Publication

Abstract : In this work, the dynamics and vibration isolation capability of a quazi-zero stiffness (QZS) vibration isolation system based on a magnetic spring is investigated with an emphasis on its application to isolate passenger seat in a vehicle. The inclusion of magnetic springs avoid the chance of contact between the parts and therefore the influence of friction and contact nonlinearities is negligible. The nonlinear force–displacement relationship for the magnetic spring system is obtained by performing numerical simulations in FEM magnetics. The influence of the geometric parameters on the QZS characteristics is investigated to select a suitable combination for different masses to be isolated. The concept of QZS isolation is implemented in a passenger seat isolation system by replacing the conventional linear isolator. Human body is modeled as a multi-degree-of-freedom system and the transmissibility plots are obtained to study the isolation at different parts of the human body. The results are compared with that for a linear isolator. It is found that proposed QZS isolator based on magnetic springs is effective in isolating low-frequency vibrations.