A non-collocated active traveling wave control of smart structures using distributed transducers

In this paper a wave absorbing method (WAM) is used to design a noncollocated controller for a smart structure. A long flexible beam with bonded distributed piezofilm sensors and piezoceramic actuator is considered as the smart structure in this study. Moment rate feedback using output current of piezosensors is used in the control system. The control criterion is the minimization of the ratio of total output to total input traveling waves of the sensing area. Thus the controller suppresses the traveling waves in the flexible structure, and consequently the vibration is damped with this controller. It is shown that the performance of the noncollocated wave absorbing controller (WAC) presented here is better than that of the corresponding collocated WAC. The frequency response of the controlled system shows that with longer piezosensors the performance of the noncollocated WAC improves.