VIBRATION DAMPERS

hereisnot adampingsolutionthat isthebest

T
here is not a damping solution that is the best
solution for all scenarios.
T
Meca offers three different damping solutions:
Damping Pads
Tuned Liquid Dampers (TLD)
Tuned Mass Dampers (TMD)
Vibration Damper:
p ( )
Each of these damping options have their advantages
and disadvantages, and so it takes a review of a
specific design and situation in order to determine the
best option for that stack.
Vibration Damper:
The vibration damper offers the most economical and effective way to handle the
problem of stack vibration. A properly designed and manufactured vibration damper
will significantly reduce the vibration amplitude and stress while increasing the life of
the stack.
Tacomo Narrows Bridge:
Stack Without a Damper Stack With a Damper
g
Perhaps the most famous case of
vortex shedding is the Tacomo
Narrows Bridge located in
Washington State. Built in 1940, it
failed less than 6 months after the
bridge was placed into service. At a
windspeedof only42mph(18.8
Vortex Shedding (Across Wind Vibration):
wind speed of only 42 mph (18.8
m/s) the bridge vibrated with
amplitudes as large as 28 ft (8.5 m).
Every stack has a critical wind speed at which vortex
Shedding occurs. Vortex Shedding is the instance
Where alternating vortices are generated on the down-
wind side of the stack, as shown in the figure. These
alternating vortices provide the driving force which
causes the structure to vibrate perpendicular to the
direction of the wind. When the critical wind speed
of the stack is reached, these forces can cause the stack
to resonate where large forces and deflections are
experienced.
Meca Enterprises, Inc. * 816 West Elgin St.* Broken Arrow, OK 74012
918-258-2913 office * 918-258-1057 Fax
www.mecaenterprises.com * support@mecaenterprises.com
Page 1 of 7
HELICAL STRAKES
Helical strakes are aerodynamic stabilizers which are sometimes used to reduce the forces
and deflections of the stack experienced due to vortex shedding. Strakes consist of three
(3) vanes which can be wrapped in a helical pattern on the upper 1/3 of the stack. They
have the appearance of a Snake which spirals around the stack. pp p
When strakes are added the drag coefficient of the stack is increased greatly. A smooth
cylinder will have a shape factor of 0.7, while the same stack with strakes will increase its
shape factor to 1.4. Consequently the load on the top 1/3 of the stack is doubled. Since a
stack is like a large cantilever beam, increasing the forces at the top by a factor of 2 will
increase the loads at the base by approximately 1.5. Similarly, the deflections will also
increase significantly.
Advantages:
1. Anyone can build them
Disadvantages:
1. Double the wind load on the upper 1/3
f th t k i i t k i ht
2. In some rare cases they provide the
most economical solution
of the stack, increasing stack weight
significantly
2. Nearly always more expensive than a
vibration damper
3. Complex geometry make fabrication
difficult
4 Caninterferewithother attachments 4. Can interfere with other attachments
(i.e. ladders, platforms, etc.)
5. Foundation and Anchor Bolts usually
increase in size
6. Do not work in the case of interfering
stacks
7. Some codes do not allow their use for
ScrutonNumber <8 (which covers
most stacks with vibration issues)
Meca Enterprises, Inc. * 816 West Elgin St.* Broken Arrow, OK 74012
918-258-2913 office * 918-258-1057 Fax
www.mecaenterprises.com * support@mecaenterprises.com
Page 2 of 7
DAMPING PADS FOR
STACKS STACKS
What is a damping pad?
A damping pad is a preformed laminated
fabric pad of manufactured material
composed of layers of tightly twisted, closely
Stack
Outer Shell
p y g y , y
woven lightweight material. Each layer is
made up of an elastomeric compound
containing mold and mildew inhibiting
agents.
What is it used for?
W h
Nut
Because steel smoke stacks have
relatively low inherent structural
damping, excessive top-of-stack
deflection can result at critical wind
speeds due to vortex shedding. To
What is it used for?
Washer
keep these deflections within
acceptable limits, a damping pad is
placed between the stack base plate
and concrete foundation and
conforms to the exact shape and size
of the base plate.
Damping
Pad
Baseplate
Grout
3/8 Leveling
Plate
Advantages
1. Do not increase wind loads
2. Creep effects are reduced to a limit
1. Can only withstand temperatures
upto200DegF (93DegC)
Plate
Disadvantages
p
of 5% of original thickness
3. Unusually high compressive strength
12,000 psi
4. Impervious to most oils and solvents
5. Resist effects of steam, water,
mildew and brine
up to 200 Deg F (93 Deg C)
2. Not always attractive to retrofit
existing stacks
Requires extra projection of
anchor bolts
Must lift stack and put
under
6. Can be used for temperatures ranging
7. From - 65
o
F (-54
o
C) to 200
o
F (93
o
C)
Meca Enterprises, Inc. * 816 West Elgin St.* Broken Arrow, OK 74012
918-258-2913 office * 918-258-1057 Fax
www.mecaenterprises.com * support@mecaenterprises.com
3. Slight increase in lateral deflection
Page 3 of 7
DAMPING PADS
FAQs FAQ s
How do Damping Pads Work?
It has been well documented that elastic foundations provide more structural damping
than rigid foundations. The damping pads introduce elasticity into the foundation which
i h i h l d i hi l i d d ib i li d increases the inherent structural damping. This results in reduced vibration amplitudes.
In fact, damping pads are listed in ASME-STS-1 as an acceptable means to dampen a
stack.
How Much Damping Can Be Achieved?
Field tests have been performed which indicate that critical damping values of up to 0.03
have been achieved. To be conservative, we recommend designs assume a critical
damping of 0.015.
