• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.88 no.3
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• pp.221-238
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• 2023

This paper developed and examined a novel passive vibration isolator (i.e., "X-inerter") motivated by combining a bio-inspired structure and a rack-pinion inerter. The bio-inspired structure provided nonlinear stiffness and damping owing to its geometric nonlinearity. In addition, the behavior was further enhanced by a gear inerter that produced a special nonlinear inertia effect; thus, an X-inerter was developed. As a result, the X-inerter can achieve both high-static-low-dynamic stiffness (HSLDS) and quasi-zero stiffness (QZS), obtaining ultra-low frequency isolation. Furthermore, the installed inerter can produce a coupled nonlinear inertia and damping effect, leading to an anti-resonance frequency near the resonance, wide isolation region, and low resonance peak. Both static and dynamic analyses of the proposed isolator were conducted and the structural parameters' influence was comprehensively investigated. The X-inerter was proven to be comparatively more stable in the ultra-low frequency than the benchmarking QZS isolator due to the nonlinear damping and inertia properties. Moreover, the inertia effect could suppress the bio-inspired structure's super- and sub-harmonic resonance. Therefore, the X-inerter isolator generally possesses desirable nonlinear stiffness, nonlinear damping, and unique nonlinear inertia, designed to achieve the ultra-low natural frequency, the anti-resonance property, and a wide isolation region with a low resonance peak.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.76 no.6
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• pp.709-724
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• 2020

The typical inerter system, the tuned viscous mass damper (TVMD), has been proven to be efficient. It is characterized by an energy-dissipation-enhancement effect, whereby the dashpot deformation of TVMD can be amplified for enhanced energy dissipation efficiency. However, existing studies related to TVMD have mainly been performed on elastic structures, so the working mechanism remains unclear for nonlinear structures. To deal with this, an energy-spectrum analysis framework is developed systematically for classic bilinear hysteretic structures with TVMD. Considering the soil effect, typical bedrock records are propagated through the soil deposit, for which the designed input energy spectra are proposed by considering the TVMD parameters and structural nonlinear properties. Furthermore, the energy-dissipation-enhancement effect of TVMD is quantitatively evaluated for bilinear hysteretic structures. The results show that the established designed input energy spectra can be employed to evaluate the total energy-dissipation burden for a nonlinear TVMD structure. Particularly, the stiffness of TVMD is the dominant factor in adjusting the total input energy. Compared with the case of elastic structures, the energy-dissipation-enhancement effect of TVMD for nonlinear structures is weakened so that the expected energy-dissipation effect of TVMD is replaced by the accumulated energy dissipation of the primary structure.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.89 no.4
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• pp.383-397
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• 2024

To improve the vibration control performance and applicability of traditional particle tuned mass damper (PTMD) and realize the significant characteristic of lightweight design, this study proposes a novel particle tuned mass inerter system (PTMIS) by introducing inerter system (IS) to the PTMD. In the study, the motion equation of single degree of freedom (SDOF) structure attached with PTMIS is established first, then the variation law of the system's vibration reduction performance (VRP) is discussed through parameter analysis, and it is compared with the PTMD to analyze its VRP advantages. Finally, its vibration reduction (VR) mechanism from the perspective of core control force and energy analysis is explored, and its cavity relative displacement from the application perspective is analyzed. The results show that the PTMIS can remarkably improve the vibration control effectiveness of the PTMD. The reason is that the inerter can store energy and transfer the energy to the cavity and particles, which further stimulates the interaction between the two parts, thereby improving the nonlinear energy consumption effectiveness. Also, the IS can amplify the damping element's energy dissipation efficiency. In addition, the PTMIS can effectively reduce the working stroke of the PTMD, and through the analysis of the lightweight characteristics of the PTMIS, it is found that its lightweight advantage can reach nearly 100%.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2024

In order to enhance the seismic performance of base-isolated structures on soft foundations, the hybrid system of base-isolated system (BIS) and shape memory alloy inerter (SMAI), referred to as BIS+SMAI, is for the first time here proposed. Considering the nonlinear hysteretic relationships of both the isolation layer and SMA, and soil-structure interaction (SSI), the equivalent linearized state space equation is established of the structure-BIS+SMAI system. The displacement variance based on the H₂ norm is then formulated for the structure with BIS+SMAI. Employing the particle swarm optimization, the optimization design methodology of BIS+SMAI is presented in the frequency domain. The evolvement rules of BIS+SMAI in the effectiveness, robustness, SMA driving force, inertia force, stroke, and damping enhancement effect are revealed in the frequency domain through changing the inerter-mass ratio, structural height, aspect ratio, and relative stiffness ratio between the soil and structure. Meanwhile, the validation of BIS+SMAI is conducted using real earthquake records. Results demonstrate that BIS+SMAI can effectively reduce the isolation layer displacement. The inerter can significantly increase the hysteretic displacement of SMA and thus enhance its energy dissipation capacity, implying that BIS+SMAI has better effectiveness than BIS+SMA. Although BIS+SMAI and BIS+ tuned inerter damper (TID) have practically the same effectiveness, BIS+SMAI has the lower optimum damping, significantly smaller inertia force, and higher robustness to perturbations of the optimum parameters. Therefore, BIS+SMAI can be used as a more engineering realizable hybrid system for enhancing the performance of base-isolated structures in soft soil areas.