Analysis of Modal Parameters of Adhesively Bonded Double-Strap Joints by the Modal Strain Energy Method

This paper presents the analysis of modal parameters (natural frequencies, damping and mode shapes) of a simply supported beam with adhesively bonded double-strap joint by the finite-element based Modal Strain Energy (MSE) method using ANSYS 4.4A software. The results obtained by the MSE method are compared with closed form analytical solutions previously obtained by the author for flexural vibration of the same system. Good agreement has been obtained between the two methods for both the natural frequencies and system loss factors. The effects of structural parameters and material properties of the adhesive on the modal properties of the joint system are also studied which are useful in the design of the joint system for passive vibration and noise control. In order to evaluate the MSE and analytical results, some experiments were conducted using aluminum double-strap joints with 3M ISD112 damping material. The experimental results agreed well with both analytical and MSE results indicating the validity of both analytical and MSE methods. Finally, a comparative study has been conducted using various commercially available damping materials to evaluate their relative merits for use in the design of these joints.