SEMI-ACTIVE CONTROL FOR VIBRATION SUPPRESSION IN A SYSTEM SUBJECTED TO UNKNOWN DISTURBANCES

Abstract

With the advent of materials, such as electrorheological fluids, whose material properties can be altered rapidly by means of external stimuli, employing such materials as actuators for the controlled attenuation of undesirable vibrations is now possible. Such control schemes are dubbed semi-active in that they attenuate vibrations whether applied actively or passively. We investigate various such control schemes, allowing for both separate and joint control of the stiffness and damping characteristics of the material. Simulation results are given for the case of an electrorheological fluid.