Interface profile optimization for planar stress wave attenuation in bi-layered plates

Stress waves scatter upon entering a new medium. This occurs due to the reflection and transmission of the waves, which depends on the impedance mismatch between the two materials and the angle of incidence. For a bi-layered structure with finite dimensions and constant impedance ratio, the scattering and intensity of the stress waves may be varied by changing the interface profile between the two layers. In this paper, a methodology is proposed for optimizing the interface profile between the layers of a finite bi-layered plate for the objective of planar stress wave attenuation. The bi-layered plates are subjected at one end to highly impulsive loadings with various durations, and the geometry of the internal interface is optimized for the purpose of minimizing the amplitude of the maximum reaction force at the opposite fixed end. The optimization methodology is based on a genetic algorithm, which is coupled with a finite element method for analyzing the wave propagation behavior of the plates. It is observed that the interface profile and the amount of stress wave attenuation depend on the duration of the applied impulsive loading, with higher amounts of attenuation obtained when the wavelength associated with the impulsive load is small compared to the dimensions of the bi-layered plates.