Development and testing of active vibration control systems with piezoelectric actuators

Active control of vibrations has become a relevant technology for many sectors. For most of the established applications electrodynamic actuators are used so far. Yet, the integration of piezoelectric actuators enables new designs which promise a higher level of integration and compactness. However, the piezoelectric actuators also raise some challenges, since they are sensitive to misuse loads and possess a rather high stiffness. In this paper, three examples for active vibration control systems are introduced. The specific issues regarding the integration of piezoelectric actuators and the solutions implemented are described.