Modelling of a tuned liquid damper with inclined damping screens

This paper investigates the concept of using inclined slat screens to adjust the damping ratio of tuned liquid dampers (TLDs). A method to calculate the pressure‐loss coefficient for inclined screens is introduced, permitting the energy dissipated by the screens to be estimated. An amplitude‐dependent mechanical model is developed to calculate the steady‐state response of the fluid when the tank is subjected to base excitation. The energy dissipation predicted by this model is compared to results obtained from shake‐table experiments. The model and experimental results are in good agreement, and indicate that increasing the screen angle decreases the TLD damping ratio. It is shown that a TLD with adjustable inclined damping screens could maintain a constant damping ratio over a range of excitation amplitudes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.