The effectiveness of the gyroscopic effect for controlling structural vibrations

Abstract

It is well known that seismic and wind induced vibration is an important issue in structural performance. To mitigate the problem of structural vibrations, many methodologies have been proposed and implemented. In this work, the performance and effectiveness of a pseudo-passive vibration control system based on the gyroscopic moment to control lateral vibrations in beam-like structures is studied numerically and experimentally. A series of experimental tests that include free and forced vibrations are conducted on a slender structure provided with a gyroscopic system. Results show a high effectiveness in controlling the tip displacement of a prototype structure by the gyroscopic system. Complementarily, a simple numerical model capable of predicting the structural response of the system is presented. A marked improvement in structural vibration control over the traditional tuned mass damper is also verified.