Active magnetorheological actuator

Abstract

This invention discloses an active magnetorheological actuator, comprising an actuation component and an active output component. The actuation component includes an actuator cylinder and a magnetorheological piston. The actuator cylinder has a first magnetorheological channel, and the magnetorheological piston is disposed within the actuator cylinder, dividing the first magnetorheological channel into a first cavity and a second cavity. The active output component includes an outer cylinder, a screw pump, and a drive component. The outer cylinder has a second magnetorheological channel, and the screw pump is disposed within the outer cylinder, dividing the second magnetorheological channel into a third cavity and a fourth cavity. An excitation coil is disposed on the magnetorheological piston, which has a central flow channel. An opening and closing component is disposed on the magnetorheological piston, which can be manipulated to close or open the central flow channel. This active magnetorheological actuator has a simple and compact structure, occupies little space, is easy to implement, and integrates the characteristics of passive, semi-active, and active actuators. It can actively output force and can switch between passive, semi-active, and active actuators according to working conditions, exhibiting energy-saving characteristics.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of vibration suppression, and in particular to an active magnetorheological actuator. Background Technology

[0002] Active actuators are a crucial component of a vehicle's active suspension system, playing a vital role in extending vehicle lifespan and enhancing the ride experience. Existing active actuators are mostly hydraulically driven, which has drawbacks such as large size, complex structure, and high energy consumption.

[0003] Magnetorheological dampers are semi-active vibration damping devices that use magnetorheological materials as the working medium. They are characterized by low energy consumption and compact structure. They can passively suppress vibration by adjusting the current to change the damping force. However, they cannot actively output force, which limits their application in vehicle active suspension.

[0004] Therefore, combining the functions of active actuators and magnetorheological dampers to design a magnetorheological active actuator that can simultaneously achieve vibration reduction and output active force is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides an active magnetorheological actuator that realizes two functions: vibration reduction and output of active force. It has the characteristics of compact structure, small footprint, simple control method and low energy consumption.

[0006] The active magnetorheological actuator provided by this invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] An active magnetorheological actuator includes an actuation component and an active output component. The actuation component includes an actuator cylinder and a magnetorheological piston. The actuator cylinder has a magnetorheological channel for the flow of magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological piston is slidably disposed within the actuator cylinder and axially divides the magnetorheological channel into cavity one and cavity two. The active output component includes an outer cylinder, a screw pump, and a drive component. The outer cylinder has a magnetorheological channel two for the flow of magnetorheological fluid. The screw pump is fixed within the outer cylinder and is operated by the drive component. The screw pump divides the magnetorheological channel two into cavity three (flowing through cavity one) and cavity four (flowing through cavity two). An excitation coil is disposed on the magnetorheological piston. The magnetorheological piston has an intermediate flow channel flowing through cavity one and cavity two. An opening and closing component is disposed on the magnetorheological piston, which can be operated to close or open the intermediate flow channel.

[0008] Optionally, it also includes a floating piston, which divides the cavity into a magnetorheological fluid chamber and a gas chamber. The magnetorheological fluid chamber is in communication with the cavity, and the gas chamber is used to store gas. The actuator cylinder is provided with an inflation valve that communicates with the gas chamber.

[0009] Optionally, the actuator cylinder body includes an actuator cylinder barrel, an actuator left end cover, and an actuator right end cover. The actuator left end cover is threadedly connected to the actuator cylinder barrel, and the actuator right end cover is fixedly connected to the actuator cylinder barrel. The inflation valve is located on the actuator right end cover.

[0010] Optionally, the magnetorheological piston includes a left end cap, a piston body, a right end cap, and a piston sleeve. The piston sleeve is slidably fitted onto the actuator cylinder. The left and right end caps are respectively located on the left and right sides of the piston sleeve. Both the left and right end caps have through holes along their circumference for the magnetorheological fluid to pass through. A gap is formed between the outer contour of the piston body and the inner contour of the piston sleeve to allow flow through the through holes.

[0011] Optionally, the opening and closing assembly includes a magnetic component, an elastic component, and a baffle. The elastic component applies an outward thrust to the magnetic component, and the excitation coil applies an inward magnetic force to the magnetic component after being energized. Driven by the elastic component and the excitation coil, the magnetic component drives the baffle to move axially to open or close the through hole. The baffle has a through hole for the magnetorheological fluid to flow through, and the magnetorheological fluid can flow through the through hole in the piston sleeve and the baffle sleeve.

[0012] Optionally, the magnetorheological piston is provided with a baffle sleeve, the baffle sleeve has a communicating hole that flows through the through hole, and the baffle is slidably disposed inside the baffle sleeve.

