Numerical-experimental simulation of active flutter control for bridges

Abstract

A coupled numerical and experimental simulation is used to investigate active flutter control for wind-induced vibrations of a bridge girder. In addition to performance, the stability of a controlled aeroelastic structure is of great concern. The analytical model of the aeroelastic plant including flutter derivatives, is parametrized by frequency of motion and wind velocity. The flutter derivatives are obtained by the forced vibration method. The critical wind speeds of the uncontrolled and the controlled structure are determined analytically using the Hurwitz criterion and experimentally using the numerical–experimental set-up, which includes a scaled model in a water channel. The analytical and experimental results show good agreement. Control scenarios under smooth and turbulent flow conditions have been simulated. Furthermore, the effect of saturation in active control on performance and on flutter stability has been studied. The example of a long-span suspension bridge is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed coupled numerical and experimental scheme for flutter control simulation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.