Theoretical and simulation study of active vibration control of Miura-ori core sandwich beam

Abstract In aerospace applications, the Miura-ori core sandwich structure is increasingly recognized as a promising alternative to traditional honeycomb core structure. During aircraft operation, the structure is subjected to impact loads that generate vibrations, and excessive amplitude may lead to structural fatigue failure. In the present work, piezoelectric actuators and sensors were utilized to implement active vibration control of the Miura-ori sandwich beam (MSB). First, the motion equation of the MSB was derived based on Hamilton’s principle and the assumed mode method, leading to the determination of its natural frequency. The shear deformation mechanism of the Miura-ori unit cell was then analyzed, and a new formula for calculating the equivalent transverse shear modulus is proposed. Further, the structure’s vibration was actively controlled using a velocity feedback control algorithm, and the effectiveness of the vibration control along with the required voltage for the actuator is evaluated from both time and frequency domain perspectives. Additionally, a newly developed finite element method was proposed for the purpose of confirming the effectiveness of the vibration control. The results demonstrate a strong alignment between the simulated natural frequencies and the theoretical predictions, confirming that the velocity feedback control algorithm effectively reduces excessive vibration amplitudes.