Nonlinear Revision of the Linear Model for Stockbridge Vibration Damper and Experiment Validation

Stockbridge vibration damper is widely used in overhead transmission lines to alleviate the wind-induced aeoline vibration. In the past few decades, linear analytic model had been developed to interpret characteristics of the vibration damper. However, nonlinear vibration characteristics of the damper have rarely been studied theoretically. In this paper, experiment was set up to reveal the nonlinearity during the vibration of the Stockbridge vibration damper. Then the linear model was revised by considering the supporting part of the strand steel cable as elastic foundation. This makes the length of the cable a variable depending on the deflection of the cable, which is affected by the vibration velocity. Results obtained from the nonlinear revised model compare better with experiment than those from linear model.