An impedance approach for determining optimal locations and shapes of multiple induced strain actuators

A systematic method based on the impedance technique to determine the optimal locations and shapes of multiple induced strain actuators bonded on a host structure in respect of the smallest power consumption is proposed. The mechanical efficiency in measuring the energy provided to the actuators and then transferred to the host structure is estimated by using the power factor which is expressed in terms of impedances of the host structure and the strain actuators. It provides an alternative besides optimization methods to decide where to bond the actuator and what the shape of the actuator should be. For an intelligent structure with multiple actuators, this proposed method provides accurate predictions of vibration response and mechanical efficiency due to the mass of the multiple actuators being included in the model. Numerical examples are presented to show the mass effect caused by the actuators on the power factor and to demonstrate how to determine the optimal bonding locations and configurations for the multiple actuators.