Control of coupled interaction between the flexible cantilever link and airflow

Airflow-induced vibrations of the flexible structure are large, especially when the structure is made of lightweight material. Therefore, the interaction between the flexible structure and airflow should be considered. Although significant work has been placed on the flexible structures, less effort has been directed at the interaction between flexible structures and airflows. A dynamic equation of the motion of interaction between the flexible cantilever link and airflow has been derived in this article. The complicated link-airflow interaction has been captured by the analytical model. Furthermore, a new method has been presented to control coupled vibrations induced by the interaction. Numerous experiments have been performed on a Cartesian coordinate manipulator moving a polyurethane cantilever link to validate the effectiveness of the dynamic model and vibration-control method. The investigative findings may also acceptable for other types of flexible structures interacting with airflows.