An adaptive tuned mass damper based on shape memory alloys with an extended range of frequency

Vibration attenuation by means of tuned mass dampers is a common practice in engineering since many years. Usually, their dynamic features are chosen so that a tuning on the modal characteristics of the system to control is achieved. Although such components can be very effective in reducing vibrations, they suffer of some drawbacks. The main one is that they cannot change their dynamic features in order to follow eventual changes of the system under control. This paper deals with the development of a new tuned mass damper, which is adaptive thanks to the use of shape memory alloys. Although this is not a new idea in literature, the newly designed tuned mass damper offers many advantages, especially the possibility to cover a very wide frequency range by properly employing the key features of shape memory alloys.