Hugues Nelisse
Olivier Beslin
Jean Nicolas
G.A.U.S., Mech. Eng. Dept., Univ. de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, PQ J1K 2R1, Canada
A method has been developed to obtain the structural response of a sandwich panel placed in a large reverberant chamber excited by a so-called diffuse field. The approach is based on an integral equation method for the pressure response in the chamber. The Helmotz--Kirchoff theorem is expressed using a pressure jump function across the surface of the panel [see for instance D. Ouellet et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 89, 2131--2139 (1991)]. A modal expansion over modes of rigid cavity and in vacuo modes of the panel leads to a set of linear coupled equations reflecting the existence of fluid--structure interaction. Numerical resolution of the set of equations allows us to obtain physical quantities of interest, such as the deflection of the plate and the jump of sound pressure across the panel. It is found that the modal behavior of the acoustic excitation is of a major importance for the response of the panel. Results for large panels with added masses, used for instance in aerospace industry, will be discussed. Convergence of the solution, as well as its frequency range of validity will also be analyzed.