Ricerc@Sapienza

The tuned mass-damper-inerter (TMDI) couples the classical tuned mass-damper (TMD) with an inerter device which develops a resisting force proportional to the relative acceleration of its ends by the “inertance” constant. Previous works demonstrated that the TMDI leads to efficient broadband vibration control for a range of different structures under different dynamic excitations.

The paper illustrates a methodology to perform the optimal design of a Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI) equipped on a multi degree of freedom (MDOF) structure through a generalized model. The TMDI is considered in both configurations grounded and ungrounded. A generalized 2-DOF model is obtained: the primary oscillator, representing the original MDOF structure and the secondary oscillator, representing the control system. A Gaussian zero mean white noise random process is adopted for the excitation.

In this paper, the concept of an ideal grounded linear inerter, endowing supplemental inertia to passive linear tuned mass-dampers (TMDs) through its inertance property without increasing the TMD mass, is considered to reduce lateral displacement demands in base isolated structural systems (BISs). Optimal tuned mass-damper- inerter (TMDI) design parameters are numerically determined to maximize energy dissipation by the TMDI under stationary white noise support excitation.