Active Vibration Control of a Double-Decker Cantilever Beam Using Shape Memory Alloy

Abstract

The feasibility of using shape memory alloy (SMA) as actuators to control the vibration of a double-decker cantilever beam is demonstrated in the paper. A new and reliable form of SMA actuator is proposed in this study that no debonding and softening occurs even the maximum shear is generated by recovery force of the SMA wires. The magnitude and stability of the recovery force are tested when the SMA wires with the prestrain are heated cyclically. According to the simulation results, the four vibrational modes (three bending and one torsional) of cantilever beam can be changed simultaneously. Finally the vibrational response excited by pulsing and sinusoidal signal is successfully suppressed by using the SMA actuators in the experiments.