tömegrugócsillapító

A tömegrugócsillapító, often translated as mass damper or tuned mass damper (TMD), is a mechanical device designed to reduce vibrations in structures. It consists of a mass attached to a spring and a damping mechanism. The key principle is resonance. When a structure is subjected to external forces like wind, earthquakes, or machinery operation, it tends to vibrate at its natural frequencies. A TMD is tuned so that its own natural frequency is the same as the dominant frequency of the vibration it is intended to counteract.

When the structure vibrates, the TMD's mass is set into motion relative to the structure. The spring allows the mass to move, and the damping mechanism dissipates the vibrational energy. This counter-motion effectively absorbs and redirects the vibrational energy away from the main structure, thereby reducing the amplitude of the vibrations. The effectiveness of a TMD depends on its mass ratio (the ratio of the TMD's mass to the structure's mass), its tuning frequency, and its damping coefficient.

TMDs are commonly employed in tall buildings to mitigate swaying caused by wind, in bridges to reduce oscillations, and in various industrial machinery to control unwanted vibrations. They are a passive control system, meaning they do not require external power to operate. The design and implementation of a TMD require careful analysis of the structure's dynamic properties and the expected vibration sources.