Proceedings Article | 14 August 2003
Proc. SPIE. 5054, Smart Structures and Materials 2003: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies
KEYWORDS: Thin films, Iron, Fluctuations and noise, Composites, Manufacturing, Magnetism, Finite element methods, Aluminum, Magnetostrictive materials, Absorption
Recently, there have been significant advances in using magnetostrictive particles in a polymer matrix; finding uses in many applications, both as an active transducer and a passive dumper. Termed magnetostrictive particulate composites (MPC), the material provides capabilities identical or superior to the monolithic material. Fortis Technologies has been pursuing improvements in the applications and fabrication of this innovative material. Specifically, this MPC technology provides a passive, broadband, large temperature range, high stiffness, damping material to be used where current technologies fall short. A novel manufacturing technique based on magnetic fields has been developed to distribute magnetostrictive particulates in a polymer resin and apply it in thin-layer on surfaces for vibration damping in environments typical of turbomachinery fan blades. These magnetostrictive particulates provide damping through domain wall switching, a non-conservative action which provides a high loss factor, and, in turn, significant vibration mitigation. The magnetostrictive damping composites can be easily fabricated into thin films, provide stiffness and strength while also incorporating damping capabilities which exceed in performance and temperature range viscoelastic materials, the current state of the art for applied blade damping. Analytical studies, a finite element analysis and experimental study of the new material in a typical turbomachinery blade loading condition has been conducted and has demonstrated the benefits of this technology.
