Damping identification and localisation via Layer Method: Experimental application to a vehicle chassis focused on shock absorbers effects

A new approach to damping matrix identification is presented and applied to the chassis experimental data. The system viscous and hysteretic damping matrices are identified from the experimental data based on the inverse frequency response functions method combined with original physical and topological constraints able to describe the system mechanical properties. The effects of the suspension system on the first flexible modes are evaluated comparing the modal properties of the three experimental sets of mode shapes. A numerical method is developed to attenuate noise and to reduce the incompleteness of experimental data. Finally, the influence of localised dampers, their identification and spatial distribution are discussed.