Application of an active controller for reducing small-amplitude vertical vibration in a vehicle seat

This report describes the principle and application of active vibration control (AVC) for reducing undesired small-amplitude vertical vibration in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. Three different control algorithms are implemented and compared in the experimental investigation. Apart from adaptive control and robust control, a hybrid control algorithm consisting of a combination of an adaptive controller with a filtered-x least mean squares (FXLMS) algorithm and a feedback structure with a robust synthesis theory for obtaining fast convergence and robust performance are proposed. A frequency domain technique is used for achieving the control plant identification and controller design. All of the proposed AVC controllers are implemented in a digital signal processor (DSP) platform, using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter for real-time control. A characteristic analysis and experimental comparison of three control algorithms for reducing the small amplitude vertical vibration in a vehicle seat are also presented in this paper.