Model Verification and Validation of a Piezo-Elastic Support for Passive and Active Structural State Control of Beams with Circular Cross-Section

Beams in lightweight truss structures are subject to axial and lateral loads that may lead to undesired structural vibration or failure by buckling. The axial and lateral forces may be transferred via the truss supports that offer possibilities for state control of single beams and larger structures. In earlier own studies, the concept of a piezo-elastic support for active buckling control and resonant shunt damping has been investigated. An elastic spring element is used to allow a rotation in the beam's bearing in any plane perpendicular to the beam's longitudinal axis. The rotation is laterally transferred to an axial displacement of piezoelectric stack transducers that are either used to generate active lateral forces for active buckling control or to attenuate vibrations with a resonant shunt. In this paper, the model verification and validation of the elastic properties of the piezo-elastic support for passive and active structural control of beams with circular cross-section is presented. The rotational and lateral spring element stiffness is investigated numerically and experimentally and the existing models are updated in the verification process. The model is validated by comparing the numerical results and experimental ability for vibration attenuation.