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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Theory and simulation of electromagnetic dampers for earthquake engineering applications Haji Akbari Fini, Siavash

Abstract

The present study develops applications of electromagnetic devices in Civil Engineering. Three different types of electromagnetic system are investigated through mathematical and numerical models. Chapter 3 deals with Coil-Based Electromagnetic Damper (CBED). CBEDs can operate as passive, semi-active and active systems. They can also be considered as energy harvesting systems. However, results show that CBEDs cannot simultaneously perform as an energy harvesting and vibration control system. In order to assess the maximum capacity of CBEDs, an optimization is conducted. Results show that CBEDs can produce high damping density only when they are considered as a passive vibration control system. Chapter 4 deals with the development of a novel Eddy Current Damper (ECD). The eddy current damper uses permanent magnets arranged in a circular manner to create a strong magnetic field, where specially shaped conductive plates are placed between the permanent magnets to cut through the magnetic fields. Detailed analytical equations are derived and verified using the finite element analysis program Flux. The verified analytical models are used to optimize the damper design to reach the maximum damping capacity. The analytical simulation shows that the proposed eddy current damper can provide a high damping density up to 2,733 kN-s/m⁴. The Hybrid Electromagnetic Damper (HEMD) are developed and designed in Chapter 5. The idea is to couple the CBED and ECD with the aim of designing a semi-active, active and energy harvesting electromagnetic damper. The simulation results show that it is feasible to manufacture hybrid electromagnetic dampers for industrial applications.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada