MODELING AND CONTROL OF AN ELECTRORHEOLOGICAL SANDWICH BEAM

This paper introduces models for electrorheological (ER) structures ba sed on viscoelasticity and sandwich beam theory. The partial different ial equations describing the dynamics of an ER sandwich beam are deriv ed and a modal analysis is performed. Feedback controllers, derived us ing Lyapunov theory, ensure stability of all modes of the beam. Feedba ck from an axial velocity sensor to the applied ER beam voltage provid es an implementable approximation to the control law. Simulations of a cantilevered ER beam show the stable response and improved transient decay provided by the control system.