VIBRation control with smart hybrid Absorbers and Nonlinear Techniques

Objectif

Lightweight, slender, topology-optimised structures are essential for greener products but are prone to broadband vibrations that degrade performance and safety. Classical linear tuned-mass dampers are narrowband, losing effectiveness under changing loads and nonlinear behaviour, while mechanical nonlinear energy sinks widen bandwidth yet suffer from detached response curves, limited amplitude range &added mass. VIBRANT overcomes these limits by transferring vibration energy into the electrical domain via piezoelectric (PZ) and electromagnetic (EM) transducers and by intentional nonlinearities. Two complementary routes are pursued: (1) intrinsic electrical nonlinearities (semiconductor and saturation; switched/piecewise-linear networks) that are easily tunable and adaptive; and (2) hybrid electromechanical absorbers where a nonlinear mechanical coupling makes passive linear circuits behave effectively nonlinear.
The project targets five objectives: 1. exploit electrical-domain nonlinearities; 2. suppress detached curves to extend operating range; 3. realise passive hybrid absorbers with reduced mass and no power draw; 4. enable online adaptivity to changing conditions; 5. and deliver injection-moulded devices with embedded transducers and circuitry for reproducibility.
Methodologically, VIBRANT combines analytical tools (harmonic balance, bifurcation tracking), realistic circuit models (SPICE), and FEM for mechanical designs, with experimental validation on benchmark frames/beams/plates at ENSAM. Performance will be quantified by measures as peak reduction (H∞), broadband improvements (H²), suppression/shift of detached curves (Force Range Index). Injection moulding at KU Leuven (Secondment) enables embedded PZ/EM that can be used in a meta-material approach.
Expected outcomes are lightweight, low-power/passive vibration absorbers with wide frequency-and-amplitude bandwidth for robotics, drivetrains and civil structures, along with open tools to accelerate uptake.