Abstract:

Particle damping (PD) attenuates structural vibration through momentum exchange and dissipative contacts in a confined granular bed. Unlike reviews organized mainly by devices, models, or applications, this review uses the granular motion regime to link contact mechanics, model choice, parameter effects, response metrics, and validation. The excitation direction and level, effective gravity, clearance, fill ratio, and cavity geometry determine access to impact-timed, dense friction-active, and dilute gas-like regimes, whose contact schedules govern dissipation and apparent dynamic mass. This review compares contact-resolved discrete element method (DEM) simulations, reduced-order and effective models, coupled particle-structure simulations, and data-refined surrogates within their calibration envelopes. It develops a preliminary screen for multi-axis impact-shear competition. It also clarifies when explicit non-spherical geometry can reduce or replace rolling resistance as a shape surrogate and when a residual rolling term requires independent evidence. It also specifies staged calibration and long-duty qualification for wear, restitution drift, fragmentation, and dust. It distinguishes the loss factor, apparent dynamic mass, and transmissibility and treats the equivalent damping as a derived descriptor. The reported optima are operating-point properties, not intrinsic granular-material constants. Key requirements are transferable regime maps, identifiable contact parameters, and multi-axis, reduced-gravity, and durability validation.

Key words: vibration control, nonlinear dynamics, granular material, particle damping (PD), contact mechanics, motion regime, discrete element method (DEM)