New Semi-active Multi-modal Vibration Control Using Piezoceramic Components

Active vibration control using piezoelectric elements has been extensively studied due to the requirement for increasingly high performances. Semi-active control, such as Synchronized Switch Damping, is an alternative technique. It consists in switching a piezoelectric element to a specific circuit synchronously with the motion of the structure, unlike active control. This method requires very low power supply, but performances remain poor in the case of broad bandwidth excitation. This article proposes a new method which is a combination of the SSDI semi-active control and technique developed for active control and has low power supply requirements. It extends semi-active control to any type of excitation, while optimizing modal damping on several targeted modes. Experimental measurements carried out on a clamped free beam are presented and a significant damping on targeted modes is demonstrated.