Active Damping and Vibration Control for Aircraft Fin and Appendage Structures

Numerous vibration control techniques, employing both passive and active methods, have been developed and tested over the last several decades. Some of these techniques are in widespread use, while others have rarely or never left the laboratory. This paper considers the value that vibration damping and control of aircraft fins and appendage structures can have in reducing loads and subsequent fatigue and possible failure. These structures often are subject to high loads resulting from wakes of upstream external stores. The vibration control methods were considered as part of a larger study focused on active flow control. The options for passive or active vibration control on a class of fin-type structures are reviewed, and one approach – active and passive damping using piezoelectric materials – is covered in greater detail. Piezoelectric transducer sizing for expected pressure loading and modeling of piezoelectric-based active damping control systems are discussed. Motivation for another possible techniques coupling active flow and vibration control is presented using arguments from adaptive filtering and feedforward control. Results are presented for bench tests with simulated disturbances, for low speed wind tunnel tests, and for high speed wind tunnel tests.