Tsutomu Kaizuka

Active boundary control of a rectangular plate using smart modal sensors

This paper deals with active boundary control (ABC) of a rectangular plate using feedforward control. Conventionally, boundary conditions dominating the fundamental properties of a structure are obtained a priori. If it is possible to control the boundary conditions of a structure, its structural characteristics may be altered as wished. The ABC presented in this work enables one to generate the desired boundary conditions at a designated area on a target plate. Firstly, the principle of the ABC where the system is described using the transfer matrix method is presented. Then, the optimal feedforward control law for producing the desired boundary conditions on the plate is derived. It is found that, as a result of applying the ABC on an edge of the plate, global generation of a quiet zone around the edge can be achieved. Numerical simulations are conducted where the fundamental properties of the ABC system are investigated. In addition, implementation of the ABC using distributed parameter polyvinylidene fluoride film (PVDF) sensors introduced for modal filtering is discussed. Finally, experiments are carried out to demonstrate the validity of the ABC when generating a desired boundary condition at the target location, creating a global quiet zone within the target region of the plate.