C. E. Ruckman
David Taylor Model Basin, Code 1941, Bethesda, MD 20084-5000
Chris R. Fuller
Dept. of Mech. Eng., Virginia Polytech. Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA 24061
Using a new technique, the physical locations of control actuators in a feedforward active noise or vibration control system may be optimized for the best possible system performance. The proper choice of actuator locations can have a profound impact on controller performance, but in a complex system the analyst's intuition might not always pick the most effective arrangement. The most common approach used in the literature, based on numerical minimization software, suffers from various practical drawbacks that make it unsuitable for complex structures or systems with large numbers of actuators. By formulating the feedforward control approach as a multiple regression problem, it is possible to instead use stepwise regression to find which actuator locations will provide the best system performance. This new technique is general enough for use on complex structures that cannot be modeled analytically, and is efficient enough to allow comprehensive studies involving large numbers of actuators. The technique will be demonstrated by numerically simulating a simple system in which radiation from a cylindrical shell is controlled by oscillating forces applied on the shell surface. [Work supported by David Taylor Model Basin and ONR.]