Abstract
Vibration control of floating platforms utilizing gyroscopes is theoretically investigated. The platform is modeled as a structure supported by springs and dashpots. Gyroscopes with brake drums are installed on the platform to suppress the resonance of the structure. Two kinds of platforms are considered: (a) a rectangular floating platform where the roll motion is controlled by a single gyroscope and (b) a square floating platform where the roll and pitch motions are controlled by two gyroscopes. In the theoretical analyses, the natural frequencies and the frequency response curves are calculated. The influences of the rotational speed of the gyroscope, the damping coefficient of the brake drum in the gyroscope and the distance between the center of gravity of the gyroscope and the gimbal axis on the frequency response curves are examined. The gyroscope shows the effectiveness in the vibration controls in both (a) and (b) cases. It is also found that the natural frequencies of the system change depending on the rotational speed of the gyroscope, and that the peaks of the frequency response curves are suppressed at low amplitudes by adjusting the value of the damping coefficient of the brake drum.