Will This Cause the Stack to See Larger Lateral Deflections Due to
Along Wind Loads? Along Wind Loads?
The damping pads do introduce some elasticity into the base, but they are also very stiff.
There will be minimal impact on the lateral deflection due to along wind loads.
Do the Pads Hold up Over Time?
These pads have been in service for up to 30 years, with no reported problems.
Can Pads be Used on Existing Stacks? g
It is possible to use pads on existing stacks, but the stack must be raised in order to insert
a pad under the baseplate. Typically pads are 1 thick, so it must also be considered that
stack connections will be raised approximately 1.
Meca Enterprises, Inc. * 816 West Elgin St.* Broken Arrow, OK 74012
918-258-2913 office * 918-258-1057 Fax
www.mecaenterprises.com * support@mecaenterprises.com
Page 4 of 7
Tuned Liquid Damper
(TLD)
How does it work?
The TLD relies upon fluid to provide a
cost-effective method for damping. The
fluid is contained in an annular box,
which is provided near the top of the
TLD used as Platform
The TLD is unique in that it can also serve as a
platform. By simply adding posts and handrails to the
platform, the damper serves the dual purpose of Damper
andPlatform
stack. This box is specially designed to
maximize the damping effectiveness of
the fluid that is contained by the damper.
In addition, the design facilitates
redundancy so that the damper will
provide maximum reliability.
and Platform.
The platform can be designed to meet specific
requirements. As a standard, the damper itself is blasted
and painted (inorganic zinc primer), while the handrail,
mid-rail, and posts are galvanized.
Steel
Annular
Stack/
Chimney
Support
Brackets
Water &
Antifreeze
Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD)
Advantages:
1 Cantakedifferentshapesandsizes
Unique Configurations:
The TLD is very flexible and permits the most cost
effective solution for each job. Here are some examples
of some unique configurations that have been utilized.
Box
Brackets
1. Can take different shapes and sizes
2. Accommodates Ladders, Platforms
3. and Piping
4. Cost effective: Buy design only,
and build it locally
5. No moving parts
Disadvantages:
1. Special precautions when stack hot
2. Radiation shields needed on Flare
Stacks
3. Cant visually see lost liquid from
grade
Guyed Tower
G f
Damper
g
Damper under Platform
Gangway for
Multiple Stacks
Meca Enterprises, Inc. * 816 West Elgin St.* Broken Arrow, OK 74012
918-258-2913 office * 918-258-1057 Fax
www.mecaenterprises.com * support@mecaenterprises.com
Page 5 of 7
Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD)
FAQs FAQ s
Will the water freeze?
A mixture of water combined with antifreeze is recommended with each design. Combining water with
antifreeze will allow the damper to work well in very low ambient temperatures.
I h D hi d f ll f fl id? Is the Damper shipped full of fluid?
Typically the damper is shipped empty. The customer is then responsible for filling the damper with
the recommended mixture of water and antifreeze.
How will I know if the Damper is leaking fluid?
During fabrication a pressure test is performed to ensure that the damper will hold product under
atmospheric conditions. To date, Meca is unaware of any TLD leaking.
Will the fluid cause corrosion?
Some corrosion will be experienced, as is expected with all carbon steel. However, only modest
corrosion rates have been witnessed on damper installations.The only required maintenance on a p y q
damper is to check fluid level every 3 to 5 years.
What damping ratio should I expect with a damper?
Damping ratios up to 0.035 and up can be achieved, with the average being about 0.02. If needed, the
damper can be designed to provided much greater damping. The damper size and effective additional
damping are custom designed each time to provide the most economical solution.
What if I have a hot stack?
In the case where the stack shell is hot, >180 F (80 C), some special precautions must be taken. The
damper will be designed so that there is a gap between the shell and the damper, to essentially break
the thermal bridge. We do not want the damper to exceed the boiling point of water, which would
cause the damper to experience internal pressure. By breaking the thermal bridges we ensure that the
temperaturewill staybelowtheboilingpoint
Yes. The damper increases the damping in the structure, which is represented in many code by the
structural damping coefficient (Bs). Some Codes, such as ASME STS-1, take Bs into account when
calculating wind loads. If Bs increases, the wind forces will decrease. Often the decrease in wind
l d b i ifi h ff h f h d
temperature will stay below the boiling point.
Can a damper decrease my along wind loads?
loads can be significant enough to offset the cost of the damper.
Meca Enterprises, Inc. * 816 West Elgin St.* Broken Arrow, OK 74012
918-258-2913 office * 918-258-1057 Fax
www.mecaenterprises.com * support@mecaenterprises.com
Page 6 of 7
Tuned Mass Damper (TMD)
The Tuned Mass Dampers (TMDs) utilize mass to provide the damping. The dampers
are tuned to the natural frequency of the stack so that they are most effective at or near
thenatural frequencyof thestack
Tuned Mass Damper (TMD)
the natural frequency of the stack.
The Tuned Mass Damper consists of a cylindrical ring of steel mass, which is suspended
by cables. The ring is larger than the diameter of the stack, and is separated from the
stack with coils of cables which serve as springs.
Advantages:
1) All Mechanical Parts
2) No problem with high
temperatures
3) I df d i h
Disadvantages:
1) Must be full 360 Degrees
2) Needs to be near top of stack
3) Cannot serve dual purpose (i.e.
3) Inspected from grade with
Binoculars
4) Provides large structural damping
platform)
4) Sometimes interferes with ladders,
platforms and piping
Meca Enterprises, Inc. * 816 West Elgin St.* Broken Arrow, OK 74012
918-258-2913 office * 918-258-1057 Fax
www.mecaenterprises.com * support@mecaenterprises.com
Page 7 of 7