The structural vibration of a flexible panel or another flexible component can generate undesirable noise, particularly within an enclosure constructed using such panels. For instance, aluminum panels of an aircraft fuselage can vibrate when the aircraft is in flight, which in turn can generate substantial noise within the aircraft. Mitigation of such acoustical/structural resonance may include the use of passive or active damping techniques. As an example, a compliant damping mechanism may be used to dissipate vibration energy as heat. Other approaches may include the use of sound absorbing materials. Active damping techniques, by way of contrast, involve the active, targeted use of force actuators to produce an actuation force that at least partially counteracts a resonant vibration within a particular range of frequencies. However, conventional approaches to active damping may be less than optimal when used with flexible panels.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds