This paper describes a wave finite element method for the numerical prediction of wave characteristics of cylindrical and curved panels. The method combines conventional finite elements and the theory of wave propagation in periodic structures. The mass and stiffness matrices of a small segment of the structure, which is typically modeled using either a single shell element or, especially for laminated structures, a stack of solid elements meshed through the cross-section, are postprocessed using periodicity conditions. The matrices are typically found using a commercial FE package. The solutions of the resulting eigenproblem provide the frequency evolution of the wavenumber and the wave modes. For cylindrical geometries, the circumferential order of the wave can be specified in order to define the phase change that a wave experiences as it propagates across the element in the circumferential direction. The method is described and illustrated by application to cylinders and curved panels of different constructions. These include isotropic, orthotropic, and laminated sandwich constructions. The application of the method is seen to be straightforward even in the complicated case of laminated sandwich panels. Accurate predictions of the dispersion curves are found at negligible computational cost.

Mode veering is the phenomenon associated with the eigenvalue loci for a system with a variable parameter: two branches approach each other and then rapidly veer away and diverge instead of crossing. The veering is accompanied by rapid variations in the eigenvectors. In this paper, veering in structural dynamics is analyzed in general terms. First, a discrete conservative model with stiffness, mass, and/or gyroscopic coupling is considered. Rapid veering requires weak coupling: if there is instead strong coupling then there is a slow evolution of the eigenvalue loci rather than rapid veering. The uncoupled-blocked system is defined to be that where all degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) but one are blocked. The skeleton of the system is the loci of the eigenvalues of the uncoupled-blocked system as the variable parameter changes. These loci intersect at certain critical points in the parameter space. Following a perturbation analysis, veering is seen to comprise rapid changes of the eigenvalues in small regions of the parameter space around the critical points: for coupling terms of order $ε$ veering occurs in a region of order $ε$ around the critical points, with the rate of change of eigenvalues being of order $ε−1$. This is accompanied by rapid rotations in the eigenvectors. The choice of coordinates in the model and application to continuous systems is discussed. For nonconservative systems, it is seen that veering also occurs under certain circumstances. Examples of 2DOFs, multi-DOFs (MDOFs), and continuous systems are presented to illustrate the results.

Adding periodicity to structures leads to wavemode interaction, which generates pass- and stop-bands. The frequencies at which stop-bands occur are related to the periodic nature of the structure. Thus structural periodicity can be shaped in order to design vibro-acoustic filters for reducing vibration and noise transmission. The aim of this paper is to investigate, numerically and experimentally, stop-bands in periodic one-dimensional structures. Two methods for predicting stop-bands are described: the first method applies to infinite periodic structures using a wave approach; the second method deals with the evaluation of a vibration level difference (VLD) in a finite periodic structure embedded within an infinite one-dimensional waveguide. This VLD is defined to predict the performance in terms of noise and vibration insulation of periodic cells embedded in an otherwise uniform structure. Numerical examples are presented, and results are discussed and validated experimentally. Very good agreement between the numerical and experimental models in terms of stop-bands is shown. In particular, the results show that the stop-bands obtained using a wave approach (applied to a single cell of the structure) predict those obtained from the VLD of the corresponding finite periodic structure.

Numerical computation of wave propagation in laminated cylinders with internal fluid and residual stress is obtained using a Wave Finite Element formulation for 2D waveguides. Only a very small segment of the system is modelled, resulting in a very low-order finite element (FE) model to which the theory of wave propagation in 2D periodic structures is applied. The method uses standard FE formulations and exploits the capability of commercial FE software to model both fluid and structure and their interaction, resulting in a very large reduction in computational time. The presented approach is general, and can be applied without the need to make assumptions related to shell theory or low-frequency analysis. In particular, the laminated structure is discretised using 3D solid elements, thus representing the through-thickness dynamics with high accuracy. Residual radial and hoop stresses are included in the model by adding the FE pre-stress stiffness matrix to the original stiffness matrix of the system. The method provides simultaneously a very substantial reduction of computational cost, accurate solutions up to very high frequency and prediction of the dispersion curves for selected circumferential orders without the need for any further analysis. Here, the formulation of the method is introduced and its application to laminated cylinders filled with an acoustic fluid is presented. A composite, reinforced rubber cylinder, pre-stressed by a circumferential tension, is also shown as an example of a laminated pipe for high-pressure applications.