By exploiting the unique properties of single-crystal peizoceramic, STI will develop a new class of device for suppression of structural vibration. The proposed device, a frequency agile vibration absorber (FAVA), will be compact, robust, and demand minimal power for operation. Unlike today's adaptive absorbers the FAVA will tune over a wide range of frequencies and respond rapidly to controller command. A Phase I technical objective is to demonstrate that an extremely wide FAVA tuning range can be achieved by exploiting the single-crystal's large electromechanical coupling. This will be accomplished through the design, fabrication, and testing of a prototype FAVA using commercially available single-crystal piezoceramic material. A secondary objective is to demonstrate the usefulness of the FAVA's wide tuning range. This will be accomplished by testing the prototype device in a machine tool application with the objective of using the FAVA to eliminate unwanted tool chatter. A particularly important dual-use application is the control of chatter in machine tools. This problem affects the affordability and quality of military and industrial components and has not been adequately solved using today's active or passive technology. Other identified applications include control of flexible space structures, jitter control in optical systems and gun barrels, suppression of structure-borne noise in aircraft, and vibration isolation in machinery mounts. Based upon the machine tool application, the anticipated potential market size for the FAVA is approximately $1 billion in sales annually. Other applications listed here could generate comparable sales.
