Decentralized Control of Sound Radiation from an Aircraft-Style Panel Using Iterative Loop Recovery

A decentralized LQG-based control strategy is designed to reduce low-frequency sound transmission through periodically stiffened panels. While modern control strategies have been used to reduce sound radiation from relatively simple structural acoustic systems, significant implementation issues have to be addressed before these control strategies can be extended to large systems such as the fuselage of an aircraft. For instance, centralized approaches typically require a high level of connectivity and are computationally intensive, while decentralized strategies face stability problems caused by the unmodeled interaction between neighboring control units. Since accurate uncertainty bounds are not known a priori, it is difficult to ensure the decentralized control system will be robust without making the controller overly conservative. Therefore an iterative approach is suggested, which utilizes frequency-shaped loop recovery. The approach accounts for modeling error introduced by neighboring control loops, requires no communication between subsystems, and is relatively simple. The control strategy is validated using real-time control experiments performed on a built-up aluminum test structure representative of the fuselage of an aircraft. Experiments demonstrate that the iterative approach is capable of achieving 12 dB peak reductions and a 3.6 dB integrated reduction in radiated sound power from the stiffened panel

Decentralized Control of Sound Radiation Using Iterative Loop Recovery

A decentralized model-based control strategy is designed to reduce low-frequency sound radiation from periodically stiffened panels. While decentralized control systems tend to be scalable, performance can be limited due to modeling error introduced by the unmodeled interaction between neighboring control units. Since bounds on modeling error are not known in advance, it is difficult to ensure the decentralized control system will be robust without making the controller overly conservative. Therefore an iterative approach is suggested, which utilizes frequency-shaped loop recovery. The approach accounts for modeling error introduced by neighboring control loops, requires no communication between subsystems, and is relatively simple. The control strategy is evaluated numerically using a model of a stiffened aluminum panel that is representative of the sidewall of an aircraft. Simulations demonstrate that the iterative approach can achieve significant reductions in radiated sound power from the stiffened panel without destabilizing neighboring control units

A High-Authority/Low-Authority Control Strategy for Coupled Aircraft-Style Bays

This paper presents a numerical investigation of an active structural acoustic control strategy for coupled aircraft-style bays. While structural coupling can destabilize or limit the performance of some model-based decentralized control systems, fullycoupled centralized control strategies are impractical for typical aircraft containing several hundred bays. An alternative is to use classical rate feedback with matched, collocated transducer pairs to achieve active damping. Unfortunately, due to the conservative nature of this strategy, stability is guaranteed at the expense of achievable noise reduction. Therefore, this paper describes the development of a combined control strategy using robust active damping in addition to a high-authority controller based on linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) theory. The combined control system is evaluated on a tensioned, two-bay model using piezoceramic actuators and ideal point velocity sensors. Transducer placement on the two-bay structure is discussed, and the advantages of a combined control strategy are presented

An Analytic Model of Angular Momentum Transport by Gravitational Torques: From Galaxies to Massive Black Holes

We present analytic calculations of angular momentum transport and gas inflow in galaxies, from scales of ~kpc to deep in the potential of a central black hole (BH). We compare these analytic calculations to numerical simulations and use them to develop a sub-grid model of BH growth that can be incorporated into semi-analytic models or cosmological simulations. Both analytic calculations and simulations argue that the strongest torque on gas arises when non-axisymmetric perturbations to the stellar gravitational potential produces orbit crossings and shocks in the gas. This is true both at large radii ~0.01-1 kpc, where bar-like modes dominate the non-axisymmetric potential, and at smaller radii <10 pc, where a lopsided/eccentric disk dominates. The traditional orbit crossing criterion is not always adequate to predict the locations of, and inflow due to, shocks in gas+stellar disks with finite sound speeds. We derive a modified criterion that predicts the presence of shocks in stellar dominated systems even absent formal orbit crossing. We then derive analytic expressions for the loss of angular momentum and the resulting gas inflow rates in the presence of such shocks. We test our analytic predictions using hydrodynamic simulations at a range of galactic scales, and show that they successfully predict the mass inflow rates and quasi-steady gas surface densities with small scatter (0.3 dex). We use our analytic results to construct a new estimate of the BH accretion rate given galaxy properties at larger radii. This captures the key scalings in the numerical simulations. Alternate estimates such as the local viscous accretion rate or the spherical Bondi rate fail systematically to reproduce the simulations.Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, minor revisions to match version accepted to MNRA

