An investigation of the flow-induced sound and vibration of viscoelastically supported rectangular plates: experiments and model verification

Experiments were performed in order to investigate the vibration response and the sound radiation of a viscoelastically supported, rectangular aluminum plate excited by turbulent flows. The primary goal of this investigation was to assess the influence of seal mechanical properties and geometries on the noise generated from side-glass windows in road vehicles. The modal properties of seal-supported plates were determined in the experiments. Measurements of surface wall pressure fields were performed using small-diameter condenser microphones. Two different types of turbulent flow excitation and two different types of sealing systems used as supports of the plate were investigated. The measured results were in good agreement with predictions from an analytical model described in previous publications. The study confirms the postulated mechanism for vibration energy dissipation at the boundary, the reduction in amplitude of the plate vibration at resonance, and the reduction of the associated radiated sound.