Theoretical and experimental studies on a novel potential barrier control for a vehicle model and piezoelectric smart structure

Abstract A novel control methodology, inspired by the quantum mechanical phenomenon of particle-wave duality, wherein particles and waves utilize their energy to traverse potential barriers, has been proposed. This control strategy is investigated both numerically and experimentally to mitigate undesirable vibrations in a three-degree-of-freedom vehicle system and a smart beam structure. The mathematical framework for the vehicle system is derived using Lagrange’s equations, while the experimental setup is designed for the smart beam. Disturbance inputs in the form of step and sinusoidal road profiles are introduced into the vehicle model to simulate real-world conditions. For the smart beam, endpoint vibrations are induced as an initial value problem by releasing the beam’s endpoint from a predefined initial displacement. In order to achieve vibration suppression, control signals, parameterized based on system-specific frequency and period characteristics, are applied to both systems. The optimal control parameters are determined by evaluating the vibration damping performance. The findings of this study demonstrate that the proposed control strategy is not only effectively applicable to the experimental validation of the piezoelectric smart structure but also holds significant potential for numerical integration into mechanical systems, such as vehicle dynamics models.