Innovative wave energy converter inspired latched mass damper for vibration control

Traditional vibration control dampers are sensitive to frequency modulation and very difficult to achieve long-period frequency modulation. The control effects of traditional dampers are not ideal in the face of complex and variable loads, and their robustness is low. Latching control is a phase optimization method applied in wave energy converters (WECs). Based on the latching control of WEC, this paper proposed the latched mass damper (LMD) and three different control strategies for the optimization of vibration control. The LMD can directly extend the periods to match well with the long-period vibrations by introducing the latching forces. First, the theoretical model of LMD is established and analyzed. Then, the dynamic performances of LMDs with different strategies are compared. The results indicate that the proposed LMD and strategies for vibration control are feasible. The proposed latching control mechanism and strategies can provide an innovative solution for improving the efficiency of high-frequency detuned dampers, designing of long-period dampers with limited stroke spaces, and adaptive semi-active dampers in the future.