Theoretical study on vibration transmission characteristics of vertical coupling plates considering flexible connection

Complex structures are usually assembled by basic structure components, such as beams, plates, etc. It is necessary to study the vibration transmission characteristics of coupling structures considering the connection effects, which is the basis for structural vibration suppression and high-precision control of engineering structure. In this work, the structural vibration transmission efficiency between vertical plates considering the connection characteristics is investigated using traveling wave method. Firstly, the mathematical model of flexible connection between vertical coupling plates is established by using spring damping model. Subsequently, the theoretical model of traveling wave transmission between vertical plates is established. Furthermore, the energy transmission coefficient and reflection coefficient are introduced to study the vibration transmission efficiency of the vibration wave in the coupling plates. Then, the effects of connection stiffness and damping characteristics on the vibration energy transmission characteristics between vertical connecting plates are investigated. The simulation results indicate that the propagation of vibration waves in the vertical coupling plates is dominated by bending waves, and the energy transmission efficiency of bending waves can be effectively reduced by adopting different thicknesses of the connecting plates. Additionally, an impedance matching frequency can be observed. At this frequency, the amplitude of the bending wave impedance matches the amplitude of the connection stiffness impedance, which leads to a lowest transmission efficiency of bending wave. Also, the increase in connection damping increases the energy transfer efficiency of bending waves in the coupling plates. This investigation provides a theoretical basis for vibration suppression and high-precision control of complex structures.