Optimization of an acoustic black hole vibration absorber at the end of a cantilever beam

Structures whose thickness follow a power law profile exhibit the "acoustic black hole" (ABH) effect and can be used for effective vibration reduction. However, it is difficult to know a priori what constitutes the best design. A new block matrix formulation of the transfer matrix method is developed for use in the optimization of an ABH vibration absorber at the end of a cantilever beam. Results indicate that introduction of the ABH significantly alters the dynamics of the beam, which must be considered in determining the optimal design for a given vibration reduction problem.