Miniature Piezo Semi-Active Seat Damper

Military personnel on the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) may be subjected to significant levels of shock and vibration loading in the course of a military maneuver. The shock and vibration loading can interfere with crew duties and cause fatigue and distraction. There exists a need for a compact device to reduce the vibration and shock loading that is transmitted through the seat suspension system to the driver and/or other crew members. Dynamic Structures and Materials (DSM) proposes the development of a piezoelectric driven miniature shock and vibration damper that can be configured directly in-line with the motion of the crew seat. Through a semi-active control algorithm, the well-controller damper reduces the shock and vibration load transmitted to the seat occupant. Since the novel damper is very compact and represents a very simple configuration, it may be simpler to incorporate it within the EFV structural constraints than other damper technologies.