Control Orientated Synthesis of Electromagnetic Shunt Impedances for Vibration Isolation

A typical passive mechanical isolation system utilizes a mass-spring-damper as a mechanical filter. Active isolation control systems typically include an electromagnetic transducer to develop the required control forces. In this paper, the technique of sensor-less active shunt control is applied to a mechanical isolation system. An electrical impedance is designed and connected to an electromagnetic transducer with a view to minimizing structural vibration. Standard control tools can be applied to design the required shunt impedance. The technique requires no additional feedback sensors. Vibration of an experimental isolation apparatus is heavily attenuated by the application of an active shunt impedance.