Nonlinear damping of a plate using Faraday instability of a fluid film

Damping using an instability of a fluid film in contact with a vibrating structure is investigated. Waves induced in the fluid film are the source of the added damping. A model based on the theory of Faraday instability is applied to a clamped circular plate covered by a fluid film. It is shown that this original technique can provide a significant damping, as with viscoelastic or porous material treatments. It is related to the amplitude of the waves which is a nonlinear function of the plate acceleration. Theoretical and experimental results are compared. The model overestimates the added damping: it is four times greater than the measured one.