Dynamic characteristics of a novel inerter-enhanced tuned mass damper for structural vibration control

The present study investigated the dynamic characteristics of a novel inerter-enhanced non-traditional tuned mass damper, referred to as tuned series inerter damper (TSID), for structural vibration control. The proposed TSID model consists of a series layout of a spring, dashpot, and inerter, which is a mechanical two-terminal device whose resisting force is proportional to the relative acceleration between its terminals. Both time- and Laplace-domain representations of the TSID were presented, and closed-form solutions to the optimum parameters of the TSID controlled system were derived on the basis of the fixed-point theory. Parametric studies were conducted to investigate the influence of the mass ratio on the dynamic characteristics of the TSID controlled system in terms of the structural steady-state and transient responses. Comparison studies between the structure incorporated with optimally designed TSID and TMD suggest that the TSID can be advantageous over the traditional TMD in simultaneously controlling the structural displacement and damper stroke. The large practically achievable apparent mass of the TSID with a light physical weight makes it more attractive to serve as a viable option for structural vibration control.