Use of FEA Derived Impedances to Design Active Structures

Previously, the impedance method has been applied to simple structures by determining the modal response using closed-form methods. The present work uses finite element analysis (FEA) to generate the host structure’s mechanical impedances from eigenvectors. Two-dimensional structures are studied, though the method should be extendable to any structure that can be modeled by FEA. The equations to recover the impedances and structure’s response from an FEA normal mode analysis are developed. The method is then experimentally verified for plates with different boundary conditions, material types, and actuator orientations. The method is found to accurately predict the plate’s response.