Innovative Damping Technologies (MSC P9045)

Marine composite structures can be subjected to continuous excitation forces when underway. Acoustic treatments such as damping tiles have been shown to be effective but can add significant parasitic weight and manufacturing and maintenance complexity to the vehicle. In this proposal, Materials Sciences Corporation presents a plan to develop and demonstrate passive damping concepts that reduce structural vibration levels and noise signatures in marine composite structures through use of innovative materials and fiber architectures. This objective will be met by validating of material models that facilitate materials design studies, demonstrating, via experiments, innovative material solutions that minimize parasitic mass, are structurally robust and yet deliver maximum vibration attenuation. Manufacturing demonstrations are planned to show that the material solutions proposed are feasible for marine composite structures.