Influence of a Locally Applied Electro-Rheological Fluid Layer on Vibration of a Simple Cantilever Beam

This experimental work is concerned with the vibration characteristics of a canti lever beam locally linked by an electro-rheological fluid layer to ground. Such a novel vibration con trol strategy can drastically change the vibration characteristics of the beam system, owing to the mechanism that the locally applied ER fluid layer serves as a complex spring and thus change the stiffness matrix, or the structural configuration, of the original beam system under the electric field. It is found that the vibration characteristics of the cantilever beam with the locally applied ER fluid layer treatment is more sensitive to the electric field than a sandwich beam. The influence of the non linear deformation of the ER fluid due to the presence of the yield stress on the vibration of the canti lever beam is also investigated.