Using measured data to enhance and extend vibro-acoustic performance predictions

Modern industries usually need to ensure that their manufactured products meet certain vibro-acoustic requirements. Therefore, they have a clear need for models that can predict the broadband dynamic response of structural components at the design stage. The use of a hybrid deterministic-statistical formulation has been shown to be a suitable solution for predicting the response of a complex system in the mid-frequency range. This work explores two potential uses of experimental data to enhance and extend the applicability of the hybrid deterministic-statistical approach. Measured data are used to represent, first, complex vibration sources and, second, junctions between different structural components. The proposed uses are tested in a case study consisting of a deterministic source structure coupled to a statistical plate receiver. The approach is validated by comparing the predicted vibration response of the receiver plate to the one obtained by experimentally randomising the plate. The results show that a good agreement is obtained, both for the statistics of the receiver response and for the dynamic properties related to a point junction. It is concluded that the use of measured data can clearly extend the applicability hybrid models.