Vibration Suppression of Two Adjacent Cables Using an Interconnected Tuned Mass Damper/Nonlinear Energy Sink

Due to their high flexibility, low damping, and small mass, stay cables are prone to large-amplitude vibrations. Various mechanical measures, typically installed near the cable anchorage to the deck, have been developed to suppress cable vibration. These dampers, however, may not be effective for ultralong cables since the damper is close to the cable anchorage, the cable node. In this paper, a tuned mass damper (TMD)/nonlinear energy sink (NES) are considered for installation between two adjacent stay cables for vibration mitigation. Firstly, the static equilibrium equation of the stay cable–damper system is established, and the influence of the self-weight of the damper on cable shape is investigated. The governing equations describing the motion of the two adjacent cables with a damper are then established using the Hamilton principle, which are then solved by the method of separation of variables. For cases of swept-sine excitation and harmonic excitation, the optimal designs of TMD and NES are achieved with the purpose of suppressing the first- and third-mode-dominated vibrations, respectively. Both optimal TMD and NES may substantially suppress cable vibrations, with each having advantages under certain situations. Finally, the dynamic response characteristics of two adjacent cables with an optimal damper are analyzed. Interesting dynamic behaviors, such as energy input suppression, phase shift, cable frequency shift, and phase diagram boundary rotation, are identified, and their mechanisms are explained.