Semi-active Resetable Actuators Incorporating a High Pressure Air Source

Conference ABSTRACT: Semi-Active resetable actuators have been shown to be effective at enhancing structural dynamics and mitigating damage during seismic events. The limiting factor in some cases however, is the maximum force produced by the actuators, with air as the working fluid. This paper examines the possibility and efficacy of incorporating a high pressure air source to the actuator to push the dynamics into the high stiffness end of the non-linear force-displacement response and hence increase the maximum forces produced. In addition, the high pressure supply extends the sculpting capability resulting in some potentially useful and interesting hysteretic behavior. A detailed model that captures all the dynamics of the actuators is developed that enables better understanding of the actuators dynamic behaviour