NASA rocket stabilization system may make buildings more earthquake-resistant

Quartz : In 2013, NASA completed work on the LOX Damper, a system for reducing shaking in the Ares rocket. It works by causing the rocket’s liquid oxygen fuel to oscillate at a known frequency, which counteracts the rocket’s vibration. After Congress halted development of the Ares rocket, the team that created the LOX Damper turned to adapting the system for use in stabilizing buildings during earthquakes. Most current stabilization systems employ large weights, which are expensive and take up a lot of space. Because all structures have a natural frequency, the NASA researchers designed a variant of the LOX Damper, called a disruptive tuned mass (DTM), to counter a building’s shaking caused by wind or earthquakes. The coffee can–sized device can be placed in the building’s swimming pool, pipes, or sprinkler system. The first commercial installation of a DTM has been in Tower B2 at Pacific Park in Brooklyn, New York, where it will primarily be used to counter the effect of high winds.