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SIMULATION OF STRUCTURE WITH TLD IN ANSYS SOFTWARE AS MODAL

AND HARMONIC ANALYSIS

Conference Paper · January 2011

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SIMULATION OF STRUCTURE WITH TLD IN ANSYS SOFTWARE AS
MODAL AND HARMONIC ANALYSIS

Hossein Shad and Azlan Adnan

Faculty of Civil Engineering
University Technology Malaysia, Malaysia.

ABSTRACT
TLD is one kind of dampers that many researchers investigated on their
applications and effectiveness in three previous decades. In this paper, several 3D
structures with TLD were modeled with ANSYS software in order to identify the
role of TLD in decreasing structure displacement under external excitations.
These models included four elements in ANSYS software and were analyzed as
modal and harmonic analysis. The methodology of this paper is divided into three
parts. First, the fundamental frequency of each model was calculated
numerically. Then, all of them were simulated in ANSYS software. At the end,
displacements and frequencies of structures were recorded and compared. In this
study housner formula was used in order to calculate the first sloshing
frequencies. The results obtained from the software showed that it has good
adaptation to housner formula. In addition, TLDs could affect on the amount of
structure displacement.

Keyword: modal and harmonic analysis; fundamental frequency; displacement.

INTRODUCTION
The earthquake is one of the most destructive events in the world. This
occurrence has been not recognized by human completely yet. On the other hand,
it is not identifiable where, when and with what power it happens. Therefore,
engineers always have attempted to consider cheap and effective ways in order to
confront with earthquake in structures design. For this purpose, the different
systems and devices have been used for retrofitting structures in declining
earthquake damages. Among these systems, we can indicate to the passive, semi-
active, and active controlling systems. In these systems, dampers are defined as
devices to decrease dynamic energy in structures during the events such as,
earthquake. In recent decades, the researchers investigated on the effectiveness of
different kinds of dampers in tall buildings, bridges, and marine structures
Tamura, et al (1995), Ding, et al (2009). The most common kinds of dampers are
TMD (tuned mass damper) which consists of a mass connected to structure by
spring and TLD (tuned liquid damper) in which liquid especially water is used
instead of mass. The shape of TLD can be rectangular or cylindrical with
different materials and properties. The main factor in TLD design is the rate of its
mass to structure mass. In addition, the situation of TLD installed in a building is
very important in performance of TLD. As a passive energy-damping device,
TLD has several advantages such as low installation cost, fewer mechanical
problems, and easy installation in new and existing buildings Jin, et al (2007). In
addition, systems like TLD can help architectures and civil engineers in interior
design for example to improvise windows and openings in a building. TLD can
be applied to control a different vibration type of multi-degree freedom system.
Furthermore, the natural frequency of TLD can be controlled by adjusting the
depth of liquid and container dimensions. This system works based on sloshing
water wave. In other words, the movement of water wave in opposite direction of
move of building causes earthquake excitation damps.
The first research about this subject returns to mid 1980s by Bauer. In
addition, Wakahara et al (1992) were among the first to suggest the use of
dampers utilizing liquid motion for civil engineering structures. In last decades,
several of TLD were attached to various buildings to decrease the level of the
structures vibrations. For example, the Rincon Hill South Tower is one of
buildings that TLD system was applied in it in 2008. Tait, et al. (2007)
investigated effectiveness bidirectional (2D) tuned liquid damper. Osterman
(2009) studied behavior of TLD with experimental and analytical solution and
Samanta and Banerji (2009) investigated structural vibration control using
modified TLD.
Existing numerical models can not describe structure with TLD analysis
satisfactorily. In particular, no model has been validated carefully for the
structure with TLD and was not simulated by ANSYS software.

EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS

Koh, et al (1995) carried out both experimental and analytical work on
Reduction of structural vibrations by multiple-mode liquid dampers. In this
research in order to do analytical work, a rigid rectangular tank was assumed with
length 2 L, width b, partially filled with water having depth h. (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Rectangular liquid damper installed on a structure

In order to simulate liquid motion in analytical method, an equation and a

method proposed by Sun, et al (equation 1) was used. Then in order to indicate
applicability of the method on MDOF system, the horizontal vibration was
examined on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. To assess
effectiveness of TLD, the equations of bridge motion were solved with and
without TLD. In continues in numerical way was used from different motion
mod. Different positions of TLD were considered in bridge for finding optimal
position.
[M] {𝑥 s} + [C] { 𝑥 𝑠 } + [K] {xs} = - [M] {1} 𝑥 g (1)

2
 Yu (1997) in his PhD thesis investigated the behavior of TLD
experimentally and analytically to identify the underlying physical phenomenon
of liquid sloping. In these researches, three different rectangular and cylindrical
tanks were studied. In order to identify parameters, a shaking table was used. In
addition, time history response of sloshing water motion was considered for
rectangular tank with various length and depth. Furthermore, different amounts of
depth of water were considered for different frequencies and amplitudes.
Tait et al (2007) investigated effectiveness of bidirectional (2D) tuned
liquid damper. This study carried out for describing behavior of two-freedom
degree structure. In this research, two different structures were modeled in order
to find response of 2D rectangular tank numerically.
Osterman (2009) studied the behavior of TLD both experimentally and
with an analytical solution. This research was carried out on a small model
experimentally and was compared to an analytical solution. This study was done
on shaking table with a TLD attached to a concrete plate. In analytical way
equations related to model (Figure 2) were solved then results obtained from two
ways was compared. The results of this study showed that natural frequency of a
TLD could adapt to TMD.

