Effectiveness of Active Constrained Layer Damping Treatments in Attenuating Resonant Oscillations

TLDR: In this article, the authors highlight the importance of considering the piezoelectric constraining layer voltage limits when evaluating the effectiveness of an active constrained layer damping treatment in attenuating resonant vibration.

Abstract: This paper highlights the importance of considering the piezoelectric constraining layer voltage limits when evaluating the effectiveness of an active constrained layer damping treatment in attenuating resonant vibration. It is seen that when position feedback is used, intermediate viscoelastic layer stiffness values are always optimal, and maximum control gains and possible vibration attenuation progressively decrease with increasing excitation levels. On the other hand, with velocity feedback, the optimal viscoelastic layer stiffness is dependent on the excitation level. For low excitation force amplitudes, stiff viscoelastic layers are most effective and very large velocity feedback gains are permissible (producing substantial vibration attenuation without exceeding piezoelectric layer voltage limits). However, for higher excitation force levels, stiff viscoelastic layers result in excess voltages even at very small velocity feedback gains, and are unable to provide any vibration attenuation. In such a case, intermediate viscoelastic layer stiffness values are preferable, and maximum velocity feedback gains and possible vibration attenuation progressively decrease with increasing excitation level, as in the case of position feedback.