A Nonlinear Vibration Absorber for Flexible Structures

An approach for implementing an active nonlinear vibration absorber for flexible structures is presented. The technique exploits the saturation phenomenon exhibited by multidegree-of-freedom systems with quadratic nonlinearities possessing two-to-one autoparametric resonances. The strategy consists of introducing second-order controllers and coupling each of them with the plant through a sensor and an actuator, where both the feedback and control signals are quadratic. Once the structure is forced near its resonances, the oscillatory response is suppressed through the saturation phenomenon. We present theoretical and experimental results of the application of the proposed vibration absorber. The structure consists of a cantilever beam, the feedback signal is generated by a strain gage, and the actuation is achieved through piezoceramic patches. The equations of motion are developed and analyzed through perturbation techniques and numerical simulation. Then, the strategy is tested by assembling the controllers in electronic components and suppressing the vibrations of the first and second modes of two beams.