• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.787-790
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• 2008

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.233-243
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• 2011

This paper presents a theoretical study of a model predictive control (MPC) strategy employed in semi-active control system with magnetorheological (MR) dampers to reduce the responses of seismically excited structures. The MPC scheme is based on a prediction model of the system response to obtain the control actions by minimizing an objective function, which can compensate for the effect of time delay that occurred in real application. As an example, a 5-story building frame equipped with two 20 kN MR dampers is presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed MPC scheme for addressing time delay and reducing the structural responses under different earthquakes, in which the predictive length l = 5 and the delayed time step d = 10, 20, 40, 60, 100 are considered. Comparison with passive-off, passive-on, and linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control strategy indicates that MPC scheme exhibits good control performance similar to the LQG control strategy, both have better control effectiveness than two passive control methods for most cases, and the MPC scheme used in semi-active control system show more effectiveness and robustness for addressing time delay and protecting structures during earthquakes.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.467-474
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• 2002

Semiactive control systems have received considerable attention for protecting structures against natural hazards such as strong earthquakes and high winds, because they not only offer the reliability of passive control systems but also maintain the versatility and adaptability of fully active control systems. Among the many semiactive control devices, magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers comprise one particularly promising class. In the field of civil engineering, much research and development on MR fluid damper-based control systems has been conducted since B. F. Spencer first introduced this unique semiactive device to civil engineering applications in mid 1990s. In 2001, MR fluid dampers were applied to the full-scale in-service civil engineering structures for the first time. This state-of-the-art paper includes a detailed literature review of control algorithms considering the characteristics of fm fluid dampers. This review provides references to semiactive control systems using MR fluid dampers. The MR fluid damper-based semiactive control systems are shown to have the potential for mitigating the responses of full-scale civil engineering structures under natural hazards.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.349-363
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• 2012

Fuzzy logic based control has recently been proposed for regulating the properties of magnetorheological (MR) dampers in an effort to reduce vibrations of structures subjected to seismic excitations. So far, most studies showing the effectiveness of these algorithms have focused on the use of a single MR damper. Because multiple dampers would be needed in practical applications, this study aims to evaluate the effects of multiple individually tuned fuzzy-controlled MR dampers in reducing responses of a multi-degree-of-freedom structure subjected to seismic motions. Two different fuzzy-control algorithms are considered, a traditional controller where all parameters are kept constant, and a gain-scheduling control strategy. Different damper placement configurations are also considered, as are different numbers of MR dampers. To determine the robustness of the fuzzy controllers developed to changes in ground excitation, the structure selected is subjected to different earthquake records. Responses analyzed include peak and root mean square displacements, accelerations, and interstory drifts. Results obtained with the fuzzy-based control schemes are compared to passive control strategies.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.279-284
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• 2020

Electrical current is usually used to change the damping force of Magnetorheological Dampers (MRDs). However, changing the electrical current could shift the stiffness of the system, the phenomenon that was not considered carefully. This study aims to evaluate this shift. A typical MRD was designed, optimized, and fabricated to do some accurate and detailed experimental tests to examine the stiffness variation. The damper is equipped with a circulating system to prevent the deposition of particles when it is at rest. Besides that, a vibration setup was developed for the experimental study. It is capable of generating vibration with either constant frequency or frequency sweep and measure the amplitude of vibration. The damper was tested by the vibrating setup, and it was concluded that with a change in electrical current from 0 to 1.4 A, resonant frequency would change from 13.8 Hz to 16 Hz. Considering the unchanging mass of 85.1 kg, the change in resonant frequency translates as a shift in stiffness, which changes from 640 kN/m to 860 kN/m.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.17 no.3_4
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• pp.493-526
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• 2004

