Adaptive vibrational behavior of cantilevered structures modeled as composite thin-walled beams

Abstract An integrated distributed actuator design methodology based upon the converse piezoelectric effect and aimed at actively controlling the vertical and lateral eigenvibration characteristics of cantilevered thin-walled beams is presented. The system of piezoelectric actuators bonded or embedded into the structure produces a localized strain field when an electric field is injected and, as a result, it yields an adaptive change of dynamic response characteristics. The numerical results which concern the eigenvibration properties suggest that this technology could play a major role in the control of dynamic instability and flutter of aircraft wings and helicopter blades, in particular, and in the improvement of the dynamic response behavior of cantilevered structures, in general.