• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.219-233
• /
• 2014

In a companion paper, Pasala and Nagarajaiah analytically and experimentally validate the Adaptive Length Pendulum Smart Tuned Mass Damper (ALP-STMD) on a primary structure (2 story steel structure) whose frequencies are time invariant (Pasala and Nagarajaiah 2012). In this paper, the ALP-STMD effectiveness on a primary structure whose frequencies are time varying is studied experimentally. This study experimentally validates the ability of an ALP-STMD to adequately control a structural system in the presence of real time changes in primary stiffness that are detected by a real time observer based system identification. The experiments implement the newly developed Adaptive Length Pendulum Smart Tuned Mass Damper (ALP-STMD) which was first introduced and developed by Nagarajaiah (2009), Nagarajaiah and Pasala (2010) and Nagarajaiah et al. (2010). The ALP-STMD employs a mass pendulum of variable length which can be tuned in real time to the parameters of the system using sensor feedback. The tuning action is made possible by applying a current to a shape memory alloy wire changing the effective length that supports the damper mass assembly in real time. Once a stiffness change in the structural system is detected by an open loop observer, the ALP-STMD is re-tuned to the modified system parameters which successfully reduce the response of the primary system. Significant performance improvement is illustrated for the stiffness modified system, which undergoes the re-tuning adaptation, when compared to the stiffness modified system without adaptive re-tuning.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
• /
• 2012.11a
• /
• pp.181-184
• /
• 2012

The Tuned Pendulum Slab Damper(TPSD)system is mainly composed of suspended pendulum slab which was hanging with cable wire from the top floor of building without any extra loads structurally, and can be helpful to reduce vibration with effect of tuned mass damper function by the principle of pendulum movement. The experiment was performed with miniatures of the 30stories of steel structure building by the forced vibration test using shaking table, and the result was reduced about 42% of vibration. The purpose of this study was to make analysis of application of the TPSD system to new building and exist building against strong wind or seismic wave. The result of this study was that the TPSD system shall be satisfactory in field of execution, process control, safety and economical efficiency with saving up to 70% of construction cost.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.66 no.2
• /
• pp.161-172
• /
• 2018

The passive control of structures using a pendulum tuned mass damper has been extensively studied in the technical literature. As the frequency of the pendulum depends only on its length and the acceleration of gravity, to tune the frequency of the pendulum with that of the structure, the pendulum length is the only design variable. However, in many cases, the required length and the space necessary for its installation are not compatible with the design. In these cases, one can replace the classical pendulum by a virtual pendulum which consists of a mass moving over a curved surface, allowing thus for a greater flexibility in the absorber design, since the length of the pendulum becomes irrelevant and the shape of the curved surface can be optimized. A mathematical model for a building with a pendular tuned mass damper and a detailed parametric analysis is conducted to study the influence of this device on the nonlinear oscillations and stability of the main system under harmonic and seismic base excitation. In addition to the circular profiles, different curved surfaces with softening and hardening characteristics are analyzed. Also, the influence of impact on energy dissipation is considered. A detailed parametric analysis is presented showing that the proposed damper can not only reduce sharply the displacements, and consequently the internal forces in the main structure, but also the accelerations, increasing user comfort. A review of the relevant aspects is also presented.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.203-217
• /
• 2014

Due to the shift in paradigm from passive control to adaptive control, smart tuned mass dampers (STMDs) have received considerable attention for vibration control in tall buildings and bridges. STMDs are superior to tuned mass dampers (TMDs) in reducing the response of the primary structure. Unlike TMDs, STMDs are capable of accommodating the changes in primary structure properties, due to damage or deterioration, by tuning in real time based on a local feedback. In this paper, a novel adaptive-length pendulum (ALP) damper is developed and experimentally verified. Length of the pendulum is adjusted in real time using a shape memory alloy (SMA) wire actuator. This can be achieved in two ways i) by changing the amount of current in the SMA wire actuator or ii) by changing the effective length of current carrying SMA wire. Using an instantaneous frequency tracking algorithm, the dominant frequency of the structure can be tracked from a local feedback signal, then the length of pendulum is adjusted to match the dominant frequency. Effectiveness of the proposed ALP-STMD mechanism, combined with the STFT frequency tracking control algorithm, is verified experimentally on a prototype two-storey shear frame. It has been observed through experimental studies that the ALP-STMD absorbs most of the input energy associated in the vicinity of tuned frequency of the pendulum damper. The reduction of storey displacements up to 80 % when subjected to forced excitation (harmonic and chirp-signal) and a faster decay rate during free vibration is observed in the experiments.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.65-80
• /
• 2020

