ANALYSIS OF VIBRATION DAMPING IN PROPELLER SHAFT USING VISCOELASTIC POLYMERS

This project work expresses the difference between the structures with and without damping material. The effect of damping on the performance of isotropic (steel) and orthotropic (Carbon Epoxy) structures is to be analysed by using Finite Element Analysis. The values of damping factor, fundamental natural frequency and the static deflection for Steel Shaft, Carbon Epoxy Shaft and are to be compared with and without viscoelastic polymer (Rubber). A new composite damping material is to be studied, which consists of a viscoelastic matrix and high elastic modulus fiber inclusions. This fiber-enhanced viscoelastic-damping polymer is intended to be applied to lightweight flexible structures as a surface treatment for passive vibration control. A micro mechanical model is to be established and closed form expressions for the effective storage and loss properties of the damping material are to be derived. An optimal relation between design parameters, such as the length, diameter, spacing, and Young’s modulus of fibers and the shear modulus of viscoelastic matrix, is to be derived for achieving maximum damping performance. The characteristic value for the maximum value of Loss modulus is to be found out for the different values of matrix loss factors.