An active vibration isolation system for an air-compressor in marine applications

Similar to a diesel engine, the main vibration sources of an air-compressor are to and fro inertial forces of its piston, rod, and crankshaft. An active vibration isolation system is developed for an air-compressor in a tug boat. This system consists of four inertial actuators and a DSP processor. A four-input and four-output adaptive control strategy is applied and the reference input signal comes from a laser tachometer on the shaft of the motor. The active vibration isolation experiment is conducted in a tug boat when only the air-compressor is working. The experimental results demonstrate that good vibration reductions are obtained at not only error sensor's locations but also the hull under the compressor. Some discussion and conclusions are given at last.