Flexural Wave Control of a Flexible Beam : Proposition of the Active Sink Method

Abstract

This paper deals with the flexural wave control of a flexible beam. It is the purpose of this paper to present a new vibration control method, the active sink method, which makes it possible to suppress all vibration modes of the flexible beam. Unlike the conventional vibration modal control method, the active sink method is designed for making all the vibration modes of the beam asleep. First, this paper presents the principle of the active sink method and shows a means of realizing it. Then, in order to describe the principle mathematically, a transfer matrix of a beam using a progressive wave solution to the wave equation is obtained. Moreover, based upon the transfer matrix method, the optimal conditions for the active sink system are derived, the fundamental characteristics of the system being discussed. Finally, from the viewpoint of vibration intensity analysis, the validity of the active sink system is clarified.