Structural and Acoustic Behavior of Chiral Truss-Core Beams

This paper analyzes the structural and acoustic behavior of sandwich beams with a chiral truss-core. This particular core configuration is considered to exploit some of the unique properties of the chiral geometry and to explore their potential benefits in terms of sound-transmission reduction and vibration isolation. The chiral core is composed of circular elements or nodes, joined by ligaments or ribs. The arrangement of nodes and ribs is such that chiral assemblies exhibit in-plane negative Poisson’s ratio behavior as well as unique deformation patterns. The vibroacoustic performance of the considered beams is evaluated through a numerical model, formulated by employing dynamic shape functions derived directly from the distributed parameter model of beam elements. This formulation allows an accurate evaluation of the dynamic response of the considered structures at high frequencies with a limited number of elements. Furthermore, such a numerical model can be coupled with a Fourier-transform-based analysis of the sound radiated by the structure in a surrounding fluid medium. The structural-acoustic behavior of the proposed beams is investigated in terms of kinetic energy of the constraining layers and sound pressure levels corresponding to an incident pressure wave. A sensitivity study investigates the influence of core configuration and geometry on the beam performance. Moreover, the performance of the chiral core is compared to that of cores with “square” and hexagonal topologies. The results demonstrate the design flexibility offered by the proposed core design, whose configuration is defined by a number of independent parameters that can be modified and optimized to enhance the structural-acoustic performance of the beam.