Vibration control for plate-like structures using strategic cut-outs

Cut-outs are widely used in plates and shells to facilitate heat dissipation, and to provide access to different components. Because of the presence of the cut-outs, it is expected that the dynamic behavior will deteriorate, and vibration magnitudes will be exaggerated as compared to those of the case without a cut-out. Summary of an investigation is presented in this paper to explore the possibility of making a rectangular cut-out in a plate for the purposes of employing this cut-out as a dynamic vibration absorber.The process involves numerical modeling using standard finite elements. The numerical predictions are presented in the form of design charts to indicate the conditions under which vibration control may be possible. Then, two variations are presented for comparison purposes, namely a lumped-parameter tuned vibration absorber and an auxiliary flap, instead of an integral cut-out. Finally, simple experiments are described to test the validity of the numerical predictions.