• International Journal of High-Rise Buildings
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2021

In 2016, an innovative liquid damper system was installed on the roof of a 35-story modular building in Brooklyn, NY to mitigate wind-induced movement of the structure. The new damper presented several advantages over traditional pendulum, liquid column or sloshing dampers, including lower fabrication and maintenance costs, modularity, and the flexibility to be tuned to a wider range of frequencies. The performance of the system was monitored on a regular basis over the past four years and found adequate, with only minor re-tuning and maintenance operations needed. Based on the experience and data gained through this project, a second iteration of the damper was developed. Called Hummingbird, the improved system further mitigates maintenance and tuning concerns, while allowing significant space savings.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.6 no.3 s.21
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• pp.59-67
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• 2006

A conventional passive TMD is only effective when it is tuned properly. In many practical applications, inevitable off-tuning of a TMD occurs because the mass in a building floor could change by moving furnishings, people gathering, etc. when TMDs are offtuned, TMDs their effectiveness is sharply reduced. Moreover, the off-tuned nTMDs can excessively amplify the vibration levels of the primary structures. This paper discusses the application of a new class of MR damper, for the reduction of floor vibrations due to machine and human movements. The STMD introduced uses a MR damper called to semi-active damper to achieve reduction in the floor vibration. Here, the STMD and the groundhook algorithm are applied to a single degree of freedom system representative of building floors. The performance or the STMD is compared to that or the equivalent passive TMD. In addition, the effects of off-tuning due to variations in the mass of the floor system. Comparison of the results demonstrates the efficiency and robustness or STMD with respect to equivalent TMD.

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

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.231-256
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• 2016

This study concerns the derivation of optimum tuning formulas for a passive Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) device, for the case of benchmark ideal excitations acting on a single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) damped primary structure. The free TMD parameters are tuned first through a non-linear gradient-based optimisation algorithm, for the case of harmonic or white noise excitations, acting either as force on the SDOF primary structure or as base acceleration. The achieved optimum TMD parameters are successively interpolated according to appropriate analytical fitting proposals, by non-linear least squares, in order to produce simple and effective TMD tuning formulas. In particular, two fitting models are presented. The main proposal is composed of a simple polynomial relationship, refined within the fitting process, and constitutes the optimum choice. A second model refers to proper modifications of literature formulas for the case of an undamped primary structure. The results in terms of final (interpolated) optimum TMD parameters and of device effectiveness in reducing the structural dynamic response are finally displayed and discussed in detail, showing the wide and ready-to-use validity of the proposed optimisation procedure and achieved tuning formulas. Several post-tuning trials have been carried out as well on SDOF and MDOF shear-type frame buildings, by confirming the effective benefit provided by the proposed optimum TMD.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.776-785
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• 2006

Ship builder's requirement for a higher power output rating has lead to the development of super large two stroke low speed diesel engines. Usually a large-sized bore ranging from 8-14 cylinders, this engine group is capable of delivering power output of more than 100,000 bhp at maximum continuous rating. Other positive aspects of this engine type include higher thermal efficiency, reliability, durability and mobility. This all playa vital role in meeting the propulsion requirement of vessels, specifically for large container ships, of which speed is a primary concern to become more competitive. Consequently, this also resulted in the modification of engine parameters and new component designs to meet the consequential higher mean effective pressure and higher maximum combustion pressure. Even though the fundamental excitation mechanism unchanged, torsional vibration stresses in the propulsion shafting are subsequently perceived to be higher. As such, one important viewpoint in the initial engine design is the resulting vibration characteristic expected to prevail on the propulsion shafting system(PSS). This paper investigated the torsional vibration characteristics of these super large engines. For the two node torsional vibration with a nodal point on the crankshaft, a tuning damper is necessary to reduce the torsional stresses on the crankshaft. Hence, the tuning torsional vibration damper design and compatibility to the shafting system was similarly reviewed and analyzed.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2007.04a
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• pp.607-612
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• 2007

