Novel variable inerter damper with independently tunable inertance and damping

Inerter dampers (IDs) exhibit unique performance in various vibration control problems in comparison with other passive dampers. Most existing IDs can only possess fixed inertance and damping coefficients once manufactured, limiting their practical applications and the realization of adaptive or semi-active control. In this paper, a novel variable inerter damper (VID) design with superior tuning capabilities for both inertance and damping coefficients is developed. Unlike existing VIDs, the new VID design enables continuous and separate tuning of inertance and damping coefficients, conforming to control optimization that often requires precise, continuous, and separate tuning of these two coefficients. Theoretical modeling and extensive laboratory experiments were conducted to verify the performance of the VID prototype under various working conditions. Experimental results confirmed a broad tuning range for both inertance and damping, which, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, presents a first ton-level prototype exhibiting such extensive adjustability. Moreover, the inertance and EM damping coefficients can be tuned independently through their respective adjustment mechanisms. The salient characteristics of the proposed VID will significantly improve the functionality and applicability of IDs.