ON AN INTEGRATED DYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF VISCOELASTIC MATERIALS BY FRACTIONAL DERIVATIVE AND GHM MODELS

Abstract The passive vibration control of mechanical systems under unwanted vibrations can be accomplished in a very effective way by using devices incorporating viscoelastic materials. The design of such devices requires a broad knowledge of the dynamic properties of the employed viscoelastic material, usually supplied by adequate mathematical models. Among the available mathematical models, the fractional derivative (FD) model and the Golla-Hughes-McTavish (GHM) model, along with either the Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) equation or the Arrhenius equation, are now very prominent. The current work investigates the use of these models in a wide and integrated dynamic characterization of a typical and thermorheologically simple viscoelastic material. It focuses on experimental data collected from 0.1 to 100 Hz and -40 °C to 50 °C, which are simultaneously manipulated to raise both the frequency and the temperature dependencies of the material. In fitting the models, a hybrid approach - combining techniques of genetic algorithms and nonlinear optimization - is adopted. The ensuing results are evaluated by means of objective function values, comparative experimental-predicted data plots, and the Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC). It is shown that the four-parameter fractional derivative model presents excellent curve fitting results. As for the GHM model, its modified version is the most adequate, although a higher number of terms is required for a satisfactory goodness-of-fit. None the less the fractional derivative model stands out.