Stochastic response control of particle dampers under random seismic excitation

In this paper, stochastic response control of particle damper system that is subjected to random seismic excitation is studied and the corresponding damping mechanism is further discussed. Based on the principle of multi-particle damper equivalent to a single particle damper, the nonlinear particle damper is equivalent to a linear system by the equivalent linearization method, and the mathematical expression of stochastic response of the particle damper system is obtained. The non-stationary response and stationary response of the particle damper system are subsequently compared, and the parametric study is conducted based on the stationary response of the particle damper system. It is shown that for a given particle damper system under random seismic excitation, there is an optimal gap clearance to minimize the structural response and this is the key parameter; the mass ratio is closely related to the gap clearance and in practice, the appropriate mass ratio should be properly selected; particle damper can also suppress the vibration response of the primary structure well over a wide frequency range, showing its strong robustness. Certain design suggestions are herein proposed. Finally, a numerical analysis and an experimental study are carried out to verify the viability and reliability of the stochastic vibration analysis of the particle damper system. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.