Active Vibration Control of Laminated Composite Plates Using Piezoelectric Devices: A Finite Element Approach

A finite element formulation is presented for modeling the behavior of laminated composites with integrated piezoelectric sensors and actuators. This model is valid for both con tinuous and segmented piezoelectric elements that can be either surface bonded or embedded in the laminated plate. The present model takes into account the mass and the stiffness of the piezoelectric patches. The formulation is based on the first-order shear deformation theory, which is applicable for both thin and moderately thick plates. An additional feature of the present model is that it does not introduce the voltage as an additional degree of freedom. The charge/current generated by the sensor and the response of the plate to an actuator voltage can be computed independently. These features are then coupled with a constant-gain negative-velocity/positive-position feedback control algorithm to actively control the transient response of the plate in a closed loop. Numerical results are presented which indicate the increase in damping as the feedback gain is increased. The in fluence of stacking sequence and boundary conditions on the controlled transient response of the plate is examined.