Application of Parametric Forced Tuned Solid Ball Dampers for Vibration Control of Engineering Structures

In this paper, parametric forced tuned solid ball dampers (TSBD) are considered for vibration control of engineering structures in an untypical way. The special feature of the presented investigation is to evaluate the potential application of parametric forcing of the rolling cylindrical or spherical body in the runway for reducing the vertical vibrations of a vibration-prone main system. Typically, tuned solid ball dampers are applied to structures that are prone to horizontal vibrations only. The coupled nonlinear differential equations of motion are derived and the phenomenon of parametric resonance of the rolling body in the runway is analyzed. A criterion for avoiding parametric resonance is given to achieve the optimal damping effect of the TSBD. In the second part of the article, a method for the targeted use of parametric resonance to reduce the vertical vibrations of engineering structures is presented and verified, considering a biaxially harmonic excited pedestrian bridge. It is shown that, with a suitable choice of damper parameters, a stable vibration of the rolling body in the runway is formed over the course of the vibration despite the occurrence of parametric resonance and that the maximum vertical vibration amplitudes of the main system can be reduced up to 93%. Hence, the here presented untypical application of parametric forced TSBD for reducing the vertical forced vibrations of vibration-prone main systems could be successfully demonstrated.