Table of Contents

Table of Contents.....................................................................................................1
1 Introduction.......................................................................................................2
2 Motivation.........................................................................................................2
3 Objectives..........................................................................................................2
4 Description of the Project..................................................................................3
5 Results and Discussion......................................................................................5

DYNAMIC SYSTEMS:
A STUDY IN THE DESIGN OF TUNED MASS-
DAMPER SYSTEMS USING MATLAB

Seth Ferrara, 11444366

Dynamics Systems, ME 348

5.1 Undamped Building Response...................................................................5

5.2 Damped Building Response.......................................................................6
References................................................................................................................9
Appendix A: Hand Calculations for the Equations of Motion and State Space...10
Appendix B: Matlab Script for the Calculations of the Transfer Functions and the
Undamped and Damped Simulations....................................................................14

Figure 1: Schematic of a Building Subjected to Wind...........................................3

Figure 2: Schematic of a Building Subjected to Wind with a TDM.......................4
Figure 3: Undamped Building Displacement.........................................................5
Figure 4: Undamped Building Acceleration...........................................................6
Figure 5: Displacement of the Damped Building and Damper..............................7
Figure 6: Building Displacement compared to the Damper...................................7
Figure 7: Acceleration of the Damped Building and Damper................................8
Figure 8: Building Acceleration Compared to the Damper....................................8

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1 Introduction
Tuned mass damper (TDM) systems have been a critical mechanism for
controlling the dynamic response of tall structures for many years. TDM systems consist
of a mass connected to the vibrating structure by a spring and damper. The damper is
tuned to a particular structural frequency so that when excited it will resonate out of
phase with the structural motion. The energy is dissipated by the dampers inertia force
acting on the structure. Theoretical models were developed as far back as the 1920s with
actual TDMs being used in the 1970s.

2 Motivation
The motivation behind this study is to improve my knowledge in an area of
dynamic systems that can later be applied in graduate studies and in the industry of
mechanical engineering design and analysis. There are many applications in engineering
that require an analysis of dynamic systems to ensure equipment is properly operating.
With a stronger understanding of the many factors that need to be considered when
designing and analyzing tuned mass dampers, which effectively keep the building
standing and the occupants comfortable, I will gain greater opportunities in the
engineering industry and a strong foundation for future graduate studies.

3 Objectives
This study seeks to gain an understanding of how a building responds to an input
forcing function and how adding a TDM system can help dissipate this energy. There are
three factors that can be altered to change the displacement and acceleration responses,
the dampers mass, spring constant, and damping coefficient. In this study the main
objective is to understand how these three factors can modify the building response to the
forcing function.

To achieve the understanding which this study seeks to gain the analyses of the
TDM will have two parts. Firstly, calculations for the TDMs state space will be
completed for the given configuration. Second, using Matlab, the calculations for the
transfer functions will be carried out and a simulation will be conducted to show the
response of the TMD and the building in terms of displacement and acceleration.

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4 Description of the Project
A build, which is simplified using a block diagram, is attached to a spring and
damper which are fixed, allowing purely one-dimensional motion. A wind force is then
applied to the building to create a frequency response. The following figure shows the
setup of this problem.

Figure 1: Schematic of a Building Subjected to Wind

Where;

mB : Mass of the Building

k B : SpringConstant for the Building

b B : Damping Coefficient for the Building

F w :Wind Force
This configuration is used to determine the undamped response of the building. A
TDM, also simplified to a block diagram, is then added to the top of the building attached
by a spring and damper.

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 Figure 2: Schematic of a Building Subjected to Wind with a TDM

Where;

mD : Mass of the Damper

k D :Spring Constant for the Damper

b D : DampingCoefficient for the Damper

From this configuration the response of the damped building and the damper can
be determined.

The required deliverables;

1. Equations of motion (EoM)

2. State space form for both undamped and damped models
3. Transfer functions
4. Time domain response comparison of the displacement and acceleration

The formation of the EoMs and the state space for both the undamped and
damped system are presented in the hand calculations in Appendix A. The transfer
functions and time domain responses will be completed using Matlab and can be found in
Appendix B.

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5 Results and Discussion
In the following sections the results from the Matlab simulation will be discussed.
Overall the added TDM system decreases both the buildings displacement and
acceleration to within the acceptable range.

5.1 Undamped Building Response

The building response without the TDM presented values that exceed those
considered acceptable for safety and occupant comfort. The building had a maximum
displacement exceeding 0.3 meters from equilibrium and acceleration above 0.35 meters
per second squared. Both of these values were maintained for over half of the time
duration of the model. These values would be noticeable to both those inside and outside
the building. The acceptable value for building acceleration is not to exceed 0.0981
meters per second squared for any duration longer than five seconds. The following
figures show the undamped building response for both displacement and acceleration.

Figure 3: Undamped Building Displacement

PAGE 5 OF 25
 Figure 4: Undamped Building Acceleration

5.2 Damped Building Response

The TMD needs to be effective enough to decrease the buildings displacement
and acceleration, this need to be done with the smallest mass, spring constant, and
damping coefficient of the TMD as possible. Although a larger TDM would be the most
effective at controlling the building response there are restraints that do not allow this.
The mass of the TDM cannot be so large that it is unrealistic to place on top of a building.
A TDM with a mass and spring constant that is around 1.6 percent of the buildings mass
and spring constant is sufficient to keep the building safe and the occupants comfortable.
The displacement of the building and TDM are shown in figures 3 and 4. It can be seen
that the buildings displacement is reduced to approximately 0.1 meters in total
displacement. This is around an 86 percent reduction in the buildings displacement. The
total displacement of the damper is less than 1.6 meters, so it does not require a very large
area to operate.

PAGE 6 OF 25
 Figure 5: Displacement of the Damped Building and Damper

Figure 6: Building Displacement compared to the Damper

Figures 5 and 6 show the dampened building acceleration and the acceleration of
the damper. It is shown that the buildings acceleration never exceeds the suggested
maximum value of 0.0981 meters per second squared. The maximum acceleration of the
building is near 0.08 meters per second squared. The building does not stay at this
maximum for longer than about 10 seconds. The TDM accelerates close to 0.7 meters
per second squared.

PAGE 7 OF 25
 Figure 7: Acceleration of the Damped Building and Damper

Figure 8: Building Acceleration Compared to the Damper

The performance of the TDM is effective enough to control the buildings

displacement and acceleration to within acceptable limits. The size of the damper is
realistic for the size of the building; so this system could theoretically be used.

PAGE 8 OF 25
 References
Chang, C. C. (1997). Mass dampers and thier optimal designs for building vibration
control. Engineering Structures, 454-463.

Connor, J. J. (2002). Introduction to Structural Motion Control. Prentice Hall.

Ogata, K. (1998). System Dynamics. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall.

Webster, A. C., & Vaicaitis, R. (2003). Application of Tuned Mass Dampers to Control
Vibrations of Composite Floor Systems. Engineering Journal / American Institute
f Steel Construction, 116-124.

PAGE 9 OF 25
Appendix A: Hand Calculations for the Equations of
Motion and State Space

PAGE 10 OF 25
 Appendix B: Matlab Script for the Calculations of the
Transfer Functions and the Undamped and Damped
Simulations

PAGE 14 OF 25