A control system aims at vibration reduction in a two-span rotor system with two shear mode magnetorheological(MRF)dampers is designed.A finite element model of the MRF damper-rotor system is built and used to analyze the rotor vibration characteristics.Based on Hooke and Jeeves algorithm and the numerical simulation analysis,an optimal appropriate controller is proposed and designed.Experimental results show that rotor vibration caused by unbalance is well controlled(first critical speed region 37%,second critical speed region 42%).To reflect advantages of optimizing strategy presented and validate the intelligent optimization control technology,detailed experiments were developed on a two-span rotor-vibration-control platform.The influence on accuracy,rapidity and stability of optimizing control for rotor vibration are analyzed.It provides a powerful technical support for the extension and application in target and control for shafting vibration. A control system aims at vibration reduction in a two-span rotor system with two shear mode magnetorheological (MRF) dampers is designed. A finite element model of the MRF damper-rotor system is built and used to analyze the rotor vibration characteristics. Based on Hooke and Jeeves algorithm and the numerical simulation analysis, an optimal appropriate controller is proposed and designed. Experimental results show that rotor vibration caused by unbalance is well controlled (first critical speed region 37%, second critical speed region 42%). of optimizing strategies presented and validate the intelligent optimization control technology, detailed experiments were developed on a two-span rotor-vibration-control platform. The influence on accuracy, rapidity and stability of optimizing control for rotor vibration is analyzed. It provides a powerful technical support for the extension and application in target and control for shafting vibration.