Recent Advances in the Use of Piezoceramics for Vibration Suppression

Some of the recent advances in using piezoceramic (PZT) systems for controlling structural vibration are studied in this paper. After a brief background on piezoelectric materials, the control techniques that have been used in the past two decades for PZTs are reviewed. The control methods will be divided into three categories: (1) methods that use passive electrical elements to shunt the PZT, (2) methods that employ an active control system to drive the PZT, and (3) hybrid and semiactive methods that combine the shunted and active control techniques. For active controlled PZTs, the positive position feedback (PPF) control techniques will be described in detail, along with some of the studies that have been conducted in recent years. It is shown that PPF provides an effective and stable method of controlling PZTs for a variety of applications, including structural response control. Some of the applications of PZTs for reducing structural noise and vibration are also reviewed, ranging from simple beams and plates to some complex structures such as helicopter blades and gun barrels. The review of the past studies proves that PZTs with different control schemes can be used to significantly reduce structural noise and vibration without adding any significant amount of weight to the structure. The authors recommend further studies on the implementation of PZTs for realistic industrial applications, especially those that can advance the commercialization of PZT systems.