Hybrid Element Method for Mid-Frequency Analysis of Composite Structures Subjected to Boundary Layer Loading
Sponsor:
NASA Langley Research Center
Collaborator:
Calvin College

In many situations, aerospace structures experience a wide range of mechanical and/or acoustic excitations. Therefore, there is a need for numerical modeling techniques that can resolve the dynamic response of complex systems across the entire frequency spectrum. Additionally, with the increasing use of composite structural components in new vehicle designs due to their weight-specific advantages, the modeling of these composite structures becomes increasingly important. This project focuses on developing techniques that predict noise within an enclosure, such as aircraft, caused by the transmission of turbulent boundary layer loading in the presence of composite structural components. An innovative Hybrid Element Method (HEM) solution tool for mid-frequency analysis is developed by combining elements of Dynamic Element Analysis (DEA) with conventional low-frequency FEM tools and high-frequency Energy Flow Analysis (EFA) tools. This unified framework aims to accurately and efficiently predict the vibroacoustic behavior of nonuniform aerospace structures, including both metallic and composite configurations, across the full frequency spectrum.