Abstract: | In this work, it is investigated how classical techniques of linear feedback control design can be applied to the problem of the reduction of acoustic radiation from vibrating structures for cases where the disturbance is broadband and where no reference is available. Much of the work carried out to date in the field of active noise and vibration control has concentrated on applications where either the disturbance to be cancelled is periodic (propeller noise in aircraft,...) or a reference signal, highly correlated with the disturbance, is available (air conditioning duct noise,...) such that a feedforward control approach can be used. When the disturbance is broadband and where no reference is available, feedforward control cannot be used and feedback control must instead be used. Feedback control theory is well established and a vast amount of analytical tools are available to the feedback control designer. However, due to the inherent delays associated with the propagation of sound waves, feedback control of acoustic fields is prone to being unstable. In this paper, a controller is presented which feeds back a measure of the structural response (vibration) of the system in order to determine the control force that needs to be applied to the vibrating structure in order to reduce the total acoustic energy radiated by the vibrating structure. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |