Performance Analysis of Frictional Inerter-Based Vibration Isolator

Purpose: This study aims to gain an in-depth understanding of the effect of the inherent dry friction of inerter devices on the performance of non-linear frictional inerter-based vibration isolation system (NFI-VIS). Methods: The power flow analysis method is used to investigate quantitatively the internal vibration transmission and energy dissipation. The harmonic balance (HB) method with alternating frequency–time (AFT) scheme is used to obtain the steady-state dynamic responses, with verification by numerical integration results. Results: The results show that the use of the non-linear inerter in the system can reduce the force and vibration power flow transmission over a wide frequency band. The inherent friction of the inerter can benefit vibration isolation when the excitation amplitude is large enough to overcome the inerter friction. Conclusion: This research reveals complex non-linear dynamic phenomena of the system emerging from the frictional inerter and shows that the inherent dry friction of the inerter should be considered in future isolator design.