The band gap variation of a two dimensional binary locally resonant structure in thermal environment

In this study, the numerical investigation of thermal effect on band gap dynamical characteristic for a two-dimensional binary structure composed of aluminum plate periodically filled with nitrile rubber cylinder is presented. Initially, the band gap of the binary structure variation trend with increasing temperature is studied by taking the softening effect of thermal stress into account. A breakthrough is made which found the band gap being narrower and shifting to lower frequency in thermal environment. The complete band gap which in higher frequency is more sensitive to temperature that it disappears with temperature increasing. Then some new transformed models are created by changing the height of nitrile rubber cylinder from 1mm to 7mm. Simulations show that transformed model can produce a wider band gap (either flexure or complete band gap). A proper forbidden gap of elastic wave can be utilized in thermal environment although both flexure and complete band gaps become narrower with temperature. Besides that, there is a zero-frequency flat band appearing in the first flexure band, and it becomes broader with temperature increasing. The band gap width decreases trend in thermal environment, as well as the wider band gap induced by the transformed model with higher nitrile rubber cylinder is useful for the design and application of phononic crystal structures in thermal environment.