Smart Materials Used for Aircraft Propeller Vibration Damping

Vibrations of turbo-machinery blades are critical to jet engine durability and performance. Active vibration control using piezoelectric sensors and actuators have recently been emerged as a practical and promising technology. This book deals with a new vibration damping technique for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) propeller utilizing piezoelectric transducers (sensors and actuators). The damping performance depends on the type and location of the piezoelectric transducers with respect to the mode shape of the blade mechanical strain. Numerical simulations and experimental investigations are carried out for the propeller blades to damp vibrations. The results show that vibrations induced in the propeller are damped by applying piezoelectric transducers.