Influence of Sandwich-Type Constrained Layer Damper Design Parameters on Damping Strength

This paper presents a theoretical study of the parameters that influence sandwich-type constrained layer damper design. Although there are different ways to reduce the noise generated by a railway wheel, most devices are based on the mechanism of increasing wheel damping. Sandwich-type constrained layer dampers can be designed so their resonance frequencies coincide with the wheel’s resonant vibration frequencies, and thus the damping effect can be concentrated within the frequency ranges of interest. However, the influence of design parameters has not yet been studied. Based on a number of numerical simulations, this paper provides recommendations for the design stages of sandwich-type constrained layer dampers.