A conventional passive TMD is only effective when it is tuned properly. In many practical applications, inevitable off-tuning of a TMD occurs because the mass in a building floor could change by moving furnishings, people gathering, etc. When TMDs are off tuned, TMDs their effectiveness is sharply reduced. This paper discusses the application of MR-TMD, semi-active damper, for the reduction of floor vibrations due to machine and human movements. Here, the groundhook and skyhook algorithm are applied to a single degree of freedom system representative of building floors. And displacement and velocity base control method are applied to reduce t100r vibration. The performance of the STMD is compared to that of the equivalent passive TMD. Comparison of the results demonstrates the efficiency and robustness of STMD with respect to equivalent TMD.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.549-560
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• 2022

The optimum damping and tuning frequency ratio of the tuned mass damper-inerter (TMDI) for the base-isolated structure is obtained using the numerical searching technique under stationary white-noise and filtered white-noise earthquake excitation. The minimization of the isolated structure's mean-square relative displacement and absolute acceleration, as well as the maximization of the energy dissipation index, were chosen as the criteria for optimality. Using a curve-fitting technique, explicit formulae for TMDI damping and tuning frequency for white-noise excitation are then derived. The proposed empirical expressions for TMDI parameters are found to have a negligible error, making them useful for the effective design of base-isolated structures. The effectiveness of TMDI and its optimum parameters are influenced by the soil condition and isolation frequency, according to the comparison made of the optimized parameters and response with different soil profiles. The effectiveness of an optimally designed TMDI in controlling the displacement and acceleration response of the flexible isolated structure under real and pulse-type earthquakes is also observed and found to be increased as the inertance mass ratio increases.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.91-100
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• 2016

A retractable-roof spatial structure is frequently used for a stadium and sports hall. A retractable-roof spatial structure allows natural lighting, ventilation, optimal conditions for grass growth with opened roof. It can also protects users against various weather conditions and give optimal circumstances for different activities. Dynamic characteristics of a retractable-roof spatial structure is changed based on opened or closed roof condition. A tuned mass damper (TMD) is widely used to reduce seismic responses of a structure. When a TMD is properly tuned, its control performance is excellent. Opened or closed roof condition causes dynamic characteristics variation of a retractable-roof spatial structure resulting in off-tuning. This dynamic characteristics variation was investigated. Control performance of a passive TMD and a smart TMD were evaluated under off-tuning condition.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.339-355
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• 2009

The sealed, tuned liquid column gas damper (TLCGD) with gas-spring effect extends the frequency range of application up to about 5 Hz and efficiently increases the modal structural damping. In this paper the influence of several TLCGDs to reduce coupled translational and rotational vibrations of plan-asymmetric buildings under wind or seismic loads is investigated. The locations of the modal centers of velocity of rigidly assumed floors are crucial to select the design and the optimal position of the liquid absorbers. TLCGD's dynamics can be derived in detail using the extended non-stationary Bernoulli's equation for moving reference systems. Modal tuning of the TLCGD renders the optimal parameters by means of a geometrical transformation and in analogy to the classical tuned mass damper (TMD). Subsequently, fine-tuning is conveniently performed in the state space domain. Numerical simulations illustrate a significant reduction of the vibrations of plan-asymmetric buildings by the proposed TLCGDs.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.543-558
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• 2005

The natural frequencies of a long span bridge vary during its construction and it is thus difficult to apply traditional tuned liquid column dampers (TLCD) with a fixed configuration to reduce bridge vibration. The restriction of TLCD imposed by frequency tuning requirement also make it difficult to be applied to structure with either very low or high natural frequency. A semi-active tuned liquid column damper (SATLCD), whose natural frequency can be altered by active control of liquid column pressure, is studied in this paper. The principle of SATLCD with adaptive tuning capacity is first introduced. The analytical models are then developed for lateral vibration of a structure with SATLCD and torsional vibration of a structure with SATLCD, respectively, under either harmonic or white noise excitation. The non-linear damping property of SATLCD is linearized by an equivalent linearization technique. Extensive parametric studies are finally carried out in the frequency domain to find the beneficial parameters by which the maximum vibration reduction can be achieved. The key parameters investigated include the distance from the centre line of SATLCD to the rotational axis of a structure, the ratio of horizontal length to the total length of liquid column, head loss coefficient, and frequency offset ratio. The investigations demonstrate that SATLCD can provide a greater flexibility for its application in practice and achieve a high degree of vibration reduction. The sensitivity of SATLCD to the frequency offset between the damper and structure can be improved by adapting its frequency precisely to the measured structural frequency.