Study of vibration absorption characteristics of membrane-type resonators with varying membrane configurations

The work is aimed to investigate the influence of a membrane-type resonator’s configuration to its vibration absorption characteristics. Previous studies have utilized a membrane-type resonator, consisting a pre-stressed membrane decorated with mass, for noise control applications. However, there has been limited studies done on this type of resonator for structural vibration control, particularly in studying the relationship between the vibration absorption properties and the membrane’s configurations. In this work, the membrane-type resonator’s capability in attenuating structural vibration is investigated using a mass-loaded membrane model. The relationships between the membrane tension and the corresponding resonant frequency changes are explored. By using finite element analysis, the bandgap property of both the infinite and finite structure formed by membrane resonators are studied. The location of decorated mass over the membrane and its effect to vibration mode shapes and consequently to vibration absorption properties, are also investigated. In addition, this research suggests that by changing the configuration and tension of a membrane resonator, its structural vibration absorption performance can be tuned effectively.