A vibration isolation system using active PZT brackets

A new type of active isolation system was designed and tested in The Aerospace Corporation's Dynamics and Control Center. This isolation system utilizes PZT actuators bonded on S-shaped brackets. The system exhibits very good isolation performance by attenuating external vibrations to amplitudes less than 1/10 of their original values. This disturbance attenuation performance relies on adequate knowledge of the plant's dynamic characteristics, and therefore, the design depends on a reliable system identification process which was made possible by frequency response analysis using a Hewlett-Packard 3562 analyzer.