Active damping of modal vibrations by force apportioning

Force apportioning, a method of active structural damping based on that used in modal vibration testing of isolating modes by multiple shaker excitation, was analyzed and numerically simulated. A distribution of as few forces as possible on the structure is chosen so as to maximally affect selected vibration modes while minimally exciting all other modes. The accuracy of numerical simulations of active damping, active damping of higher-frequency modes, and studies of imperfection sensitivity are discussed. The computer programs developed are described and possible refinements of the research are examined.