ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with issues related to optimal shock isolation for cases in which both the base and the object being isolated move rectilinearly and the base is subjected to an impulsive shock (instantaneous impact). As performance criteria, we use the maximum relative displacement of the object being isolated and the peak force transmitted to the object. We consider the problem of the limiting isolation capabilities and find the open-loop control (the isolator characteristic) to ensure the best possible trade-off between the minimum peak transmitted force and the minimum peak relative displacement. Then the optimization of passive isolators consisting of a damper and a stiffness element is investigated. In this case, the optimization is reduced to the choice of two parameters, damping and stiffness coefficients. Special emphasis is given to the optimization of isolators with power law characteristics which occur often in engineering.
