Thesis (M.Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 49).This thesis discusses the feasibility of structural magnetic induction dampers for dampening mechanical vibrations in buildings subjected to strong dynamic excitations. The concept of energy harvesting in various fields of engineering is first examined. Then it is applied to the design of magnetic induction dampers in buildings. Various implementations of these dampers are proposed and the related expected performances are estimated. Simulations on buildings modeled as discrete multiple-degree-of-freedom shear beams subjected to earthquakes quantify the results and allow for a comparison of the performances with nonisolated and base-isolated buildings. This study demonstrates the potential efficiency of such dampers for harvesting mechanical energy in buildings and encourages further developments on this topic.by Laurent J. Auge.M.Eng
