, respectively, a section throug~
two additional fundamental embodiments of the invention.
In figs la-f and 2a-f the reference numeral 1 refers to a part
of a structure or object, 2 refers to a rigid structure part or a se-
parate stiffening part arranged against part 1, and 3 refers to a vis-
coelastic damping material.
In fig. la part 2 is provided with bores 4. The bores are filled
with the viscoelastic material 3 adhering to the walls of the bores
and to part 1. According to fig. lb the viscoelastic material 3, or
another viscoelastic material, isapplied not only in the bores 4 but
also as a conventional damping layer 5 between the parts 1 and 2.
In ~ig. lc part 1 has been provided with dead-end bores 6 cor-
responding to the bores 4 in part 2 and the viscoelastic material 3
continuously fills up the respective bores 4 and 6 facing each other
and adheres to the walls of the bores. According to fig. ld the visco-
elastic material or another viscoelastic material, urthermore, has
been arranged between the parts 1 and 2.
In fig. le the same device as in fig. la is shown, with the ex-
ception that a layer 7 of a non-viscoelastic material is placed be-
tween the parts 1 and 2. This layer 7 can, e.g. in certain applica-
tions, be electrically isolating, but, in any case, for the coopera-
tion of parts 1 and 2, it has to be connected to part 1, e.q. through
glueing, and the viscoelastic material 3 has to adhere to the layer
7. Fig. lf shows the same arrangement of the viscoelastic material as
fig. lc except in that a layer 7, corresponding to the layer of ~ig.
le, has been placed between the parts 1 and 2. In this latter case,
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the layer 7 doesnot need to and, in certain cases, shouldnot adhere
to any of the parts 1 and 2, but these are united by the viscoelastic
material in the bores 4 and 6.
Fig. 2a~f correspond to a respective one o~ fig. la-f except
for the bores 4' being dead-end bores, extending from the surface o~
part 2 facing part 1.
The embodiments according to fiy. la-f have the advantage that
the bores may be made after the parts 1 and 2 have been applied against
each other; this is especially favourable in the embodiments according
to figs lc, d and f, where the purpose is to achieve co-axial bores
4 and 6. Further advantages with the embodiments according to fig. la-
1~ are, ~irstly, that the viscoelastic material 3 can be filled into
the bores, especially in the embodiments according to figs la, c, e
and f, a~ter the parts have been placed against each other and, second-
ly, that if the viscoelastic material first is applied to part 1, as
is suitably done in the embodiments according to figs lb and d, and
thereafter part 2, provided with bores, is placed onto part 1, the
bores 4 will contribute to avoid air entrapments between the parts 1
and 2 and thereby toachieve a better adhesion between the parts.
Furthermore, gases, possibly formed when the viscoelastic material har-
dens, can escape through the bores 4, thus preventing such gases to
cause overpressure and poorer adhesion between the parts.
Surprisingly enough the invention has proven to result in an
- equaIly good damping - and in many cases a considerably better dam-
ping - than prior art. The prior art with viscoelastic damping is
based on the fact that, in consequence of vibration, shearing takes
place between two spaced structure parts. If there is a viscoelastic
layer between these parts, which layer adheres to the parts, the shea-
ring movement is transmitted to this layer s border surfaces against
the parts, whereby the shearing work in the viscoelastic material re-
sults in losses in the form of heat and the vibrations are damped. The
losses as a rule become greater the bigger the shearing angle, i.e.
the thinner - upto certain limits - the viscoelastic layer is. The
- reasons for achieving a surprisingly good damping even if the visco-
elastic material,according to the invention,is placed in bores is not
yet quite clear. One reason could be, especielly in the embodiments
according to fig. la-f with bores through part 2, that the bores them-
selves are deformed at the bending of the part in consequence of vibra-
tion, whereby also the viscoelastic material in the bores is deformed
and, thus, absorbes energy. In order to obtain total damping, the
distance between adjacent bores may not be greater than the bending
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wave length ~or the ~re~uency to be damped. The boxe~ should, pre~e-
rablyl extend from the surface between the paxts and at least to half
the thlckness of the respective part. For damping of metal plates
a degree of perforation less than 30~ is preferred, while a degree of
perforation of 1-2~ has proven sufficient when damping light concrete.
Generally speaking the damping methods according to figs la, b
and e as well as figs 2a, b and e are best suited for damping of me-
tals, while the methods according to figs lc and f in particular and
also figs 2c and f are best suited for damping of such materials as
concrete, light concrete and plaster.
As examples of experimental results the following can be men-
tioned:
I. Two concrete slabs with a length of 2,4 m, a width of 0,6 m and
a thickness of about 7 cm were placed against each other (according to
fig. lc) and ten evenly distributed bores with a diameter of about
15 mm were drilled through the upper slab and down to quite half the
thickness of the lower slab. The bores were fllled with a viscoelas-
tic damping compound, which was allowed to harden during a certain pe-
riod of time. After the hardening the slabs were excited and the dam-
ping was measured within the frequency-range of 100-1000 ~z. The result
showed a total loss-factor of 0,17 at the resonance frequency (125 Hz)
of the slab, which is to be compared to a loss-factor of 0,035 achieved
by prior art.
II. Two plaster-boards with a langth of 0,5 m, a width of 0,1 m and a
thickness of 13 mm were placed against each other according to fig. lf,
an intermediate layer 7 comprising felt was arranged between the
boards and eight e~enly distributed bores were drilled through the up-
per board and down to quite half the thickness of the lower board. The
bores were filled with a viscoelastic dampincJ compound, ~hic~ was
allowed to harden, whereafter the boards were excited and the damping
was measured at the resonance frequency oE the board of about 500 Hz.
