continuum mechanics Continuum mechanics is a branch of mechanics that deals with the mechanical behavior of materials modeled as a continuous mass rather than as discrete particles. The French mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy was the first to formulate such m ...

, viscous damping is a formulation of the

damping Damping is an influence within or upon an oscillatory system that has the effect of reducing or preventing its oscillation. In physical systems, damping is produced by processes that dissipate the energy stored in the oscillation. Examples in ...

phenomena, in which the source of damping

force In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...

is modeled as a function of the

volume Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). The de ...

, shape, and

velocity Velocity is the directional speed of an object in motion as an indication of its rate of change in position as observed from a particular frame of reference and as measured by a particular standard of time (e.g. northbound). Velocity is a ...

of an object traversing through a real

fluid In physics, a fluid is a liquid, gas, or other material that continuously deforms (''flows'') under an applied shear stress, or external force. They have zero shear modulus, or, in simpler terms, are substances which cannot resist any shear ...

with

viscosity The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a given rate. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness": for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water. Viscosity quantifies the inte ...

. Typical examples of viscous damping in mechanical systems include: * Fluid films between surfaces * Fluid flow around a piston in a cylinder * Fluid flow through an orifice * Fluid flow within a

journal bearing A plain bearing, or more commonly sliding contact bearing and slide bearing (in railroading sometimes called a solid bearing, journal bearing, or friction bearing), is the simplest type of bearing, comprising just a bearing surface and no roll ...

Viscous damping also refers to damping devices. Most often they damp motion by providing a force or torque opposing motion proportional to the velocity. This may be affected by fluid flow or motion of magnetic structures. The intended effect is to improve the

damping ratio Damping is an influence within or upon an oscillatory system that has the effect of reducing or preventing its oscillation. In physical systems, damping is produced by processes that dissipate the energy stored in the oscillation. Examples inc ...

. * Shock absorbers in cars * Seismic retrofitting with viscous dampers{{Cite journal, last1=Pollini, first1=Nicolò, last2=Lavan, first2=Oren, last3=Amir, first3=Oded, date=2017, title=Minimum-cost optimization of nonlinear fluid viscous dampers and their supporting members for seismic retrofitting, url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eqe.2888, journal=Earthquake Engineering & Structural Dynamics, language=en, volume=46, issue=12, pages=1941–1961, doi=10.1002/eqe.2888, s2cid=114445524 , issn=1096-9845 *

Tuned mass damper A tuned mass damper (TMD), also known as a harmonic absorber or seismic damper, is a device mounted in structures to reduce mechanical vibrations, consisting of a mass mounted on one or more damped springs. Its oscillation frequency is tuned ...

s in tall buildings * Deployment actuators in spacecraft

References

Mechanical vibrations Fluid mechanics Control theory

See also

References