Francesco Ripamonti

Dependent modal space control

This paper presents a new control technique for reducing vibration in flexible structures. It is based on the modal approach and is called dependent modal space control (DMSC). The well-known independent modal space control (IMSC) method, devised in the 1980s, allows the frequency and damping of the controlled modes to be changed using diagonal control gain matrices, leaving the mode shapes unaltered. DMSC, on the other hand, can impose not only frequency and damping but also the controlled mode shapes by using full control gain matrices. In many applications, owing to the limited number of sensors–actuators available for control and the increasing spillover effects, generic assignment of eigenvectors is not possible.However, an optimal eigenstructure assignment can be computed to reduce structure vibration by minimizing an input–output performance index. To demonstrate the advantages of this new method, we compare IMSC and DMSC using numerical simulation on a finite element method model of a cantilevered beam.

An H2 norm approach for the actuator and sensor placement in vibration control of a smart structure

In active vibration control of smart structures, the actuator and sensor placement is a key point of the control system design. Even the most robust control logics could easily make a structure unstable if the actuators and sensors were not correctly positioned. The objective of this paper is to propose an H2 norm approach for the actuator and sensor placement. Unlike most modal H2 norm actuator and sensor placement methodologies, this work aims not only to maximize the norms of the controlled modes but also to reduce spillover problems by taking into account the residual modes and minimizing their H2 norms. It discusses the optimal actuator and sensor configuration in a finite element model of a square plate fixed on three sides with piezoelectric patch actuators and acceleration sensors. Finally, downstream of the actuator and sensor positioning, IMSC, PPF and NDF controls have been tested and discussed.

Moving microphone arrays to reduce spatial aliasing in the beamforming technique: theoretical background and numerical investigation.

This paper introduces a measurement technique aimed at reducing or possibly eliminating the spatial aliasing problem in the beamforming technique. Beamforming main disadvantages are a poor spatial resolution, at low frequency, and the spatial aliasing problem, at higher frequency, leading to the identification of false sources. The idea is to move the microphone array during the measurement operation. In this paper, the proposed approach is theoretically and numerically investigated by means of simple sound propagation models, proving its efficiency in reducing the spatial aliasing. A number of different array configurations are numerically investigated together with the most important parameters governing this measurement technique. A set of numerical results concerning the case of a planar rotating array is shown, together with a first experimental validation of the method.

A negative derivative feedback design algorithm

Vibration control logics based on the modal approach allow damping to be increased on a certain number of modes. The main limit associated with these strategies is represented by spillover on non-modelled modes. Negative derivative feedback (NDF) proves particularly robust against spillover since modal velocity is fed back through a band-pass filter so that undesired effects can be limited both at high and low frequencies. Unfortunately, the definition of the control gains for this logic is generally more difficult than other resonant controls owing to the lack of physical meaning. In this paper a design strategy for an NDF controller based on an optimal approach is proposed for single and multi-degrees of freedom systems and is tested on a cantilever beam finite element model.

Negative derivative feedback for vibration control of flexible structures

In this paper a resonant control technique, called negative derivative feedback (NDF), for structural vibration control is presented. Resonant control is a class of control logics, based on the modal approach, which calculates the control action through a dynamic compensator in order to achieve a damping increase on a certain number of system modes. The NDF compensator is designed to work as a band-pass filter, cutting off the control action far from the natural frequencies associated with the controlled modes and reducing the so-called spillover effect. In the paper the proposed control logic is compared both theoretically and experimentally with the most common state-of-the-art resonant control techniques.

Vibration reduction on a nonlinear flexible structure through resonant control and disturbance estimator

Large mechanical structures are often affected by high level vibrations due to their flexibility. These vibrations can reduce the system performances and lifetime and the use of active vibration control strategies becomes very attractive. In this paper a combination of resonant control and a disturbance estimator is proposed. This solution is able to improve the system performances during the transient motion and also to reject the disturbance forces acting on the system. Both control logics are based on a modal approach, since it allows to describe the structure dynamics considering only few degrees of freedom.

Linear and non-linear systems identification for adaptive control in mechanical applications vibration suppression

During the last years, more and more mechanical applications saw the introduction of active control strategies. In particular, the need of improving the performances and/or the system health is very often associated to vibration suppression. This goal can be achieved considering both passive and active solutions. In this sense, many active control strategies have been developed, such as the Independent Modal Space Control (IMSC) or the resonant controllers (PPF, IRC, . . .). In all these cases, in order to tune and optimize the control strategy, the knowledge of the system dynamic behaviour is very important and it can be achieved both considering a numerical model of the system or through an experimental identification process. Anyway, dealing with non-linear or time-varying systems, a tool able to online identify the system parameters becomes a key-point for the control logic synthesis. The aim of the present work is the definition of a real-time technique, based on ARMAX models, that estimates the system parameters starting from the measurements of piezoelectric sensors. These parameters are returned to the control logic, that automatically adapts itself to the system dynamics. The problem is numerically investigated considering a carbon-fiber plate model forced through a piezoelectric patch.

Experimental and Numerical Comparison Between Two Nonlinear Control Logics

Nonlinear behavior is present in the operating conditions of many mechanical systems, especially if nonsmall oscillations are considered. In these cases, in order to improve vibration control performance, a common engineering practice is to design the control system on a set of linearized models, for given operating conditions. The well-known gain-scheduling technique allows the parameters of the control law to be changed according to the current working condition, also increasing system stability. However, more recently new control logics directly applicable to the systems in nonlinear form have been developed. The aim of this paper is to study, both numerically and experimentally, the dynamic of a mechanical system (a 3-link flexible manipulator) comparing the performance of a fully nonlinear control (the sliding-mode control) and a standard linearized approach.

An adaptive non-model based control logic for vibration suppression in flexible structures

During the last decades, in order to reduce the vibrations in flexible structures, many active control strategies have been introduced. Among the other techniques, adaptive active controls are particularly attractive for time-varying and nonlinear systems. The goal of this work is to propose an adaptive version of Direct Velocity Feedback (DVF) using a non model-based identification system, which identifies the parameters of the mechanical system and uses them to set the gain of the control law.

Adaptive active vibration control to improve the fatigue life of a carbon-epoxy smart structure

Active vibration controls are helpful in improving fatigue life of structures through limitation of absolute displacements. However, control algorithms are usually designed without explicitly taking into account the fatigue phenomenon. In this paper, an adaptive vibration controller is proposed to increase the fatigue life of a smart structure made of composite material and actuated with piezoelectric patches. The main innovation with respect to the most common solutions is that the control laws are directly linked to a damage driving force, which is correlated to a fatigue damage model for the specific material. The control logic is different depending on the damage state of the structure. If no significant damage affects the structure, the controller decreases the crack nucleation probability by limiting the driving forces in the overall structure. On the contrary, if initiated cracks are present, their further propagation is prevented by controlling the damage driving forces in the already damaged areas. The structural diagnostics is performed through a vibration-based health monitoring technique, while periodical adaptation of the controller is adopted to consider damage-induced changes on the structure state-space model and to give emphasis to the most excited modes. The control algorithm has been numerically validated on the finite element model of a cantilever plate.