The result showed a total loss-factor of 0,25, which is to be compared
to a loss-factor of 0,10 when damping according to prior art.
Conventional damping only results in damping of vibration oscil-
lations perpendicularly to a sur~ace of a board. The above mentioned
experiments, however, have surprisingly proven that damping also takes
place at excltation and oscillation in directions parallel to the
plane of the slabs or boards.
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One example of application of -the inven-tion is indicated in
fig. 3, which showsa section throu~h two superinposed slabs 1 and 2
of concrete or light concrete. The damping material is applied accor-
ding to fig. lc, i.e. in bores 4, which extend through the entire
slab 2 and continues in bores 6, which bores reach down to quite a
good half of the thickness of the slab 1. In the right hand portion of
fig. 3 is indicated that the damping material not necessarily has to
fill more than quite half of the height of the bores in slab 2. The
remainder of the bores can, thus, be filled with concrete or cement
mortar.
The invention could be used for damping by limited damping
fields, which are applied to or in a structure or an object. Examples
of damping by limited damping fields are shown in figs 4-6 (the same
reference numerals as in figs 1-2 being used), fig. 4 showing a dam-
ping field arranged according to fig. 2b and applied outside a struc~
ture or an object, fig. 5 showing a damping field arranged according
to fig. lb and let in a structure or an object in such a manner, that
the surface of the part 2 is in alignment with the upper surface of
the structure or object 1, and fig. 6 showing a dampin~ field arran~ed
according to fig. la and let to such a depth in the surface of a
structure or an object, that a covering layer 8, e.g. a thin plate,
applied on top of the damping field, is in alignment with the upper
surface of the structure or object 1. The application of such a
covering layer has shown to ~urther improve the damping. An explana-
tlon hereof could be, tha~ the covering layer prevents the bulge of
the damping material in the bores, which is the consequence of the
bending of the structure when vlbrating, and, thus, that the dampin~
material undergoes a certain loss-brlnging compression instead of being
allowed to expand freely and convexly out of the bores.
- Some examples of damping objects of metal will now be described.
Figs 7 and 8 show a saw blade 11, which can be a conventional one
- e.g. for rock sawing - with teeth 12and a shaft bore 13. Preferably
in both the plane blade surfaces 14 and 15, parallel to each other,
are evenly distributed milled recesses 16, the bottom surfaces of which
are parallel to the surfaces 14 and 15 of the blade. In each recess
is applied a layer o~ an adhesive viscoelastic material 17, preferably
a hardening one of a two component type. Outside the viscoelastic
layer 17 a perforated plate 18 is applied in each recess 16, the
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shapes of the pla-tes corresponding or being similar to the respective
recess 16. Further, the riyidity of the plates isgreater than that of
the layer 17. The combined thickness of the viscoelastic layers 17
and the plates 18 suitably should be such, that the plates 18 are
aligned with or somewhat below the respective surface of the blade 11.
The damping fields shown in fig. 7 have more or less the shape of a
longitudinal section of a pear and are distributed in four damping
fields on each side of the blade, the damping fields on the two sides
of the blade being displaced angu]arly relative each other. This is
shown by the damping fields, indicated by dotted lines in fig. 7,
on the backside of the blade.
Fig. 8 shows on an enlarged scale a section along llne VIII-VIII
in fig. 8, wherefrom appears that the viscoelastic material 17 - except
for being present between the blade 11 and the plate - during the manu-
facture has been pressed into the bores 19 to totally fill same as
the plate was applied to the damping material not yet hardened.
Figs 9 and 10 show how an extended object can be damped. The
object in this case is a drill 20 of a rock drilling machine. The
cross section of the drill, as is shown in ~ig. 10, is a regular hexa-
- gonal and in all of the six longitudinal side-surfaces of the drill
damping fields 21 are let in according to fig. 5. Depending on the
length of the object, the frequency or frequencies to be damped and
-the location of antinode loops, several damping fields can be applied
one after the other along the object.
Fi~. 11 shows a cross section through an extended cylindrical
shaft 22/ in the periphery of which are shown six damping ~ields 23,
similarly let in and applied evenly distributed. These are, as in the
preceding case, extended in the longitudinal direction of the shaft.
In practical tests with a saw blade for rock sawing, damped
according to the invention, a reduction of sound emitted from the
b~ade by up to 18 dB(A) was aahieved, which means a decrease to 1/8 of
the level of acoustic pressure in comparison with an equal, not damped
blade operated under equal conditions. The sound disturbance is thus
perceived by the ear as about 1/4 of the disturbance from a non-damped
blade.
Figs 12 and 13 show sections through damped structures or objects
embodying the invention, the viscoelastic material 24 being adhered
to the outside o~ solid, rigid bodies 25, e.g. of steel, and to the
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outside of tubes 26 respectively. The boAies 25 and the tubes 26 are
applied in bores in the structures or objects 2, 1 to enable the
- viscoelastic material 24 to adhere to the walls of the bores. These
embodiments need less quantities of the viscoelastic material, than
when said material totally fills the cross sections o~ the bores, as
in the embodiments earlier described.
Normally, the thicknesses of the viscoelastic damping layers 5
are about 0,1 - 1 mm, while the cross sectional areas of the bores
can vary depending on which material is to be damped, its rigidity
etc.
The least complicated method is to make the bores circularly
c~lindrical, e.g. throuyh drilling or punching, but a further improved
effect could be achieved by giving the bores another geometrical form.
In spite of the fact that mainly symmetrical objects have been
described here, the invention is equally applicable on non-symmetrical
objects, as e.g. engine foundations. Likewise, objects with double bent
surfaces can be damped in accordance with the invention.
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