Energy-based wind vibration control of turbines equipped with nonlinear tuned mass damper inerter considering soil-structure interaction

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Nonlinear Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (NTMDI) in mitigating wind-induced vibrations in wind turbines, with explicit consideration of soil–structure interaction (SSI). Kinetic energy is selected as the primary response metric, supported by nacelle displacement, total structural energy, soil energy absorption, acceleration reduction, and residual soil energy to provide a comprehensive assessment. A detailed numerical model is developed in OpenSees, incorporating SSI effects and subjected to turbulent wind loads generated using the Shinozuka method. NTMDI parameters are optimized using the Multi-Objective Cuckoo Search Algorithm (MOCS) to balance kinetic-energy minimization, displacement suppression, and soil-energy management. The results show that NTMDI implementation achieves approximately 45% reduction in total kinetic energy, 20% reduction in nacelle displacement, and 25% reduction in tower acceleration relative to the uncontrolled system. When SSI is considered, the NTMDI further improves performance by reducing soil energy demand by an additional 15–20%, highlighting the importance of absorber–soil coupling. Compared with traditional TMDIs, the NTMDI exhibits superior adaptability and efficiency, particularly for flexible foundations. These findings confirm NTMDIs as an effective passive control strategy for enhancing wind-turbine stability.