Quasi-static control of natural frequencies of composite beams using embedded piezoelectric actuators

A new and novel quasi-static (or passive-adaptive) control strategy using embedded piezoelectric actuators to alter the vibration response of a composite beam model is analytically investigated. Nonlinear equations of motion of the composite beam are developed, which incorporate the influence of initial in-plane loads generated by the piezoelectric layers. It is shown that the natural frequencies of a simply-supported composite beam can be varied substantially by applying a voltage to the piezoelectric layers. The influence of the embedded piezo-actuator thickness on the performance of the passive-adaptive control strategy is discussed. The application of three practical piezoelectric materials, piezo-ceramics (PZT), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and copolymer, are also discussed.