Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Hydraulic Actuator Interaction in the Dynamics of a Rotating Flexible Beam

The dynamic interaction between a rotating flexible beam and a hydraulic cylinder actuator driving the beam along its length is presented. A mathematical model is developed combining the dynamics of a continuous beam, discretized by modal analysis, to the system dynamics of the actuator. Fully coupled actuator and beam equations are generalized by introducing dimensionless parameters. The interaction between actuator and flexible beam is investigated via a reduced order model, eigenvalue analysis, and numerical simulations. Experimental results are presented to show the quality of the mathematical model and the effect of actuator parameter selection on system dynamics and beam vibration. Actuator selection concepts based on dimensionless parameters are given to provide systems with desirable dynamic performance and suppressed beam vibrations.