Broadband Radiation Modes: Estimation and Active Control

In this paper we give a formulation of the most efficiently radiating vibration patterns of a vibrating body, the radiation modes, in the time domain. The radiation modes can be used to arrive at efficient weighting schemes for an array of sensors in order to reduce the controller dimensionality. Because these particular radiation modes are optimum in a broadband sense, they are termed broadband radiation modes. Methods are given to obtain these modes from measured data. The broadband radiation modes are used for the design of an actuator array in a feedback control system to reduce the sound power radiated from a plate. Three methods for the design of the actuator are compared, taking into account the reduction of radiated sound power in the controlled frequency range, but also the possible increase of radiated sound power in the uncontrolled frequency range.