Search Results (11)

Today, various systems are used to reduce vibrations in civil engineering structures. Among these systems, tuned liquid dampers are the preferred passive systems due to their ability to be designed in different geometries, their low cost, their ease of installation, and their low maintenance costs. This study examines the effectiveness of tuned liquid dampers (TLD) and tuned liquid column dampers (TLCD) under identical geometric conditions and harmonic ground motion to assess which is more efficient in controlling the behavior of a three-storey steel shear frame model equipped with these systems. A small-scale, three-storey shear frame model placed on a uniaxial shaking table was subjected to harmonic motion with a 5 mm amplitude, 1.4 Hz frequency, and 10 cycles. The chosen frequency aligns with the resonance frequency of the undamped building model’s first mode. Both TLD and TLCD tanks, positioned atop the structure, share a geometry of 30 cm in length and 10 cm in width, with variable liquid heights of 5, 10, 15, and 20 cm. Mounting TLD and TLCD models with four different liquid heights on the undamped model resulted in nine distinct setups. In this designed scenario, the TLDs and TLCDs on the undamped shear frame were compared according to liquid heights at rest. To identify the best-performing system based on liquid height, response displacement–frequency graphs were generated for all models within a frequency range of 0.5–2.5 Hz, and damping ratios were calculated using the half-power bandwidth method. Additionally, harmonic ground motion experiments at the resonance frequency compared both acceleration and displacement values over time for damped and undamped models. Peak acceleration and displacement values on each floor were also analyzed. The results highlight which system proves more effective based on damping ratio, acceleration, and displacement values under equivalent conditions. Full article

Tuned liquid column damper (TLCD) is a well-known liquid damper designed to absorb the vibration of structures used in many applications, such as high-story buildings, wind turbines, and offshore platforms, requiring an accurate mathematical determination of the liquid level to model the TLCD structure system motion. The mathematical model of a TLCD is a nonlinear ordinary differential equation, unlike the structure, due to the term containing a viscous damping coefficient, and cannot be solved analytically. In this study, the fluid behavior of a TLCD without an orifice, directly connected to a shaking table under harmonic excitation, was investigated experimentally and a new linearization coefficient was proposed to be used in the mathematical model. First, the nonlinear mathematical model was transformed to a nondimensional form to better analyze the parameter relations, focusing on the steady-state amplitude of the liquid level during the harmonic excitation. The experimental data were then processed using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method, and a correlation to calculate the viscous damping coefficient was proposed in the dimensionless form. Accordingly, a novel empirical model was proposed for the dimensionless steady-state amplitude of the liquid level using this correlation. Finally, with the help of the proposed correlation and the empirical model, an original linearization coefficient was introduced which does not need experimental data. The nonlinear mathematical model was linearized by using the developed linearization coefficient and solved analytically using the Laplace transform method. The study presents a generalized method for the analytical determination of the liquid level in a non-orifice TLCD under harmonic excitation, using a correlation and an empirical model proposed for the first time in this study, providing a novel and simple solution to be used in the examination of various TLCD structure systems. Full article

To address the unstable motion of a tension leg platform (TLP) for floating wind turbines in various sea conditions, an improved method of incorporating a tuned liquid multi-column damper (TLMCD) into the TLP foundation is proposed. In order to evaluate the control effect of TLMCD on the motion response of the floating foundation, a multiphase flow solver based on a viscous flow CFD method and overlapping grid technique is applied to model the coupled multi-body dynamics interaction problem involving liquid tanks, waves, and a spring mooring system. This method has been proven to accurately capture the high-frequency motions of the structure and account for complex viscous interferences affecting the geometric motions. Additionally, the volume of fluid (VOF) method and the first-order linear superposition method are used to model the focused wave, enabling a simulation of the effects of transient wave loads on the floating foundation. The results show that the tuned damping effect of TLMCD on the TLP is mainly in the pitch motion, with the maximum pitch amplitude control volume ratio of TLMCD reaching up to 86% and the maximum surge amplitude control volume ratio of TLMCD reaching up to 25.2% under the operating conditions. These findings highlight the potential for additional research on and implementation of TLMCD technology. Full article

