The variable resonance magnetorheological pendulum tuned mass damper: Mathematical modelling and seismic experimental studies

Tuned mass damper technologies are progressively advancing through innovative application of smart materials, facilitating more versatile infrastructure protection. During seismic events, primarily encountered surrounding fault lines, high-rise buildings and other civil structures can suffer catastrophic failures if not adequately protected. Where traditional passive structural protection may mitigate such damage, adaptive systems which provide controllable vibration attenuation across a wide range of excitation frequencies have seen growth in use, overcoming the challenges resulting from unpredictable seismic spectrums. As a robust solution to this problem, this article presents and analyses a variable resonance magnetorheological-fluid-based pendulum tuned mass damper which employs a rotary magnetorheological damper in a controllable differential transmission to add stiffness to a swinging pendulum mass. The device is mathematically modelled based on magnetic field analysis, the Bingham plastic shear-stress model for magnetorheological fluids, and planetary gearbox kinematic and torque relationships, with the model then being validated against experimental data. The passive and semi-active-controlled performance of the device in seismic vibration suppression is then experimentally investigated using a scale five-storey building. In tests conducted with the 1985 Mexico City record, the semi-active device outperformed the (optimal) passive-on tuning, at best reducing peak displacement by 15.47% and acceleration by 28.28%, with similar improvement seen against the passive-off case for the 1940 El Centro record.