Optimal placement and tuning of multiple tuned mass dampers for suppressing multi-mode structural response

The optimal design of multiple tuned mass dampers (multiple TMD's) to suppress multi-mode structural response of beams and floor structures was investigated. A new method using a numerical optimizer, which can effectively handle a large number of design variables, was employed to search for both optimal placement and tuning of TMD's for these structures under wide-band loading. The first design problem considered was vibration control of a simple beam using 10 TMD's. The results confirmed that for structures with widelyspaced natural frequencies, multiple TMD's can be adequately designed by treating each structural vibration mode as an equivalent SDOF system. Next, the control of a beam structure with two closely-spaced natural frequencies was investigated. The results showed that the most effective multiple TMD's have their natural frequencies distributed over a range covering the two controlled structural frequencies and have low damping ratios. Moreover, a single TMD can also be made effective in controlling two modes with closely spaced frequencies by a newly identified control mechanism, but the effectiveness can be greatly impaired when the loading position changes. Finally, a realistic problem of a large floor structure with 5 closely spaced frequencies was presented. The acceleration responses at 5 positions on the floor excited by 3 wide-band forces were simultaneously suppressed using 10 TMD's. The obtained multiple TMD's were shown to be very effective and robust.