Intelligent Vibration Control of Composite and FGM Plates Using Piezoelectric Actuators and Optimized Sliding Mode-Based Controllers

Purpose: The study aims to develop intelligent control systems for active vibration suppression of composite and functionally graded material (FGM) plates using integrate piezoelectric sensors and actuators, focusing on enhanced performance and reduced control energy through optimized placement strategies. Design/methodology/approach: A novel metaheuristic optimization algorithm, Stable Deviation Quantum‑Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization (SD‑QPSO), is proposed for optimal actuator/sensor placement. Comprehensive dynamic models of laminated composite and FGM plates are developed using both Finite Element Method (FEM) and Element‑Free Galerkin (EFG) approaches. Different intelligent control strategies—including sliding mode control, fuzzy‑neural, and hybrid AI methods—are designed and implemented. Numerical simulations under multiple disturbance scenarios compare controller performance in terms of vibration suppression, convergence rate, robustness, and control energy consumption. Experimental validation is performed on a multi‑layer composite plate equipped with piezoelectric actuators. Findings: Intelligent controllers achieve up to a 40% reduction in vibration amplitude compared to classical controllers. The SD‑QPSO‑optimized actuator placement reduces required control energy by up to 25% and minimizes control signal magnitude. The proposed methods yield fast settling times (0.2 s) and improve disturbance‑rejection capability by up to 93%. Experimental tests confirm rapid suppression with up to a 70% vibration amplitude reduction compared to the uncontrolled case. Originality/value: This research is among the first to integrate SD‑QPSO optimization with intelligent vibration control for composite and FGM plates, combining FEM and EFG modeling, multiple AI‑based controllers, and experimental validation. The findings highlight significant performance improvements over recent international benchmarks.