In order to protect a structure over its full life cycle, a novel tuned mass damper (TMD), the so-called semi-active eddy current pendulum tuned mass damper (SAEC-PTMD), which can retune its frequency and damping ratio in real-time, is proposed in this study. The structural instantaneous frequency is identified through a Hilbert-Huang transformation (HHT), and the SAEC-PTMD pendulum is adjusted through an HHT-based control algorithm. The eddy current damping parameters are discussed, and the relationship between effective damping coefficients and air gaps is fitted through a polynomial function. The semi-active eddy current damping can be adjusted in real-time by adjusting the air gap based on the linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG)-based control algorithm. To verify the vibration control effect of the SAEC-PTMD, an idealized linear primary structure equipped with an SAEC-PTMD excited by harmonic excitations and near-fault pulse-like earthquake excitations is proposed as one of the two case studies. Under strong earthquakes, structures may go into the nonlinear state, while the Bouc-Wen model has a wild application in simulating the hysteretic characteristic. Therefore, in the other case study, a nonlinear primary structure based on the Bouc-Wen model is proposed. An optimal passive TMD is used for comparison and the detuning effect, which results from the cumulative damage to primary structures, is considered. The maximum and root-mean-square (RMS) values of structural acceleration and displacement time history response, structural acceleration, and displacement response spectra are used as evaluation indices. Power analyses for one earthquake excitation are presented as an example to further study the energy dissipation effect of an SAECPTMD. The results indicate that an SAEC-PTMD performs better than an optimized passive TMD, both before and after damage occurs to the primary structure.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.145-156
• /
• 2024

Pendulum tuned mass damper with eddy current damping (EC-PTMD) is a promising TMD device for vibration control of structures. Previous study focused primarily on the plate-like configuration of EC-PTMD, which motion of inertial mass is approximately horizontal. However, uneven distribution of damping force, non-constant damping and low energy efficiency will be resulted. This study developed a newly assembled pendulum tuned mass damper with constant eddy current damping (AEC-PTMD) in the form of arc. The proposed AEC-PTMD consists of a rigid suspension with sufficient lateral stiffness to keep inertial mass motion in a plane, the conductor plate fixed on the baseplate, and arc-shaped back iron acted as inertial mass placed on two sides of conductor plate. Meanwhile, the arc-shaped permanent magnets (PMs) are embedded into both sides of back iron to overcome the normal attraction and enhance greater magnetic density. Based on the Biot-Savart Law, the analytical expressions of magnetic flux distribution for arc-shaped PM are derived and assessed. Meanwhile, the effect of ferromagnetic media on magnetic flux distribution of arc-shaped PM is analyzed, which utilized a parameterization formula for the distance from the surface of the PM to a point outside. Further, the 3D finite element model (FEM) of an AEC-PTMD unit is established to evaluate the accuracy of the analytical results. A prototype of the proposed AEC-PTMD unit has been fabricated and laboratory experiments are conducted for the purpose of validating analytical and FEM results. All of these results have a good agreement.

• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.167-176
• /
• 2016

This paper describes a large tuned mass damper (TMD) developed as an effective seismic control device for an existing highrise building. To realize this system, two challenges needed to be overcome. One was how to support a huge mass that has to move in any direction, and the second was how to control mass displacement that reaches up to two meters. A simple pendulum mechanism with strong wires was adopted to solve the first problem. As a solution to the important latter problem, we developed a high-function oil damper with a unique hydraulic circuit. When the mass velocity reaches a certain value, which was predetermined by considering the permissible displacement, the damper automatically and drastically increases its damping coefficient and limits the mass velocity. This velocity limit function can effectively and stably control the mass displacement without any external power. This paper first examines the requirements of the TMD using a simple model and clarifies the constitution of the actual TMD system. Then the seismic upgrading project of an existing high-rise building is outlined, and the developed TMD system and the results of performance tests are described. Finally, control effects for design earthquakes are demonstrated through response analyses and construction progress is introduced.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.319-341
• /
• 2014

