Development and Vibration Control of Frequency Adjustable Tuned Mass Damper Based on Magnetorheological Elastomer

Abstract

Tuned mass dampers (TMD) have been widely used in passive vibration control, but their main disadvantage is that the vibration reduction effect may be greatly affected by the natural frequency of the main structure. In order to solve this limitation, we designed a frequency adjustable tuned mass damper (FATMD) based on a magneto rheological elastomer (MRE), which is a new type of magneto rheological smart material, with adjustable stiffness, obtained by changing the magnetic induction. We used MRE to change the stiffness of FATMD to track the natural frequency of the main structure. However, adding TMD will change the natural frequency of the system. Therefore, we combined Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) and a natural excitation technique (NExT), with Simulink/dSPACE, to identify the natural frequency of the system in real time, and then calculated the natural frequency of the main structure through the TMD optimal design theory. This can help adjust FATMD to its optimum tuning state. To verify the applicability and effectiveness of FATMD, this paper compares the FATMD and traditional TMD experimental results. The natural frequency of steel beams can be changed by adding mass blocks. The experimental results indicate that FATMD, using the frequency tracking method, can effectively track the natural frequency of the main structure to ensure that the system is always in the optimum tuning state. In addition, FATMD can still achieve a good vibration reduction effect when the natural frequency of the main structure changes.

Effects of Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Oxide Incorporation on the Improvements of Magneto-Induced Electrical Sensitivity of Magneto-Rheological Gel

“…Expeditious developments in research to design a tunable vibration absorber (TVA) are the focus of much recent investigation to satisfy the requirements of various applications for suppressing unwanted vibrations [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Magneto-rheological (MR) materials, including MR elastomers (MRE) and MR gel (MRG), and polymer matrix incorporating carbonyl iron powder (CIP), are regarded as a possible candidates for application in the TVA systems [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The CIP-based chain structures in MR materials are able to be aligned as an external magnetic force is applied to the MR materials, and can change their stiffness and damping, which is called the MR effect [ 7 ].…”