Force Feedback in Adaptive Trusses for Vibration Isolation in Flexible Structures

This paper addresses the transmission of unwanted vibrations in flexible structures by actively minimizing dynamic forces seen at critical locations within the structure. An adaptive truss serves as an active interface between the two isolated sides of the structure, and force-feedback within individual links of the truss is the governing control law. The use of an adaptive truss allows the problem to be viewed as a set of localized control problems with collocated sensors and actuators. This paper first discusses the ideal capabilities of force feedback for active vibration isolation, and then presents the analytical and experimental results of a case study which shows significant reduction in transmitted vibrations.