Optimal design of tuned mass dampers in structural dynamics under consideration of uncertainty

Abstract In the following paper, the influence of uncertainties is investigated for the dynamical behavior of structures improved by tuned mass dampers. Typically, the performance in terms of maximum displacements or accelerations can be improved significantly by additional damper devices. However, the tuning is very sensitive to the physical properties of the structure and dampers. Within this paper, we investigate the uncertainty propagation by an efficient linearization approach within an optimization of the nominal damper parameters. The extension for multi‐degree‐of‐freedom systems is realized by a simplified decoupled solution of the steady‐state vibration. The uncertainty propagation is investigated with the introduced linearization approach and regression‐based sensitivity analysis is applied to quantify the degree of nonlinearity and the contribution of the input parameters.