Study on the Structure and Seismic Performance of Irregular Structure Damper Optimized by Computer Algorithm

Abstract

This study addresses the seismic performance improvement of complex and irregular indoor substations in high-intensity areas by integrating computer algorithm optimization with new damper technology. With the rapid development of urban construction, unconventional buildings with complex shapes are becoming more common. Indoor substations exhibit significant planar and vertical irregularities due to equipment installation needs. The spatial misalignment between the mass center and stiffness center exacerbates the planar-torsional coupling effect under seismic loads, making traditional seismic design methods inadequate for high-intensity area seismic codes. This research aims to address the issues of insufficient parameter allocation accuracy and hardware performance limitations in existing energy dissipation and vibration reduction technologies when applied to irregular structures through innovative algorithm optimization and damper design. Methodologically, an improved Kasai method is proposed to construct a dynamic allocation strategy for multi-degree-of-freedom system damping parameters. A single-degree-of-freedom equivalent subsystem and multi-degree-of-freedom parameter coupling optimization model are established. A damper configuration algorithm considering the non-uniform distribution of inter-story drift ratios is developed. By introducing a dynamic allocation coefficient, the critical layer non-uniform configuration of damping parameters is achieved. An optimization model for stiffness-damping coupling regulators is established to ensure that the convergence condition of the algorithm is met with ∥Rd–R′d∥<5%. The 3D finite element model is constructed using SAUSAGE software, and time-history analysis is conducted using five natural waves and two artificial waves for validation. Additionally, a new viscous damper with improved damping holes is designed, and frequency-dependent, low-speed friction, and fatigue performance tests are conducted using a 3530 kN electro-hydraulic servo system. The results show that the improved algorithm reduces the number of dampers by 15% compared to traditional designs. Under moderate seismic conditions, the maximum vibration damping efficiency in the X/Y-directions reaches 37.18% and 21.09%, respectively, with inter-story drift ratio precisely controlled within the 1/400 limit. The new Type B damper shows an 8% reduction in measurement error compared to the traditional Type A damper under a 9.425 mm/s condition. After 30 fatigue cycles, the damping force decay rate is only 7.8%, and the energy dissipation efficiency increases by 23%. The study confirms that the improved Kasai method effectively overcomes the precision issues in the parameter allocation of traditional equivalent linearization models for multi-degree-of-freedom systems. When combined with the new damper, it can reduce the flat torsion coupling vibration effect by more than 40%. This achievement breaks through the design bottleneck of seismic resistance for complex structures in high-intensity areas. By innovating in both algorithm and hardware, it establishes a new paradigm for intelligent vibration damping system design, providing a solution that is both cost-effective and reliable for critical infrastructure. It also promotes the transition of energy dissipation and vibration damping technology towards model-driven methods, offering significant engineering value and social benefits in enhancing the earthquake resilience of urban infrastructure.