AN EFFICIENT LIQUID SLOSHING DAMPER FOR VIBRATION CONTROL

The next generation of tall structures are being designed to be lighter and more flxible, making them susceptible to wind, ocean waves and earthquake type of excitations. One approach to vibration control of such systems is through energy dissipation using a liquid sloshing damper. Such dampers are already in use for vibration control of tall structures in Japan and Australia. The present parametric study focuses on enhancing the energy dissipation efficiency of a rectangular liquid damper through introduction of a two-dimensional obstacle. A parametric free-vibration study, aimed at optimum size and location of the obstacle, is described first. Results suggest a significant increase in the energy dissipation, up to 60%, in the presence of the obstacle. An extensive wind tunnel test-program was undertaken which substantiated the effectiveness of the improved damper in suppressing both vortex resonance and galloping types of instabilities. Ability of the damper to control structural oscillations with a smaller amount liquid is quite attractive for real-life applications.