Semiactive control systems have received considerable attention for protecting structures against natural hazards such as strong earthquakes and high winds, because they not only offer the reliability of passive control systems but also maintain the versatility and adaptability of fully active control systems. Among the many semiactive control devices, magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers comprise one particularly promising class. In the field of civil engineering, much research and development on MR fluid damper-based control systems has been conducted since this unique semiactive device was first introduced to civil engineering applications in mid 1990s. In 2001, MR fluid dampers were applied to the full-scale in-service civil engineering structures for the first time. This state-of-the-art paper includes a detailed literature review of dynamic models of MR fluid dampers for describing their complex dynamic behavior and control algorithms considering the characteristics of MR fluid dampers. This extensive review provides references to semiactive control systems using MR fluid dampers. The MR fluid damper-based semiactive control systems are shown to have the potential for mitigating the responses of full-scale civil engineering structures under natural hazards.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.963-995
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• 2015

The effectiveness of the various control algorithms for semi-active structural control systems proposed in the literature is highly questionable when dealing with earthquake actions, which never reach a steady state. From this perspective, the paper summarizes the results of an experimental activity aimed to compare the effectiveness of four different semi-active control algorithms on a structural mock up representative of a class of structural systems particularly prone to seismic actions. The controlled structure is a near full scale 2-story steel frame, equipped with two semi-active bracing systems including two magnetorheological dampers designed and manufactured in Europe. A set of earthquake records has been applied at the base of the structure, by utilizing a shaking table facility. Experimental results are compared in terms of displacements, absolute accelerations and energy dissipation capability. A further analysis on the percentage incidence of undesired and/or unpredictable operations corresponding to each algorithm gives an insight on some factors affecting the reliability and, in turn, the real effectiveness of semi-active structural control systems.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1005-1028
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• 2016

Two novel semi-active control methods for a seismically excited nonlinear benchmark building equipped with magnetorheological dampers are presented and evaluated in this paper. While a primary controller is designed to estimate the optimal control force of a magnetorheological (MR) damper, the required voltage input for the damper to produce such desired control force is achieved using two different methods. The first technique uses an optimal compact Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy inverse model of MR damper to predict the required voltage to actuate the MR dampers (TSKFInv). The other voltage regulator introduced here works based on the maximum and minimum capacities of MR damper at each time-step (MaxMin). Both semi-active algorithms developed here, use acceleration feedback only. The results demonstrate that both TSKFInv and MaxMin algorithms are quite effective in seismic response reduction for wide range of motions from moderate to severe seismic events, compared with the passive systems and performs better than original and Modified clipped optimal controller systems, known as COC and MCOC.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.235-256
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• 2005

The non-linear behaviour of electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) dampers makes it difficult to design effective control strategies, and as a consequence a wide range of control systems have been proposed in the literature. These previous studies have not always compared the performance to equivalent passive systems, alternative control designs, or idealised active systems. As a result it is often impossible to compare the performance of different smart damper control strategies. This article provides some insight into the relative performance of two MR damper control strategies: on/off control and feedback linearisation. The performance of both strategies is benchmarked against ideal passive, semi-active and fully active damping. The study relies upon a previously developed model of an MR damper, which in this work is validated experimentally under closed-loop conditions with a broadband mechanical excitation. Two vibration isolation case studies are investigated: a single-degree-of-freedom mass-isolator, and a two-degree-of-freedom system that represents a vehicle suspension system. In both cases, a variety of broadband mechanical excitations are used and the results analysed in the frequency domain. It is shown that although on/off control is more straightforward to implement, its performance is worse than the feedback linearisation strategy, and can be extremely sensitive to the excitation conditions.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.435-451
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• 2013

High-rise buildings are a common feature of urban cities around the world. These flexible structures frequently exhibit large vibration due to strong winds and earthquakes. Structural control has been employed as an effective means to mitigate excessive responses; however, structural control mechanisms that can be used in tall buildings are limited primarily to mass and liquid dampers. An attractive alternative can be found in outrigger damping systems, where the bending deformation of the building is transformed into shear deformation across dampers placed between the outrigger and the perimeter columns. The outrigger system provides additional damping that can reduce structural responses, such as the floor displacements and accelerations. This paper investigates the potential of using smart dampers, specifically magnetorheological (MR) fluid dampers, in the outrigger system. First, a high-rise building is modeled to portray the St. Francis Shangri-La Place in Philippines. The optimal performance of the outrigger damping system for mitigation of seismic responses in terms of damper size and location also is subsequently evaluated. The efficacy of the semi-active damped outrigger system is finally verified through numerical simulation.