Research and Technology

Langley Research Center is engaged in the basic an applied research necessary for the advancement of aeronautics and space flight, generating advanced concepts for the accomplishment of related national goals, and provding research advice, technological support, and assistance to other NASA installations, other government agencies, and industry. Highlights of major accomplishments and applications are presented

Comparison of smart panels for tonal and broadband vibration and sound transmission active control

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the principal features of smart panels equipped with feed-forward and feedback systems for the control of the flexural response and sound transmission due respectively to tonal and to stochastic broadband disturbances. The smart panels are equipped with two types of actuators: first, distributed piezoelectric actuators formed either by small piezoelectric patches or large piezoelectric films bonded on the panels and second, point actuators formed by proof-mass electromagnetic transducers. Also, the panels encompass three types of sensors: first, small capacitive microphone sensors placed in front of the panels; second, distributed piezoelectric sensors formed by large piezoelectric films bonded on the panels and third point sensors formed by miniaturized accelerometers. The proposed systems implement both single-channel and multi-channel feed-forward and feedback control architectures. The study shows that, the vibration and sound radiation control performance of both feed-forward and feedback systems critically depends on the sensor-actuator configurations

Comparison of smart panels for tonal and broadband vibration and sound transmission active control

3noThis paper presents a comprehensive overview of the principal features of smart panels equipped with feed-forward and feedback systems for the control of the flexural response and sound transmission due respectively to tonal and to stochastic broadband disturbances. The smart panels are equipped with two types of actuators: first, distributed piezoelectric actuators formed either by small piezoelectric patches or large piezoelectric films bonded on the panels and second, point actuators formed by proof-mass electromagnetic transducers. Also, the panels encompass three types of sensors: first, small capacitive microphone sensors placed in front of the panels; second, distributed piezoelectric sensors formed by large piezoelectric films bonded on the panels and third point sensors formed by miniaturized accelerometers. The proposed systems implement both single-channel and multi-channel feed-forward and feedback control architectures. The study shows that, the vibration and sound radiation control performance of both feed-forward and feedback systems critically depends on the sensor-actuator configurations.reservedmixedGardonio P.; Turco E.; Dal Bo L.Gardonio, P.; Turco, E.; Dal Bo, L

Modeling and Fuzzy PDC Control and Its Application to an Oscillatory TLP Structure

An analytical solution is derived to describe the wave-induced flow field and surge motion of a deformable platform structure controlled with fuzzy controllers in an oceanic environment. In the controller design procedure, a parallel distributed compensation (PDC) scheme is utilized to construct a global fuzzy logic controller by blending all local state feedback controllers. The Lyapunov method is used to carry out stability analysis of a real system structure. The corresponding boundary value problems are then incorporated into scattering and radiation problems. These are analytically solved, based on the separation of variables, to obtain a series of solutions showing the harmonic incident wave motion and surge motion. The dependence of the wave-induced flow field and its resonant frequency on wave characteristics and structural properties including platform width, thickness and mass can thus be drawn with a parametric approach. The wave-induced displacement of the surge motion is determined from these mathematical models. The vibration of the floating structure and mechanical motion caused by the wave force are also discussed analytically based on fuzzy logic theory and the mathematical framework to find the decay in amplitude of the surge motion in the tension leg platform (TLP) system. The expected effects of the damping in amplitude of the surge motion due to the control force on the structural response are obvious

Modeling, Analysis, and Optimization Issues for Large Space Structures

Topics concerning the modeling, analysis, and optimization of large space structures are discussed including structure-control interaction, structural and structural dynamics modeling, thermal analysis, testing, and design