Design method and application in panel vibration suppression of nonlinear eddy current dynamic absorbers

The eddy current dynamic absorber demonstrates great potential in the field of vibration control due to its inherent decoupling between stiffness and damping components, the flexible regulation of damping, and the generation of non-contact damping forces. However, the performance of the eddy current damper in aerospace applications has not yet been explored. Considering the unique vibration characteristics of aerospace systems, the eddy current dynamic absorber for aerospace applications must incorporate nonlinearity, be lightweight, and demonstrate effectiveness across a broad frequency band. In this study, the lightweight and miniaturized eddy current dynamic absorber with a double-annular-plate configuration is employed. After characterizing the nonlinear damping properties, an optimal design approach has been proposed and verified numerically. Further, the optimized eddy current dynamic absorbers are utilized to suppress the broadband vibration of the thin-walled panel. Both the simulation and experimental results show that the modal vibrations of the panel are well suppressed by the optimal eddy current dynamic absorbers, with the reduction of the frequency response peak larger than 15.3 dB and the reduction ratio of RMS larger than 79 % within 500 Hz. The eddy current dynamic absorber can be considered a promising alternative to traditional linear dynamic absorbers in aerospace engineering. Overall, the design approach presented in this study advances the optimal tuning of the nonlinear dynamic absorbers and offers valuable insights for their practical implementation in suppressing vibrations within aerospace engineering structures.