Optimization for sandwich damping composite structure: Used in sprockets of crawler vehicles

A parametric study of dynamic optimization is carried out for a vibration absorber which consists of sandwich composites with a tube configuration and be used in the sprocket of crawler vehicles. A decoupling method is suggested, in which the geometrical parameter, Y, and viscoelastic material loss factor, β, are given first, then the shear parameter, x, is determined by analyzing the coupling equations of structural parameters. Based on the temperature–frequency effect about the viscoelastic materials, the structure optimization of the vibration absorber is performed by taking the structural dimensions as variables, and the structural loss factors, η, and, Y, as the objective functions. A dynamic test is executed for the optimized vibration absorber, and the testing data show good agreement with the optimized theoretical results. A contrast experiment is conducted in a practical bulldozer, and the results present that the vibration level is decreased significantly by the optimized vibration absorber.