An analytical particle damping model

Particle damping is a passive vibration control technique where multiple auxiliary masses are placed in a cavity attached to a vibrating structure. The behavior of the particle damper is highly non-linear and energy dissipation, or damping, is derived from a combination of loss mechanisms. These loss mechanisms involve complex physical processes and cannot be analyzed reliably using current models. As a result, previous particle damper designs have been based on trial-and-error experimentation. This paper presents a mathematical model that allows particle damper designs to be evaluated analytically. The model utilizes the particle dynamics method and captures the complex physics involved in particle damping, including frictional contact interactions and energy dissipation due to viscoelasticity of the particle material. Model predictions are shown to compare well with test data.