Contact
+49 711 685 69390
+49 711 685 63505
Email
Business card (VCF)
Pfaffenwaldring 6
70569 Stuttgart
Germany
Room: 2/31
Subject
Structures in the aerospace engineering are often subjected to high dynamic loads. I am conducting research on a nonlinear damping concept as a means to mitigate the resulting structural vibrations. The basic idea behind this novel damper is to scatter the vibrational energy into higher vibration modes through collisions between the structure and a small internal mass. Due to their higher natural frequencies, energy can be dissipated more quickly there than in the resonant vibration mode. A distinctive feature of my research project is the versatility of the methods we use for theoretical investigations and the predictive design of the damper. In addition to methods from our numerical and experimental fields of research, we also employ analytical and data-driven statistical methods. To this end, we collaborate closely with our international partners.
I am always offering bachelor’s and master’s theses on this topic. If you are interested, please send me an e-mail.
Find me on LinkedIn, ResearchGate, ORCiD, Google Scholar, and GitHub.
Journal Papers
Weidemann, T.; Bergman, L. A.; Vakakis, A. F.; Krack, M.: Energy transfer and localization in a forced cyclic chain of oscillators with vibro-impact nonlinear energy sinks. Nonlinear Dynamics, 2025. doi: 10.1007/s11071-025-10928-4
Tempelman, J. R.; Weidemann, T.; Flynn, E. B.; Matlack, K. H.; Vakakis, A. F.: Physics-informed machine learning for the inverse design of wave scattering clusters. Wave Motion, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.wavemoti.2024.103371
Weidemann, T.; Carassale, L.; Denoel, V.; Krack, M.: On the broadband efficacy of impact absorbers. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.jsv.2023.118161
Conference Presentations
Weidemann, T.; Segel, N. F.; Linder, H. D.; Krack, M.: Boosting the Inter-Modal Energy Scattering of Vibro-Impact Absorbers through Geometric Stiffening of the Contact Zone. EUROMECH Colloquium “Recent Advances in Non-Smooth Dynamics” 2025, Exeter, UK
Weidemann, T.; Bergman, L. A.; Vakakis, A. F.; Krack, M.: Interaction between Anderson and nonlinear localization in a forced cyclic chain of oscillators with vibro-impact nonlinear energy sinks. International Nonlinear Dynamics Conference 2025, Hoboken, NJ, USA
Segel, N. F.; Weidemann, T.; Linder, H. D.; Krack, M.: Enhancing the inter-modal targeted energy transfer of vibro-impact absorbers through geometric optimization of the contact area. International Nonlinear Dynamics Conference 2025, Hoboken, NJ, USA
Gross, J.; Pitzal, M.; Weidemann, T.; Algara, A.; Gulkanov, A.; Salles, L.; Brake, M. R. B.; Schwingshackl, C.; Witteveen, W.; Krack, M.: TRC 2024 Project 2: Methods for Strongly Discontinuous Contact Events Based on Time Step Integration. International Modal Analysis Conference 2025, Orlando, FL, USA
Weidemann, T.; Bergman, L. A.; Vakakis, A. F.; Krack, M.: Dynamik einer zyklischen Schwingerkette mit Vibro-Impact Absorbern. Deutscher Luft- und Raumfahrtkongress 2024, Hamburg, DE
Vogel, L.; Weidemann, T.; Krack, M.: Experimental quantification of the inter-modal energy scattering in a structure with vibro-impact absorber. European Nonlinear Dynamics Conference 2024, Delft, NL
Weidemann, T.; Vakakis, A. F.; Krack, M.: Dynamics of a cyclic chain of oscillators with vibro-impact absorbers. European Nonlinear Dynamics Conference 2024, Delft, NL
December 2023 – today: Doctoral student and academic staff in the structural mechanics group at the Institute of Aircraft Propulsion Systems
February 2026 – March 2026: Visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge in the Data, Vibration, and Uncertainty (DVU) Group of Dr. A. Cicirello
July 2024 – August 2024: Visiting scholar at the Imperial College London for the Tribomechadynamics Research Camp (TRC) 2024
May 2023 – October 2023: Visiting scholar at the Grainger College of Engineering of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) under Prof. A. F. Vakakis and Prof. L.A. Bergman
April 2021 – October 2023: Major in Aerospace Engineering, M.Sc. at the University of Stuttgart
October 2017 – April 2021: Major in Aerospace Engineering, B.Sc. at the University of Stuttgart
Highlighted examples:
Enhancing the efficacy of impact absorbers through geometric optimization of the contact areas – Master’s thesis, 2025, University of Stuttgart
An impact energy scatterer is highly effective in reducing resonant vibrations by scattering the vibrational energy of the main structure into higher modes through repeated impacts with the main structure. This master's thesis investigated how the maximum achievable mode order to which energy can be scattered can be increased by geometrically stiffening the contact area. To this end, numerical simulations were carried out and an analytical model was derived. The student presented their results at the International Nonlinear Dynamics Conference (NODYCON) 2025 in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Experimental quantification of the inter-modal energy scattering in a structure with impact absorber – Bachelor’s thesis, 2024, University of Stuttgart
To validate or improve the modeling of structures with vibro-impact absorbers, it is crucial to gain experimental insight into their main working mechanism. The latter is based on energy transfer from low to higher modes of the structure that are able to dissipate the mechanical energy on a faster timescale which leads to a reduction of vibration level. In this thesis, the general framework of reconstructing the instantaneous energy distribution between the modes based on measurement data was developed and applied to an existing test rig. The student additionally presented their results at the European Nonlinear Dynamics Conference (ENOC) 2024 in Delft.
Other:
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Damping Strategies for Electric Engines – Master’s thesis, 2026, German Aerospace Center (DLR) and University of Stuttgart
Estimating the Performance Curve of an Impact-Energy Scatterer via Backbone Tracking in a Virtual Experiment – Bachelor’s thesis, 2026, University of Stuttgart
Experimental Quantification of Modal Coefficients of Restitution using Digital Image Correlation – Bachelor’s thesis, 2026, University of Stuttgart
Systematic numerical and experimental analyses of an absorber family – Master’s thesis, 2024, MTU Aero Engines and University of Stuttgart
DAAD Research Scholarship (2026) by the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst; DAAD) for a two-month research visit at the University of Cambridge
Invited Speaker (2025) at the EUROMECH Colloquium „Recent Advances in Non-Smooth Dynamics“ in Exeter, UK
Bürkert-University-Award (2025) for the most outstanding master’s thesis in the academic year 23/24 at the faculty of aerospace engineering and geodesy
Invited Speaker (2025) at the FEMTO-ST Institute (Franche-Comté Électronique Mécanique Thermique et Optique - Sciences et Technologies) in Besançon, France
Best Presentation Awards (2024) First place of the committee ratings as well as the ratings by the other participants for the best presentation at the workshop “Exploiting Nonlinearities in Metamaterials/Metastructures: from Modelling to Applications” organized by the NOLIMAST project.
MT Aerospace Innovation Award (2024) Young Researcher Award of the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DGLR) for the master’s thesis on the “Dynamics of a cyclic chain of oscillators with vibro-impact absorbers”.
Reissner Scholarship (2023) awarded by the Reissner Foundation (Reissner Stiftung) for the time as a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)