Interrupting the transmission of vibration from one structure to another is of great interest to engineers in a variety of disciplines. Towards this end, the application of Helmholtz resonators in the construction of isolation devices has resulted in highly versatile vibration attenuators.; This study proposes a new concept dubbed the ‘intelligent Helmholtz resonator’ (or IHR) to extend and enhance Helmholtz-based isolation devices. The IHR extends the traditional Helmholtz resonator by introducing semi-active control to after resonator dynamics and tune the isolator to best advantage. Semi-active control is realized through the use of ‘smart’ fluids, or those materials whose physical properties are functions of an imposed field or force. Experimental results demonstrate that this medium of activation provides excellent robustness and controllability.; To investigate the feasibility of the IHR concept, a typical hydraulic engine mount (or hydromount) is studied. An analytical model is used to describe hydromount dynamics and in the design of a prototype isolation device. A prototype IHR-based hydromount is then constructed and tested to identify its dynamic characteristics. After comparing experimental and analytical models, an extension of the analytical model is proposed to improve correlation between the models.
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