Structural dynamics and vibration control
BAC develops advanced analytical techniques which, combined with numerical simulations and experimental testing, enable innovative methods for vibration control and the prediction of the dynamic behaviour of complex engineering structures.
Why it matters
Understanding and controlling the dynamic response of aerospace structures is essential in aerospace engineering. Excessive vibrations can reduce efficiency, accelerate structural degradation and increase maintenance costs.
What this theme focuses on
Our research serves numerous applications, including wings and landing gear. The dynamics and vibration laboratory is equipped with leading cutting-edge measurement and testing facilities that support researchers working across many aspects of dynamics, such as composites and nonlinear vibrations of mechanical structures.
The structural dynamics and vibration control research theme focuses on:
- Reduced-order modelling of nonlinear structures: Capturing the dynamics of very large finite element models (up to millions of degrees of freedom) in very small, very fast reduced order models (a few degrees of freedom).
- Vibration suppression: Developing passive and active vibration control methods using inerters and semi-active dampers to address problems such as landing gear shimmy and bridge cable vibration suppression.
- Energy harvesting: Designing electromagnetic transducers and nonlinear resonant structures to harness vibration energy and use it for low-power renewable electrical energy generation.
- Metamaterials and advanced composites: Designing, modelling and manufacturing auxetic foams, composites and cellular structures for structural integrity, vibration damping and vibroacoustics.
- Design approaches for vibrating systems: Using mechanical network synthesis to identify the most efficient configurations of mechanical elements that yield the desired dynamic behaviour.
- Experimental testing and substructuring: Using the combination of a physical substructure, a numerical model for the rest of the structure and controllers and actuators to capture the behaviour of components within the context of the structure they operate in. Experimental equipment includes scanning and fixed-point laser-Doppler vibrometer (LDV) systems, electromagnetic shakers, piezoelectrics and heavy-duty cranes.