Experimental Studies on Adaptive-Passive Symmetrical Granular Damper Operation

This paper presents experimental studies on a controllable granular damper, whose dissipative properties are provided by the friction phenomenon occuring between loose granular material. In addition, in order to adjust to the current trends in vibration suppression, we built a semi-active device, controlled by a single parameter—underpressure. Such granular structures subjected to underpressure are called Vacuum-Packed Particles. The first section presents the state of the art. A brief description of the most often used intelligent and smart materials for the manufacture of dampers is presented. The main advantages of the proposed device are a simple structure, low construction cost, symmetrical principle of operation, and the ability to change the characteristics of the damper by quickly and suddenly changing the negative pressure inside the granular core. The second section provides a detailed description of the construction and operation principles of the original symmetrical granular damper. A description of its application in the laboratory research test stand is also provided. The third section presents the results of the experimental studies including the recorded damping characteristics of the investigated damper. The effectiveness of the ethylene–propylene–diene grains’ application is presented. The two parameters of underpressure and frequency of excitation were considered during the empirical tests. The influence of the system parameters on its global dissipative behavior is discussed in detail. The damper operation characteristics are close to linear, which is positive information from the point of view of the potential adaptive-passive control process. Brief conclusions and the prospective application of vacuum-packed particle dampers are presented in the final section.