Real-time hybrid testing of a smart base isolation system

• Published in: Earthquake engineering & structural dynamics Vol. 43; no. 1; pp. 139 - 158
• Main Authors: Chen, Pei-Ching, Tsai, Keh-Chyuan, Lin, Pei-Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2014; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: adaptive control; Computer simulation; Control systems; Dampers; Dynamical systems; Dynamics; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Earthquakes, seismology; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Engineering geology; Exact sciences and technology; Internal geophysics; Isolation systems; MR damper; phase-lead compensator; Real time; real-time hybrid testing; Seismic phenomena; smart base isolation system; algorithms; models; MR damper; simulation; testing; real-time hybrid testing; accuracy; adaptive control; isolation; indicators; earthquakes; lead; phase-lead compensator; smart base isolation system; buildings; displacements; earthquake engineering; performances; errors; superstructure
• ISSN: 0098-8847; 1096-9845
• DOI: 10.1002/eqe.2341

SUMMARY Real‐time hybrid testing is a very effective technique for evaluating the dynamic responses of rate‐dependent structural systems subjected to earthquake excitation. A smart base isolation system has been proposed by others using conventional low‐damping isolators and controllable damping devices such as magnetorheological (MR) dampers to achieve specified control target performance. In this paper, real‐time hybrid tests of a smart base isolation system are conducted. The simulation is for a base‐isolated two‐degrees‐of‐freedom building model where the superstructure and the low‐damping base isolator are numerically simulated, and the MR damper is physically tested. The target displacement obtained from the step‐by‐step integration of the numerical substructure is imposed on the MR damper, which is driven by three different control algorithms in real‐time. To compensate the actuator delay and improve the accuracy of the test, an adaptive phase‐lead compensator is implemented. The accuracy of each test is investigated by using the root mean square error and the tracking indicator. Experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid testing procedure using the proposed actuator compensation techniques is effective for investigating the control performance of the MR damper in a smart base isolation system. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.