Experimental approach to the design of piezo-active structure

The examination of a smart beam is presented in the paper. Expe rimental investigations were carried out for flexible beam with one fixed end and free opposite end. Piezoelectric strips were glued on both sides of the beam. One strip works as a sensor, and the second one as an actuator. It is a single input and single output system. The study focuses on the analysis of natural frequencies and modes of the beam in the relation to the position of the piezo-elements. The natural frequencies, mode shapes, generated control forces, and levels of the measured signals are considered and calculated as a functions of the piezo-element locations. We have found correlations between mode shapes, changes of natural frequencies, control forces and measured signals for the lowest four modes. In this way, we can find the optimal localization of the distributed sensors and actuator on the mechanical structure directly by the using of the finite elements method (FEM).