A combined system of tuned immersion mass and sloshing liquid for vibration suppression: Optimization and characterization

Tuned liquid dampers (TLDs) and tuned mass dampers (TMDs) have been widely used in suppression of structural vibrations. However, the combination of TLDs and TMDs has been rarely investigated. This paper proposes a new vibration suppression system that combines sloshing liquid with tuned mass immerged in it. The vibration attenuation process of the combined system without structure damping is numerically simulated and characterized by using an implicit coupling approach of segregated solvers. The simulation results indicate that the proposed system, tuned immersion mass with liquid damper (TIMLD), can dissipate energy with liquid sloshing while maintaining the energy absorbing capacity of the mass by resonance. Thus, it exhibits a better vibration suppressing performance than conventional vibration suppression systems such as TLD and TMD. The energy absorbing capacity of the combined system with sloshing liquid is much better than that with liquid filled fully. Distinguishing liquid free sloshing frequency significantly from vibration frequency helps the mass to maintain its energy absorbing capacity by resonance. Affected by the resonant structure and excited by the mass, liquid sloshing can dissipate energy significantly, which constitutes the mechanism of vibration suppression of this proposed system. In light of this mechanism and in an attempt to guarantee the mass resonance and to increase the energy dissipation of the liquid, the combined system has been optimized and characterized.