Robust control of vortex‐induced vibration in flexible bridges using an active tuned mass damper.

Summary: The tuned mass damper (TMD) is widely used to mitigate vortex‐induced vibration (VIV) that approximates harmonic vibration in bridges. Robust performance is, however, still a significant concern in the VIV mitigation of bridges, especially when using a TMD with a small mass ratio. This study presents a study to apply an active tuned mass damper (ATMD) to control VIV in bridges. The control algorithm is independent of bridge parameters and can achieve real‐time tuning to the bridge motion by a few measurements. An adaptive TMD, obeying the parameter‐independent algorithm, is developed to improve its robust performance when exposed to uncertainty in the natural frequency of the bridge, and then, the ATMD is used to implement such an adaptive TMD. The ATMD control using the LQG algorithm is used as a comparison to illustrate the advantage of the parameter‐independent algorithm in the VIV mitigation of bridges. The effect of the control‐structure interaction on the control effect is also discussed. Demonstration of the method on a numerical simulation of a long‐span box‐girder bridge confirms the potential superiority of the ATMD control using the parameter‐independent algorithm in the VIV mitigation of bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]