[0013] Optionally, the screw pump consists of a bushing and a screw. The bushing is fixedly connected to the outer cylinder, and the screw is rotatably fitted onto the bushing. The drive unit consists of a motor, a rotating shaft, and a coupling, used to drive the screw to rotate.

[0014] Optionally, the actuator assembly further includes a piston rod, one end of which is disposed on the magnetorheological piston, and the other end extends outward from the actuator cylinder. A first lifting ring is disposed at the extended end of the piston rod, and a second lifting ring is disposed at the end of the actuator cylinder away from the piston rod.

[0015] Optionally, the outer cylinder body includes an outer right end cover, an outer left end cover, and an outer cylinder barrel. The outer right end cover and the outer left end cover are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the outer cylinder barrel, and the screw pump is fixedly disposed inside the outer cylinder barrel.

[0016] Optionally, the left and right end caps of the piston are made of magnetically shielding material, the piston sleeve is made of magnetically conductive material to guide the magnetic circuit, and the piston body is provided with a receiving groove along the circumference to accommodate the excitation coil.

[0017] In summary, the present invention has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: simple and compact structure, small space occupation, easy to implement, integrates passive, semi-active and active features, can actively output force, can switch between passive, semi-active and active devices according to working conditions, and has energy-saving features. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the magnetorheological channel when it is open according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the magnetorheological channel when it is closed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the baffle sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the baffle structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the magnetorheological fluid flow in passive and semi-active modes according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the magnetorheological fluid flow in active mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Lifting ring one; 2. Piston rod; 3. Actuator left end cover; 4. Actuator cylinder; 5. Piston left end cover; 6. Spring; 7. Piston sleeve; 8. Piston body; 9. Armature; 10. Piston right end cover; 11. Baffle; 12. Baffle sleeve; 13. Floating piston; 14. Inflation valve; 15. Actuator right end cover; 16. Liquid pipe connector; 17. Liquid pipe; 18. Outer right end cover; 19. Outer cylinder; 20. Screw; 21. Bushing; 22. Coupling one; 23. Rotating shaft; 24. Outer left end cover; 25. Coupling two; 26. Motor; 27. Cavity one; 28. Magnetorheological fluid chamber; 29. ​​Gas chamber; 30. Cavity three; 31. Cavity four; 32. Lifting ring two. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0028] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-7 The present invention will be described in further detail below.

[0029] This invention discloses an active magnetorheological actuator.

[0030] Reference Figures 1-7 An active magnetorheological actuator includes an actuation component and an active output component. The actuation component includes an actuator cylinder and a magnetorheological piston. The actuator cylinder has a magnetorheological channel 1 for the flow of magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological piston is axially slidably disposed within the actuator cylinder 4 and axially divides the magnetorheological channel 1 into a cavity 27 and a cavity 2. The active output component includes an outer cylinder 19, a screw pump, and a drive component. The outer cylinder 19 has a magnetorheological channel 2 for the flow of magnetorheological fluid. The screw pump is fixed within the outer cylinder 19 and is operated by the drive component. The screw pump delivers the magnetorheological fluid... Channel 2 is divided into cavity 30, which flows through cavity 1 27, and cavity 4 31, which flows through cavity 2. An excitation coil is installed on the magnetorheological piston. The magnetorheological piston has an intermediate flow channel that flows through cavity 1 27 and cavity 2. An opening and closing component is installed on the magnetorheological piston. The opening and closing component can be manipulated to close or open the intermediate flow channel. The structure is simple and compact, occupies little space, and is easy to implement. It integrates the characteristics of passive, semi-active and active. It can actively output force and can switch between passive, semi-active and active devices according to the working conditions. It has the characteristics of energy saving.

[0031] In this embodiment, the actuator cylinder body includes an actuator cylinder barrel 4, an actuator left end cover 3, and an actuator right end cover 15. The actuator left end cover 3 is threadedly connected to the actuator cylinder barrel 4, and the actuator right end cover 15 is fixedly connected to the actuator cylinder barrel 4 by welding.

[0032] In this embodiment, a floating piston 13 is also included. The floating piston 13 is disposed inside the actuator cylinder 4. The floating piston 13 divides the cavity into a magnetorheological fluid chamber 28 and a gas chamber 29. The magnetorheological fluid chamber 28 communicates with the cavity 31. The gas chamber 29 is used to store gas. An inflation valve 14 that communicates with the gas chamber 29 is provided on the actuator cylinder 4. The inflation valve 14 is disposed on the right end cover 15 of the actuator.

