Performance analysis of an engine mount featuring ER fluids and piezoactuators

Conventional rubber mounts and various types of passive or semi-active hydraulic engine mounts for a passenger vehicle have their own functional aims on the limited frequency band in the broad engine operating frequency range. In order to achieve high system performance over all frequency ranges of the engine operation, a new type of engine mount featuring electro-rheological(ER) fluids and piezoactuators is proposed in this study. A mathematical model of the proposed engine mount is derived using the bond graph method which is inherently adequate to model the interconnected hydromechanical system. In the low frequency domain, the ER fluid is activated upon imposing an electric field for vibration isolation while the piezoactuator is activated in the high frequency domain. A neuro-control algorithm is utilized to determine control electric field for the ER fluid, and H-infinity control technique is adopted for the piezoactuator. Comparative works between the proposed and single-actuating(ER fluid only or piezoactuator only) engine mounts are undertaken by evaluating force transmissibility over a wide operating frequency range.