Piezoceramic Actuator Active Vibration Suppression System B-1B Flight Demonstration Program

Abstract : This report describes all of the tasks required to design, develop and install an active vibration suppression system on B-1B aircraft. Piezoceramic actuators were used to damp the acoustically excited vibrations on a skin panel located at the aft end of the aircraft. The program was accomplished through three phases of effort. First was the development and testing of a laboratory prototype system. Laboratory testing also included tests needed to optimize the actuators to be applied on the aircraft. Second was the design and fabrication of the hardware to be installed on the aircraft. Third was the flight test segment used to demonstrate the performance of the system. During the flight test portion of the program, information on system maintainability and reliability were collected. Performance of the system was determined by acceleration data recorded on the panel during aircraft takeoff and flight. Data with the system operating and non-operating show that excellent performance was obtained in attenuating both the first symmetric an anti-symmetric modes of the panel. Damping of the second anti-symmetric mode was also accomplished, but to a lesser extent.