ABSTRACT
Statistical energy analysis (SEA) is a very important technique for solving vibro-acoustic problems at frequencies approximately above 500 Hz. This chapter discusses the historic development of SEA and focuses on why an entirely new approach like SEA had to be formulated. It presents the physics of SEA formulation with the help of the thermal analogy of heat transfer between two bodies. The chapter presents the basic equations of SEA from a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system that is extended to power transfer between two systems and extended to multisubsystem models to obtain a matrix formulation. Since SEA is a system modeling approach for a system of interconnected subsystems, the basic rules for formulating subsystems are presented with examples. Continuous systems, such as beams, plates, and shells, are used to construct most machines and structures. The chapter describes the basic properties of these continuous systems, including modal density, drive point mobility, conductance, and input power that are linked to SEA modelling.