Integrating existing liquid storage and supply tanks in buildings with tuned liquid dampers (TLDs) are significant for reducing the effective cost of TLDs. However, existing water supplement devices for fire-suppression liquid tanks may overfill with water, which leads to TLD mistuning. To overcome this problem, a passive liquid control system named TLD with a stable replenishment sub-tank system (TLD-SRS) is proposed. The system, which consists of an additional sub-tank connected to the main tank and a floating ball, replenishes liquid in the TLD automatically. The system can avoid vibration interference and maintain the normal operation of the passive replenishment system under usual wind loads. According to the studies of tuned liquid column dampers (TLCD), the proposed TLD with a stable replenishment sub-tank system (TLD-SRS) uses simple devices to ensure that the liquid level in the TLD is steady at the target liquid level with a floating ball. The TLD-SRS is verified on a large-scale TLD shaking table experiment. The overshoot, which is the percentage of liquid that exceeds the target volume of TLD is calculated during sloshing with wind loads. Compared with TLD installed with a regular liquid replenishment device, the proposed TLD-SRS significantly reduces the overshoot of liquid and acceleration on the roof of the building. Full article

Control of high-rise structures under seismic excitations was investigated using a passive hybrid control system consisting of a base-isolation (BI) subsystem and a passive tuned liquid column damper (TLCD) system. Both of the systems were optimized considering using the other system in the same structure. An optimization method was developed, and a computer code was written based on dynamic analysis of the structure and metaheuristic optimization methods. Within the scope of the study, a general solution was found by using many earthquake records during the optimization process. Moreover, one of the most suitable and successful metaheuristic algorithms was used in this study. In addition, numerical simulations were performed on a benchmark high-rise building structure to investigate the effectiveness of the optimized hybrid control system in controlling the seismic response of the building. The performance of the base-isolated TLCD-controlled structure was examined when the TLCD was placed on the base floor by using a set of 44 recorded ground motions as base excitations. Based on the results obtained from this study, the use of a base-isolation subsystem decoupling the superstructure from the ground motions by lowering the structure’s fundamental natural frequency reduces the structural responses of the building in most cases. The responses of the base-isolation subsystem were not too large since the parameters of the BI subsystem were optimized specifically for the investigated structure. Nevertheless, displacements of BI might exceed the maximum limit to undesirable values in some cases. The TLCD system appears to be quite effective in protecting the base-isolation subsystem by reducing its displacements to the maximum allowable limit or below when attached to it. Moreover, the proposed passive hybrid control system can effectively reduce the structural responses under seismic excitations. Full article

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel single tube semi-active tuned liquid gas damper (SA-TLGD) for suppressing horizontal vibrations of tower-like structures and to study its damping effectiveness. The main difference to the well-known state-of-the-art tuned liquid column damper (TLCD) is the special geometric shape of the developed SA-TLGD. Contrary to the TLCD, the presented SA-TLGD only consists of a single horizontal tube that is partially filled with water. A large deformable elastic membrane with neglectable stiffness is used as the interface between the liquid and the air. Both ends of the horizontal tube are sealed and the resulting gas spring is used as the restoring force and frequency tuning parameter, respectively. The developed SA-TLGD is a semi-active vibration damping device, where its natural frequency and magnitude of energy dissipation can be re-adjusted during operation. Due to the lack of any vertical tube parts, this new type of vibration absorber requires significantly less installation space compared to the classical TLCDs. The equations of motion of the SA-TLGD and the coupled main system are derived by the application of conservation of momentum. The procedure of optimal tuning of the SA-TLGD is presented, and computational numerical studies are performed to demonstrate the damper effectiveness. It is shown that the application of the developed SA-TLGD provides a large reduction in the maximum horizontal forced vibration amplitudes of tower like-structures and that its semi-active functionality enables the possibility of re-adjustment any time during the operation life of the structure. Full article

This paper reports the theoretical findings of the new modified type of tuned liquid column ball damper (TLCBD), called a tuned liquid column ball spring damper (TLCBSD). In this new modified form, the ball inside the horizontal section of the damper is attached to the spring. Furthermore, two types of this modified version are proposed, known as a tuned liquid column ball spring sliding damper (TLCBSSD) and a tuned liquid column ball spring rolling damper (TLCBSRD). In the former, the rotational motion of the ball attached to the spring is restricted, whereas in the latter, the ball attached to the spring can translate as well as rotate. Mathematical models and optimum design parameters are formulated for both types. The performance of these new modified damper versions is assessed numerically and subjected to harmonic, seismic, and impulse loadings. The results show that the performance of the newly proposed dampers is relatively better than traditional TLCBDs in harmonic and seismic excitations. The peak response reduction soon after the impact load becomes zero is comparatively better in TLCBSDs over TLCBDs. Overall, the newly proposed passive vibration control devices performed excellently in structure response reduction over TLCBDs. Full article