A family of smart tuned mass dampers (STMDs) with variable frequency and damping properties is analyzed under harmonic excitations and ground motions. Two types of STMDs are studied: one is realized by a semi-active independently variable stiffness (SAIVS) device and the other is realized by a pendulum with an adjustable length. Based on the feedback signal, the angle of the SAIVS device or the length of the pendulum is adjusted by using a servomotor such that the frequency of the STMD matches the dominant excitation frequency in real-time. Closed-form solutions are derived for the two types of STMDs under harmonic excitations and ground motions. Results indicate that a small damping ratio (zero damping is the best theoretically) and an appropriate mass ratio can produce significant reduction when compared to the case with no tuned mass damper. Experiments are conducted to verify the theoretical result of the smart pendulum TMD (SPTMD). Frequency tuning of the SPTMD is implemented through tracking and analyzing the signal of the excitation using a short time Fourier transformation (STFT) based control algorithm. It is found that the theoretical model can predict the structural responses well. Both the SAIVS STMD and the SPTMD can significantly attenuate the structural responses and outperform the conventional passive TMDs.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.15-42
• /
• 2024

A flexible-base coupled-two-beam (CTB) discrete model with equivalent tuned mass dampers is used to assess the effect of soil-structure interaction (SSI) and different types of lateral resisting systems on the design of passive dynamic absorbers (PDAs) under the action of along-wind and across-wind loads due to vortex shedding. A total of five different PDAs are considered in this study: (1) tuned mass damper (TMD), (2) circular tuned sloshing damper (C-TSD), (3) rectangular tuned sloshing damper (R-TSD), (4) two-way liquid damper (TWLD) and (5) pendulum tuned mass damper (PTMD). By modifying the non-dimensional lateral stiffness ratio, the CTB model can consider lateral deformations varying from those of a flexural cantilever beam to those of a shear cantilever beam. The Monte Carlo simulation method was used to generate along-wind and across-wind loads correlated along the height of a real shear wall-frame building, which has similar fundamental periods of vibration and different modes of lateral deformation in the xz and yz planes, respectively. Ambient vibration tests were conducted on the building to identify its real lateral behavior and thus choose the most suitable parameters for the CTB model. Both alongwind and across-wind responses of the 144-meter-tall building were computed considering four soil types (hard rock, dense soil, stiff soil and soft soil) and a single PDA on its top, that is, 96 time-history analyses were carried out to assess the effect of SSI and lateral resisting system on the PDAs design. Based on the parametric analyses, the response significantly increases as the soil flexibility increases for both type of lateral wind loads, particularly for flexural-type deformations. The results show a great effectiveness of PDAs in controlling across-wind peak displacements and both along-wind and across-wind RMS accelerations, on the contrary, PDAs were ineffective in controlling along-wind peak displacements on all soil types and different kind of lateral deformation. Generally speaking, the maximum possible value of the PDA mass efficiency index increases as the soil flexibility increases, on the contrary, it decreases as the non-dimensional lateral stiffness ratio of the building increases; therefore, there is a significant increase of the vibration control effectiveness of PDAs for lateral flexural-type deformations on soft soils.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.227-240
• /
• 2000

The study of the optimal damping ratio of a tuned liquid-column damper (or TLCD) attached to a single-degree-of-freedom system is presented. The tuned liquid-column damper is composed of two vertical columns connected by a horizontal section in the bottom and partially filled with water. The ratio of the length of the horizontal section to the effective wetted length of a TLCD considered as another important parameter is also presented for investigation. A simple pendulum-like model test is conducted to simulate a long-period motion in order to prove the effectiveness of TLCD for vibrational control. Comparisons of the experimental and analytic results of the TLCD, TLD (tuned-liquid damper), and TMD (tuned-mass damper) are included for discussion.