Experimental analysis of electromagnetic vibration damping of a cantilever beam

Vibration attenuation is necessary in many electro-mechanical systems. In this paper electromagnetic damping is applied on a flexible cantilever beam (FCB) made of ferromagnetic material. The lateral vibration is controlled by employing two electromagnetic poles mounted in the same axis as that of a vibrating cantilever beam. A power amplifier is developed to provide desired current to the electromagnet. Comparison of damping achieved at different electromagnetic forces is presented. The study employs a new method of applying a constant DC power to one of the electromagnets while other is connected to a variable current source. Experimental results are presented that show the effectiveness of the presented approach.