Active Vibration Control of Composite Cantilever Beams

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Control Systems Engineering

Background:

• Composite cantilever beams are susceptible to vibrations, impacting their performance and longevity.
• Active vibration control is crucial for enhancing the structural integrity and functionality of such beams.
• Existing control methods may face challenges with model complexity and optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an effective active vibration control strategy for composite cantilever beams.
• To optimize controller parameters using advanced algorithms for improved damping.
• To investigate the influence of component placement and excitation signals on control performance.

Main Methods:

• Finite element method (FEM) for establishing system dynamics.
• Golla-Hughes-McTavish (GHM) model for system representation.
• Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to optimize Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) feedback gain.
• Reduced-order modeling in physical and modal spaces.

Main Results:

• Optimized LQR feedback gain effectively balances control efficacy and cost.
• Placement of piezoelectric and viscoelastic layers near the fixed end significantly enhances vibration damping and reduces control cost.
• The reduced-order model demonstrates robust control performance across various excitation signals.

Conclusions:

• The proposed PSO-LQR method offers an efficient approach for active vibration control of composite beams.
• Strategic placement of damping layers is critical for maximizing performance and minimizing resource expenditure.
• Reduced-order models provide a practical and effective solution for vibration control in complex dynamic systems.