Numerical and experimental research on actuator forces in toggled active vibration control system (Part I: Numerical)

In this research, toggled actuator forces were examined. For achieving to this object, an actuator was installed in a toggle pattern in a S.D.O.F frame and actuator forces were investigated thru a numerical analysis process. Within past twenty years, researchers tried to use strong bracing systems as well as huge dampers to stabilize tall buildings during intensive earthquakes. Eventually, utilizing of active control systems containing actuators to counter massive excitations in structures was emerged. However, the more powerful earthquake excitations, the more robust actuators were required to be installed in the system. Subsequently, the latter process made disadvantage to the active control system due to very high price of the robust actuators as well as their large demands for electricity. Therefore, through a numerical process (Part I), influence of toggled actuator pattern was investigated. The algorithm used in the system was LQR and ATmega328 was selected as a control platform. For comparison, active tendon control system was chosen. The final results show clearly that using the toggle pattern mitigates the required actuator forces enormously leading to deploy much lighter actuators.