ASA 128th Meeting - Austin, Texas - 1994 Nov 28 .. Dec 02

4pPAb8. Acoustic and flexural wave interaction at the junction of two fluid-loaded plates.

Andrew N. Norris

Douglas A. Rebinsky

Dept. of Mech. and Aerosp. Eng., Rutgers Univ., Piscataway, NJ 08855-0909

G. Wickham

Univ. of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

A general solution is developed for the acoustic and structural scattered response from the junction of two flat plates under unilateral fluid loading. The plates are modeled by the classical theory of flexure, and the solution is found using the Wiener--Hopf technique for the dual integral equations for the unknown pressure on the plates. Explicit formulas are obtained for the pressure transform when the plates are in welded or clamped contact, and corresponding explicit and relatively simple expressions are given for the various diffraction coefficients associated with the fluid/structure interaction. Numerical results for the redistribution of energy from flexural to flexural plus acoustic at a thickness discontinuity will be discussed in detail. [Work supported by ONR.]