Sound Radiation and Vibration of Composite Panels Excited by Turbulent Flow: Analytical Prediction and Analysis

Abstract

The present study investigates the vibration and sound radiation by panels exited by turbulent flow and by random noise. Composite and aluminum panels are analyzed through a developed analytical framework. The main objective of this study is to identify the difference between the vibroacoustic behaviour of these two types of panels. This topic is of particular importance, given the growing interest in applying composite materials for the construction of aircraft structures, in parts where aluminum panels were traditionally being used. An original mathematical framework is presented for the prediction of noise and vibration for composite panels. Results show the effect of panel size, thickness of core, and thickness of face layers on the predictions. Smaller composite panels generally produced lower levels of sound and vibration than longer and wider composite panels. Compared with isotropic panels, the composite panels analyzed generated lower noise levels, although it was observed that noise level was amplified at certain frequencies.