Theoretical Simulation of Damping Effect Base on Experimental Measurement

In general, damping effect can not be theoretically determined. However, modal damping ratios can be obtained via experimental modal testing. This paper presents two methods to include damping effect into the theoretical model base on the experimentally determined damping data. First, the proportionally, viscously damped model is assumed. The optimization problem is formulated to determine two optimum constants related to mass and stiffness matrices with the known experimental modal damping ratios, and so forth the proportional, viscous damping matrix can be determined from these two constants. Second, the accumulated averaged damping ratio can be obtained from the experiments and adopted to define the constant modal damping ratio for the analytical model. Several case studies are presented to show the implement of damping effect in theoretical analysis such that the analytical model can be more practically simulated in accordance with the experimental test results. The developed methodology is easy to implement and applicable to finite element analysis for arbitrary structures.