Figure 2: Mechanical Model

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this paper, researchers explain the application of especial software in
TLD analysis in structures as modal and harmonic analysis. The necessary
information in this research was obtained from previous studies and new
analytical methods.
ANSYS software was used for analyzing the structure with TLD. The
structures assumed included several different fundamental frequencies with
different TLDs. In addition, TLDs were located on top of structures. TLDs were
shaped of a rectangular tank with different water depths. (Table 1)
The detail of TLD is a rectangular tank of plan size 200 mm x 200 mm
and 500 mm height. The one-story structures are 3D frame with different masses.
The element considered in ANSYS was shell 63, beam 44, mass 21, and fluid 80
3
elements. K “stiffness of structure”=10260 N/m and for rectangular tanks, the
first sloshing frequency was calculated based on Housner formula (1963)
(equation 2). The structures with TLD were modeled by ANSYS software.
(Figure 3)
1 𝑘
Fundamental frequency of 3D structure with TLD: fS = 2𝜋 𝑚

𝒉
1 𝟑.𝟏𝟔𝒈𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒉 𝟑.𝟏𝟔
𝑳
(h = height of water, L = 200 mm) fT= 2𝜋 𝑳
(2)

Table 1: properties and fundamental frequencies of sloshing water

No m Fundamental Height TLD Fundamental

structure (kg) frequency No of frequency
of structure TLD water Based on
with TLD (mm) formula(Hz)
3D05 100.5 1.608 1 50 1.608
3D10 72 1.9 2 100 1.9
3D20 66.35 1.979 3 200 1.979
3D30 66.15 1.982 4 300 1.982

Figure 3: 3D structure with TLD

4
 RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The Results obtained from ANSYS software (Figure 4, 5) showed variation of
structure displacement, the amplitudes of frequency were divided into 300 steps
between 0 and 3-hertz and the modal and harmonic analysis were conducted for
all models. The results of modal analysis indicated that frequencies obtained from
software are close to Housner formula. (Table 2)

Table 2: Fundamental frequency of 3D frame with TLD

Depth Based on Housner Result of Mode shape
of water formula (Hz) ANSYS
(mm) software (Hz)
5 1.608 1.638 80-81
10 1.9 1.901 119-120
20 1.978 2.026 197-198
30 1.982 2.04 276-277

Max displacement (mm)

86
64.2
29.2 43.2 35.3

Figure 4: Max displacement of 3D structures with TLD

Displacement of
fundemental frequency(mm)
1.4

0.4 0.6 0.4

0.3

Figure 5: displacement of 3D structures with TLD in fundamental frequency

The most of displacement was related to structure without TLD and equals to 86
mm and the least of displacement was in the model with 50 mm height of water.
5
 CONCLUSION
Generally, we saw that TLD had effective role in decreasing structure
displacement. In addition, the mass ratio of TLD to structure is the important
factor in controlling structure displacement. This paper showed that ANSYS
software could consider the reaction between solid and fluid as well.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to thank faculty of mechanical engineering of UTM,
Malaysia for preparing the facilities such as software and from some of PhD
students especially mohamad reza vafaei due to their cooperation.

REFERENCES
Ding, X., et al (2009), Experimental Study on the Seismic Performance of a
Large-scale TLD Model with Sloped Bottoms, Structures 2009: Don't Mess
with Structural Engineers © 2009 ASCE
Jin, Q., et al (2007), Experimental and numerical study on tuned liquid dampers
for controlling earthquake response of jacket offshore platform, Marine
Structures 20, 238-254
Koh, C.G., et al. (1995), Reduction of structural vibrations by multiple-mode
liquid dampers, engineering structure 17, 121-128
Lee, S., et al (2007), Real-time hybrid shaking table-testing method for the
performance evaluation of a tuned liquid damper controlling seismic
response of building structures, Journal of Sound and Vibration 302, 596–
612
Osterman, D. (2009), The Behavior of Tuned Liquid Dampers – Experiment and
Analytical Solution, TCLEE 2009: Lifeline Earthquake Engineering in a
Multi hazard Environment, 1504-1512
Samanta, A., Banerji, P. (2010), Structural vibration control using modified
tuned liquid dampers, The IES Journal Part A: Civil & Structural
Engineering 3, 14–27
Tait, M. J., et al. (2007), Effectiveness of a 2D TLD and Its Numerical Modeling,
Journal of Structural Engineering, February, 252-263
Tait, M. J. et al.(2002), An investigation on the dynamic properties of a TLD
using an equivalent amplitude dependent TMD, 4th Structural Specialty
Conference of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering June 2002
Tamura, Y. et al. (1996), Wind-induced responses of an airport tower-efficiency
of tuned liquid damper, J. Wind Eng.Ind.Aerodyn.65, 121-131
Tamura, Y. et al. (1995), Effectiveness of tuned liquid dampers under wind
excitation, Engineering Structures, Vol. 17, No. 9, pp. 609-621
Wakahara T., Ohyama T., and Fujii K. (1992), suppression of Wind-Induced
Vibration of a Tall Building using Tuned Liquid Damper. Journal of Wind
Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 41-44, pp. 1895-1906

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