Inventors:
John K. Vandiver - Lexington MA
Shuhei Mitome - Kamakura, JP
Assignee:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge MA
International Classification:
E02B 100
Abstract:
An apparatus and method is provided for suppressing the dynamic response of structures such as offshore structures to forces, such as that of wind, wave or seismic excitation. A storage tank for liquid with a free surface is positioned on the structure and is designed to have a natural frequency equal to or nearly equal to the natural frequency of the structure. The storage tank containing the liquid reduces the dynamic response of the structure thereby reducing structural degradation such as metal fatique in the structure and increasing the useful life of the structure. The effect of the tank on the motion of the structure is that of a common dynamic absorber.