Abstract
Passive vibration control measures typically involve either introducing separately or in a combination changes to a system, such as adding damping or dissipation, stiffness and mass. This presentation will explore two particular application areas namely isolation and the use of a vibration absorber. For isolation the typical passive system has limitations, so research has been conducted into introducing nonlinear characteristics which include friction, nonlinear viscous damping and switchable stiffness changes. In some scenarios these provide additional benefits, albeit that the systems now become nonlinear, and the philosophy behind their consideration will be presented. The analysis of these configurations will then be accompanied with numerical simulations and experimental validation to clarify how and why things are different. More recently there has been some interest in the use of a nonlinear vibration absorber. A summary of some progress to date in this field, including theoretical and experimental work, will be given. Suggestions and guidelines for its potential will be explored as will issues that might make its general adoption difficult.
