Serious problems may arise when uncontrolled vibrations occur in machine systems, causing component and system wear and ultimate failure, as well as noise problems. This research envisions a method of reducing the vibrations and the problems associated with them. It is a combined theoretical and experimental project dealing with the measurement of damping resulting from thin fluid layers trapped between either stationary plates or objects in relative motion. Preliminary work in this area suggests that this method of damping may be very effective at low frequencies where conventional treatments fail. The work is fundamental in nature but potentially applicable to the effective design of lightweight, low-frequency damping treatments.