[0033] In this embodiment, the magnetorheological piston includes a left end cap 5, a piston body 8, a right end cap 10, and a piston sleeve 7. The piston sleeve 7 is slidably fitted onto the actuator cylinder 4. The left end cap 5 and the right end cap 10 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the piston sleeve 7. Both the left end cap 5 and the right end cap 10 have through holes along their circumference for the magnetorheological fluid to pass through. A gap is formed between the outer contour of the piston body 8 and the inner contour of the piston sleeve 7 to allow flow through the through holes. The left end cap 5 and the right end cap 10 are made of magnetically shielding material to prevent magnetic leakage, while the piston sleeve 7 is made of magnetically conductive material to guide the magnetic circuit. A gap is provided between the piston sleeve 7 and the piston body 8 for the flow of the magnetorheological fluid.

[0034] In this embodiment, the piston sleeve 7 is positioned and pressed and fixed to the piston left end cover 5 and piston right end cover 10 by a boss, and the piston body 8 is fastened to the piston right end cover 10 by screws. The piston right end cover 10 and piston body 8 are positioned by a boss and fastened by screws.

[0035] In this embodiment, the opening and closing assembly includes a magnetic component, an elastic component, a baffle 11, and a baffle sleeve 12. The piston right end cap 10 and the outer sleeve 12 are positioned by a groove and fastened by screws. The elastic component is used to apply an outward thrust to the magnetic component. After the excitation coil is energized, it applies an inward magnetic force to the magnetic component. Under the drive of the elastic component and the excitation coil, the magnetic component drives the baffle 11 to move axially to open or close the through hole. The magnetorheological fluid passes through the through hole into the piston sleeve 7 and the baffle sleeve 12. The magnetorheological piston is provided with a baffle sleeve 12. The baffle sleeve 12 has a communicating hole that flows through the through hole. The baffle 11 is slidably fitted inside the baffle sleeve 12. Specifically, the elastic element is spring 6, and the magnetic element is armature 9. Armature 9 is installed inside piston body 8, spring 6 is installed between armature 9 and piston rod 2, and armature 9 is fastened to baffle 11 by screws. When the coil does not generate a magnetic field, armature 9 can be pushed out by the elastic force of spring 6. After the coil generates a magnetic field, it is pushed inward by electromagnetic force to overcome the elastic force of spring 6.

[0036] The baffle 11 is located at the right end of the armature 9. The baffle 11 has through holes for the flow of magnetorheological fluid. In this embodiment, four through holes are provided. The magnetorheological fluid can enter the piston sleeve 7 through the through holes to balance the pressure on both sides of the baffle 11, so that the baffle 11 can move left and right under the drive of the armature 9.

[0037] In this embodiment, the screw pump includes a screw 20 and a bushing 21. The bushing 21 is fixed inside the outer cylinder 19 by welding. The screw 20 is rotatably fitted onto the bushing 21. A drive component is used to drive the screw 20 to rotate. Specifically, the drive component is a motor 26, which drives the screw 20 to rotate, thereby compressing the magnetorheological fluid in the corresponding chamber. A rotating shaft 23 is coaxially arranged on the screw 20. A coupling 22 is provided between the screw 20 and the rotating shaft 23. The motor 26 is connected to the rotating shaft 23 through a second coupling 25, thereby driving the screw 20 to rotate.

[0038] In this embodiment, the actuation assembly further includes a piston rod 2 threadedly connected to the piston body 8. One end of the piston rod 2 is disposed on the magnetorheological piston, and the other end extends outward from the actuator cylinder. A lifting ring 1 is disposed at the extended end of the piston rod 2, and a lifting ring 32 is disposed at the end of the actuator cylinder away from the piston rod 2. The piston rod 2 has an internal channel for arranging wires, which passes through the piston rod 2. The wires are wound around the piston body 8 to form an excitation coil. The piston body 8 has a circumferentially circumferentially formed receiving groove for accommodating the excitation coil.

[0039] In this embodiment, the outer cylinder body includes an outer right end cover 18, an outer left end cover 24, and an outer cylinder barrel 19. The outer right end cover 18 and the outer left end cover 24 are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the outer cylinder barrel. The outer right end cover 18 and the outer cylinder barrel are connected by welding, and the outer left end cover 24 is threadedly connected to the outer cylinder barrel 19.

[0040] In this embodiment, cavity 1 27 flows through cavity 3 30 via liquid pipe 17. Similarly, cavity 2 flows through cavity 4 31 via liquid pipe 17. Liquid pipe connectors 16 are provided at both ends of liquid pipe 17. Liquid pipe connectors 16 are used to connect with the corresponding actuator cylinder or outer cylinder to realize the exchange of magnetorheological fluid between the actuator cylinder and the outer cylinder. In this embodiment, the connection is made by threaded connection.

