Tuned Mass Damper Experiment
Project 003 — 2025
Mitigating structural resonance through frequency-tuned passive damping
Problem Statement
Modern skyscrapers are susceptible to wind and seismic oscillations that compromise structural integrity. The objective was to empirically validate the physics of a Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) using a simplified Single Degree of Freedom (SDOF) model.
Solution
Constructed a flexible testing rig with an adjustable pendulum damper. Developed a custom DAQ system using an MPU-6050 accelerometer and Arduino to stream real-time vibration data to a Python dashboard for Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis.
Key Metrics
Technical Highlights
- —Real-time signal processing pipeline using Python (SciPy/Matplotlib)
- —Logarithmic decrement analysis to quantify energy dissipation efficiency
- —Frequency domain identification (FFT) of structural natural modes
- —Hardware integration of MEMS accelerometers with serial telemetry
Impact & Results
Other Projects
Tuned Mass Damper Experiment
Project 003 — 2025
FIG 00: Variable stiffness tower with adjustable pendulum damper
FIG 01: Amplitude decay comparison illustrating energy transfer (Beat Pattern)
FIG 02: DAQ architecture: MPU-6050 integration with Arduino interface
FIG 03: Frequency domain analysis identifying natural frequency (2.29 Hz)
FIG 04: Real-time Python telemetry dashboard for vibration monitoring
Before / After Comparison
Untuned Oscillation
Tuned Damping