Controlled energy dispersion in two-dimensional decorated granular crystals

The present study describes a way to control the dispersion of an impulse in a two-dimensional square granular crystal with tapered beads. The control is through the redirection of the characteristic load transfer path by controlling the shape of the scattering of wavefront. The main goal is to contribute to the development of appropriately designed granular media to mitigate impacts. The crystal is constituted of spherical granules with a wide range of radii. Interstitial particles are strategically positioned to allow a large number of collisions per unit area. The waves are produced by a striker that collides against the crystal. We analyze how material combinations, number of layers, tapering parameter, and disorder affect the decay of the wave amplitude. Our studies suggest that ∼90% impulse attenuation can be accomplished using a system thickness of 5 grains.