Quasi-zero stiffness interval optimization design and dynamics analysis of a new bi-directional horizontal isolation system

The quasi-Zero Stiffness (QZS) isolation system is a typical nonlinear isolation system, which has high static stiffness characteristics to improve the bearing capacity and deformation resistance, and its low dynamic stiffness characteristics can reduce the inherent frequency of the system to realize a wider vibration isolation frequency band, so it has a more excellent low-frequency vibration isolation performance compared with the linear system. In this paper, a horizontal QZS isolator is constructed based on a pre-compressed oblique spring system, and two sets of the horizontal QZS isolators are mechanically assembled to work together to achieve a bi-directional horizontal QZS isolation system. Considering that the construction of two sets of horizontal vibration isolators is approximately the same, we focus on one of the isolators for the static analysis and derive the parameter conditions to be satisfied for achieving quasi-zero stiffness characteristics. We considered the effect of each adjustable parameter of the horizontal vibration isolator on the mechanical performance of the QZS system, and sought to optimize the QZS interval to improve the vibration isolation performance. A comparative study of the dynamical properties between the QZS system with ordinary and optimized parameters, as well as the equivalent linear system, is further carried out by means of nonlinear approximate analysis. Finally, the dynamic characteristics of the bi-directional horizontal QZS system and the equivalent linear system are compared by shaker tests on the prototype device, which proved the excellent vibration isolation performance of the proposed QZS isolation system.