Damping loss factor estimation of two-dimensional orthotropic structures from a displacement field measurement

This paper presents a damping loss factor estimation method of two-dimensional orthotropic structures. The method is based on a scanning laser vibrometer measurement. The dispersion curves of the studied structures are first estimated at several chosen angles of propagation with a spatial Fourier transform. Next the global damping loss factor is evaluated with the proposed inverse wave method. The method is first tested using numerical results obtained from a finite element model. The accuracy of the proposed method is then experimentally investigated on an isotropic aluminium panel and two orthoropic sandwich composite panels with a honeycomb core. The results are finally compared and validated over a large frequency band with classical methods such as the half-power bandwidth method (3 dB method), the decay rate method and the steady-state power input method. The present method offers the possibility of structural characterization with a simple measurement scan.