Experimental and theoretical studies of particle damping for the suppression of vortex-induced vibrations in different branches

Abstract

Although particle damping has proven to be an effective passive vibration control technique widely applied across a variety of industries, research on its effectiveness and mechanism for suppressing vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) in marine structures remains unclear. This paper investigates the effects of particle dampers on VIV in different branches of a cylinder, determining rules and mechanisms of vibration suppression through a combination of experimental and theoretical analysis methods. Key conclusions drawn from our study include: 1. Optimal filling ratios vary for different VIV branches, with the highest overall VIV suppression effect at a filling rate of approximately 85 %, resulting in amplitude suppression ratios of 30 %-40 %. 2. Particle dampers exhibit an amplitude modulation effect on VIV, with the ability to excite a vibration mode that has the same frequency as the vortex shedding frequency of stationary cylinders. Furthermore, a parameterized study of particle damping systems is conducted in this paper, based on experimental results and theoretical models. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of applying particle damping to suppress VIV in marine engineering structures, providing valuable reference for selecting optimal parameters of particle dampers.