Application of Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) in Estimating Acoustic Response of Panels With Non-Uniform Mass Distribution

Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) is generally used in estimating the responses of structures to high frequency acoustic excitation. Though it has been successfully applied for panels having uniform mass, its usage is limited when the mass distribution is not uniform, as seen in equipment panels of a spacecraft. Results for such panels are seldom reported. In this work, an attempt is made to address this gap. A methodology to estimate the responses of such panels in SEA framework is presented and demonstrated for an equipment panel of a spacecraft, thus widening its application. This is accomplished through SEA along with the information on the standing waves generated due to the change in the structural properties. The acceleration responses of a typical equipment panel when subjected to a diffused acoustic field in a reverberation chamber are measured. The responses of the same panel are theoretically estimated using the methodology presented and a reasonably good prediction is seen.