The performance of nonlinear vibration control via NiTiNOL–Steel wire ropes

Conventional nonlinear vibration absorbers must provide additional mass and motion space to achieve the expected vibration control effect, which will significantly alter the original design of the target structure. In this study, the shape memory NiTiNOL–steel (NiTi–ST) wire rope and composite plate are coupled to investigate the vibration control effect of such a configuration. The vibration response of the model is studied using the Galerkin truncation method (GTM) and the harmonic balance method (HBM), and the stability of the frequency response curve is determined using the linearized stability theory. NiTi–ST wire rope is found to have a good damping effect for both low- and high-order resonances. Under a strong external excitation, the appearance of the closed detached response (CDR) may cause system amplitude mutation; however, it can also achieve effective inhibition. Finally, the effect of the structural parameters on the vibration control is discussed. The nonlinear damping term in NiTi–ST determines the soft and hard characteristics of the system, while the equivalent linear damping term is mainly responsible for vibration suppression. Therefore, as a novel shock absorber, NiTi–ST can be applied to engineering structures in order to prevent vibration damage.