Abstract

The effective frequency range of a controlled semiactive tuned mass damper equipped with a magnetorheological variable damping device is assessed. The phenomenological model for the magnetorheological damper and a sliding mode controller with a clipped-optimal control algorithm are used to simulate the semiactive tuned mass damper. Through numerical techniques, the responses of single degree of freedom and multi degree of freedom structures are simulated for an optimally tuned passive tuned mass damper, the semiactive sheme, and an ideal active mass driver. Development of the corresponding transfer functions demonstrates greater response mitigation around the tuned frequency and a wider band of attenuated frequencies for the controlled semiactive system, except for a small region at the resonance frequency. The control scheme is also capable of reaching higher modes. The capabilities and limitations of controlled magnetorheological dampers in tuned mass damper applications are to be further investigated to quantitatively assess the frequency reachability of the structural control scheme.