Research project: Investigations on Structure-Isolator Interaction System for Particular Vibration Isolation Performance

The vibration isolation systems with particular low or high suspension frequencies are of great importance in scientific and industrial fields. For ground vibration tests of very large civil aircrafts, the suspension frequency required is less than 0.3Hz. Furthermore, in laboratory vibration tests, a rigid boundary condition is often used, which requires the dynamic supporting stiffness to be infinite.

Traditional linear passive isolation units cannot realise these particulars supporting performance. Active isolation unit and / or nonlinear isolation system provide possible solutions for these particular vibration isolation performance requirements. Practical isolation units have to be connected on to the supported structures, the structure vibration behaviour and the isolation dynamic characteristics affecting each other. Therefore, the practical system is a structure-isolation unit interaction system. To design accurate practical isolation system, the coupling analysis is necessary.

This research will consider the flexible structure and isolation unit as an integrated interaction system to investigate its vibration behaviours using a numerical approach, as well as to provide an effective approach for improving the practical performance of particular vibration isolation systems.