Non-diffuseness of vibration fields in ribbed plates

This paper presents numerical simulations of structural intensity in a rib-reinforced plate, investigating the diffuseness. Many prediction models of building and structural acoustics, such as statistical energy analysis or energy flow methods, assume the vibrational wave fields to be diffuse. However, the diffuseness assumption is not always valid.

One such example is a rib-reinforced plate typically found in a lightweight floor with wooden joists. Other examples can be found in aircraft and ship structures. The structural intensity of a ribbed plate is computed at low to mid frequencies using the Fourier sine expansion of the transverse displacement of the plate.

Hamilton's principle is used in combination with thin plate theory and Euler beam theory. The model takes into account interactions between components. The Fourier sine modes are re-formulated as plane waves in a radial coordinate system, which can express the structural intensity in terms of the angular component of the modes.

In the simulations, ensemble averages and rain-on-the-roof excitations are used. The numerical results show that the structural intensity varies significantly as the angle of propagation changes and cannot be assumed to form a diffuse field. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America.