A Combination of a Piezoelectric Vibrator and a Permanent Magnet for Non-Contact Positive and Negative Damping of a Beam

An attempt has been made to develop a non-contact actuator consisting of a piezoelectric vibrator and a permanent magnet. In a simple control system the actuator dissipates energy and works as a damper. The actuator can also work as a negative damper, by supplying energy to the system and making it unstable. The demonstration of a negatively damped unstable system makes this experiment interesting for students.