Optimized Design of a Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI) Applied to Circular Section Members of Transmission Towers

Abstract

Wind loads can cause significant vibrations in circular section members, resulting in serious structural hazards. In order to control the vibration of the structure and mitigate the hazards, this study investigates the optimal design and carries out a performance evaluation of a tuned mass damper inerter (TMDI) designed for the vibration control of circular section members in structures. The TMDI system is a novel vibration reduction device that utilizes an inerter based on a tuned mass damper (TMD). The main structure is a simplified Euler beam made up of circular section members, and the mass of the TMDI is coupled to the main structure by a spring and damper, as well as to the ground via an inerter. The optimization objectives are to minimize the displacement variance and maximize the energy dissipation index (EDI), and two different optimization schemes are designed. In addition to the comparative analysis of the results obtained from the different optimization schemes, a sensitivity analysis of the design parameters is also performed, and the results show that TMDI not only effectively reduces the additional mass but also has better vibration control performance and robustness than the TMD.