Prediction of transient vibration envelopes using statistical energy analysis techniques

The prediction, by the statistical energy analysis (SEA) method, of transient vibration envelopes for coupled systems is investigated. The relation between the timevarying energy transferred between two coupled subsystems and time-varying energies of the subsystems is studied numerically and experimentally. These studies indicate that time-varying energy transmitted between two subsystems is related to the subsystem energies by an apparent time-varying coupling loss factor. It is shown that the apparent coupling loss factor approaches the asymptotic (or steady-state) coupling loss factor as response energies and transferred energies are integrated over progressively larger times. Both the apparent time-varying coupling loss factor and the asymptotic coupling loss factor, determined experimentally, are used in energy balance equations to predict the time-varying vibration envelopes of a system of two point-coupled plates and the results are compared. Although overall response predictions are similar, considerable differences are noted in individual frequency bands. However, no general method for a priori determination of the apparent timevarying coupling loss factor is suggested.