Wind power is a substantial resource to assist global efforts on the decarbonization of energy. The drive to increase capacity has led to ever-increasing blade tip heights and lightweight, slender towers. These structures are subject to a variety of environmental loads that give rise to vibrations with potentially catastrophic consequences, making the mitigation of the tower’s structural vibrations an important factor for low maintenance requirements and reduced damage risk. Recent advances in the most important vibration control methods for wind turbine towers are presented in this paper, exploring the impact of the installation environment harshness on the performance of state-of-the-art devices. An overview of the typical structural characteristics of a modern wind turbine tower is followed by a discussion of typical damages and their link to known collapse cases. Furthermore, the vibration properties of towers in harsh multi-hazard environments are presented and the typical design options are discussed. A comprehensive review of the most promising passive, active, and semi-active vibration control methods is conducted, focusing on recent advances around novel concepts and analyses of their performance under multiple environmental loads, including wind, waves, currents, and seismic excitations. The review highlights the benefits of installing structural systems in reducing the vibrational load of towers and therefore increasing their structural reliability and resilience to extreme events. It is also found that the stochastic nature of the typical tower loads remains a key issue for the design and the performance of the state-of-the-art vibration control methods. Full article

Substructure shake table testing (SSTT) is an advanced experimental technique that is suitable for investigating the vibration control of secondary structure-type dampers such as tuned mass dampers (TMDs). The primary structure and damper are considered as analytical and experimental substructures, respectively. The analytical substructures of existing SSTTs have mostly been simplified as SDOF structures or shear-type structures, which is not realistic. A common trend is to simulate the analytical substructure via the finite element (FE) method. In this study, the control effects of four dampers, i.e., TMD, tuned liquid damper (TLD), particle damper (PD) and particle-tuned mass damper (PTMD), on a frame were examined by conducting virtual SSTTs. The frame was modeled through stiffness-based beam-column elements with fiber sections and was solved by a family of model-based integration algorithms. The influences of the auxiliary mass ratio, integration parameters, time step, and time delay on SSTT were investigated. The results indicate that the TLD had the best performance. In addition, SSTT using model-based integration algorithms can provide satisfactory results, even when the time step is relatively large. The effects of integration parameters and time delay are not significant. Full article

In this study, a new multi-use offshore tension leg platform (TLP) was designed for wave energy production through an embedded wave energy converter (EWEC) system. The proposed EWEC system consists of four built-in tuned liquid column dampers for absorbing the hull motion energy and eight Wells turbines as the power take-off devices. A multifold nonlinear analytical model of this multibody system was developed considering the hydrodynamics of the TLP-EWEC system during large motions and the aerohydrodynamics of the chamber-turbine groups. A comprehensive assessment, including an evaluation of motion responses and preliminary generating capacity, was performed for different wave-load directions using the numerical time integration method. The results indicated that the multi-use platform can generate a considerable amount of turbine power for the offshore platform energy mix as well as serve for offshore oil and gas production in the target oil fields. Such additional benefits and profitability were proven effective and worthy for further exploration and practical application. Full article

Deep-sea floating platforms are one of the most important large structures for ocean energy exploitation. A new energy-absorbing device named S-shaped Tuned Liquid Column Damper (TLCD) has been invented for the suppression of the horizontal motion and vertical in-plane rotation of a deep-sea floating platform. A conventional tuned liquid column damper has a U-shaped water tunnel to absorb the excessive energy of the main structure. The application of U-shaped dampers in deep-sea floating platforms is difficult due to the restriction of a large horizontal length. A novel S-shaped damper is proposed to retain the same amount of liquid using a shorter S-shaped tunnel. Theoretical and experimental works are conducted and prove that an S-shaped damper needs less than half the horizontal length to provide the same suppression as a U-shaped damper. A coupling calculation model is proposed and followed by the sensitivity analysis. The study demonstrates the applicability of the novel S-shaped damper for the motion suppression in deep-sea floating platforms. Full article