Vibration suppression experiments on composite laminated plates using an embedded piezoelectric sensor and actuator

Recent advances in design and manufacturing of aerospace systems have significantly enhanced the application of fiber-reinforced composite materials. In addition to their high stiffness-to-weight and strength-to-weight ratios, this paper demonstrates experimentally that, without sacrificing these structural advantages, the piezoelectric element embedded in composite laminated structures can be applied both as the in situ vibration sensor and as the vibration suppression actuator. The modal parameters of two composite laminated plates, [0/90](6s) and [45/-45](6s), are predicted by a finite element model and they are validated by experimental modal testing. Experiments show that both the bending and torsional vibration can be effectively reduced by the velocity feedback from embedded piezoelectric sensor(s) and actuator(s).