Yohsuke Nambu

Robust design method and thermostatic experiment for multiple piezoelectric vibration absorber system

This paper examines the effects of connecting multiplexing shunt circuits composed of inductors and resistors to piezoelectric transducers so as to improve the robustness of a piezoelectric vibration absorber (PVA). PVAs are well known to be effective at suppressing the vibration of an adaptive structure; their weakness is low robustness to changes in the dynamic parameters of the system, including the main structure and the absorber. In the application to space structures, the temperature-dependency of capacitance of piezoelectric ceramics is the factor that causes performance reduction. To improve robustness to the temperature-dependency of the capacitance, this paper proposes a multiple-PVA system that is composed of distributed piezoelectric transducers and several shunt circuits. The optimization problems that determine both the frequencies and the damping ratios of the PVAs are multi-objective problems, which are solved using a real-coded genetic algorithm in this paper. A clamped aluminum beam with four groups of piezoelectric ceramics attached was considered in simulations and experiments. Numerical simulations revealed that the PVA systems designed using the proposed method had tolerance to changes in the capacitances. Furthermore, experiments using a thermostatic bath were conducted to reveal the effectiveness and robustness of the PVA systems. The maximum peaks of the transfer functions of the beam with the open circuit, the single-PVA system, the double-PVA system, and the quadruple-PVA system at 20 °C were 14.3 dB, −6.91 dB, −7.47 dB, and −8.51 dB, respectively. The experimental results also showed that the multiple-PVA system is more robust than a single PVA in a variable temperature environment from −10 °C to 50 °C. In conclusion, the use of multiple PVAs results in an effective, robust vibration control method for adaptive structures.

A smart dynamic vibration absorber for suppressing the vibration of a string supported by flexible beams

This study aims to effectively and robustly suppress the vibration of tension-stabilized structures (TSSs) using a smart dynamic vibration absorber (DVA). In recent years, a strong need has emerged for high-precision and high-functionality space structural systems for realizing advanced space missions. TSSs have attracted attention in this regard as large yet lightweight structural systems with high storage efficiency. A fundamental issue in the application of TSSs is vibration control of strings, of which TSSs are predominantly composed. In particular, the suppression of microvibrations is difficult because the deformation is almost perpendicular to the direction of vibration. A DVA is an effective device for suppressing microvibrations. However, the damping performance is sensitive to changes in dynamic properties. Furthermore, aging degradation and temperature dependence negatively affect DVA performance. This study aimed to develop a smart, active DVA with self-sensing actuation to improve robustness. A small cantilever with a piezoelectric transducer was utilized as a smart DVA. Numerical simulations and experiments showed that a passive DVA and the smart DVA suppressed vibrations but that the smart DVA showed improved effectiveness and robustness.