Simultaneous optimization of thickness and sticking position of multilayer damping materials for vibration control of small satellite

Layered structures making use of viscoelastic materials are very effective especially for the passive vibration control of small satellite because of its lightweight and easiness to handle. But, even the masses of damping elements are not ignorable and which causes the change of vibrational characteristics. Vibration control of solar panel is important because the fracture of solar cell turn to be fatal for the mission of the small satellite. Therefore, an effective way of passive damping may play a big role on controlling the overall response of small satellite in wide frequency domain and the specific response which causes fracture. This research first examines the frequency responses of certain points of solar panel by evaluating the influence of pasting positions of damping elements and of thicknesses of viscoelastic and constraining layers. Then the thickness of each layer and the pasting points of damping elements are taken as design variables, and optimum values are found respectively by using Multi Objective Genetic Algorism (MOGA). The optimum model obtained by the optimization of pasting points is more effective in comparison with one by the thickness optimization because the ratio of strain energy absorbed by viscoelastic layer turn out to be higher than that absorbed by constraining layer at lower frequency domain. Finally the thicknesses and pasting points are optimized simultaneously whose results attain the most effective vibrational characteristics through overall the frequency domain (02500Hz). The percentage of strain energy absorbed by viscoelastic layer is increased considerably. In consequence, simultaneous optimization of layers and pasting position can give very effective means for design decision of the high damping performance through wide range of frequency domain.