[0041] When the excitation coil wound on the piston is not energized, the armature 9 is not subject to electromagnetic force, the baffle 11 is pushed out by the spring 6 along with the armature 9, the motor 26 does not work, the magnetorheological fluid can flow in the actuator, and the actuator can act as a passive damper to dissipate vibration energy. At this time, the actuator works in passive mode and plays a role in vibration reduction.

[0042] When a small current is applied to the excitation coil wound on the piston, the electromagnetic force on the armature 9 cannot overcome the elastic force of the spring 6, and the baffle 11 is pushed out along with the armature 9. The connecting hole on the outer sleeve 12 for the passage of magnetorheological fluid is connected to the through hole on the right end cover 10 of the piston for the passage of magnetorheological fluid. The motor 26 does not work, and the magnetorheological fluid can flow in the actuator cylinder. The magnetic field strength around the piston can be adjusted by adjusting the current to change the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid, thereby changing the damping force of the actuator and dissipating vibration energy. At this time, the actuator works in semi-active mode, which has a vibration reduction effect.

[0043] When a large current is applied to the excitation coil wound on the piston, the electromagnetic force on the armature 9 overcomes the elastic force of the spring 6, and the baffle 11 moves to the left with the armature 9. The connecting hole on the outer sleeve 12 for the passage of magnetorheological fluid and the through hole on the right end cover 10 of the piston for the passage of magnetorheological fluid are blocked by the baffle 11, and the magnetorheological fluid channel is closed. At the same time, the motor 26 starts to work, driving the screw 20 to rotate and compressing the magnetorheological fluid, which increases the pressure in one cavity of the outer cylinder and decreases the pressure in the other cavity. With the connection of the two liquid pipes, the pressure in one cavity of the corresponding actuator cylinder increases and the pressure in the other cavity decreases. By adjusting the output speed of the motor 26, the pressure in the two cavities of the actuator cylinder can be changed, thereby changing the force acting on the left end cover 5 of the piston and the outer sleeve 12, so that the actuator can output force. At this time, the actuator works in active mode and can actively output force.

[0044] The control method of this invention is simple. The damping force can be adjusted by controlling the current of the excitation coil, and the output force of the actuator can be indirectly controlled by controlling the motor 26, making it easy to achieve active control.

[0045] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that due to the limitations of textual expression, and the objective existence of infinite specific structures, those skilled in the art can make several improvements, modifications, or changes without departing from the principles of the present invention, and can also combine the above technical features in an appropriate manner; these improvements, modifications, changes, or combinations, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution to other situations without modification, should all be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An active magneto-rheological actuator, characterized by: The device includes an execution component and an active output component. The execution component includes an actuator cylinder and a magnetorheological piston. The actuator cylinder has a magnetorheological channel one for the flow of magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological piston is slidably disposed within the actuator cylinder and axially divides the magnetorheological channel one into cavity one and cavity two. The active output component includes an outer cylinder, a screw pump, and a drive component. The outer cylinder has a magnetorheological channel two for the flow of magnetorheological fluid. The screw pump is fixed within the outer cylinder and is operated by the drive component. The screw pump divides the magnetorheological channel two into cavity three, which flows through cavity one, and cavity four, which flows through cavity two. An excitation coil is disposed on the magnetorheological piston. The magnetorheological piston has an intermediate flow channel that flows through cavity one and cavity two. An opening and closing component is disposed on the magnetorheological piston. The opening and closing component can be operated to close or open the intermediate flow channel. The screw pump consists of a bushing and a screw. The bushing is fixedly connected to the outer cylinder. The screw is rotatably fitted onto the bushing. The drive unit consists of a motor, a rotating shaft, and a coupling, and is used to drive the screw to rotate. The actuator assembly also includes a piston rod, one end of which is disposed on the magnetorheological piston and the other end extends outward from the actuator cylinder. A lifting ring one is provided at the extended end of the piston rod, and a lifting ring two is provided at the end of the actuator cylinder away from the piston rod. The outer cylinder body includes an outer right end cover, an outer left end cover, and an outer cylinder barrel. The outer right end cover and the outer left end cover are respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the outer cylinder barrel, and the screw pump is fixedly disposed inside the outer cylinder barrel. The first cavity flows through the third cavity via a liquid pipe, and similarly, the second cavity flows through the fourth cavity via a liquid pipe. Liquid pipe connectors are provided at both ends of the liquid pipes, which are used to connect with the corresponding actuator cylinder or outer cylinder to realize the exchange of magnetorheological fluid between the actuator cylinder and the outer cylinder. The magnetorheological piston includes a left end cap, a piston body, a right end cap, and a piston sleeve. The piston sleeve is slidably fitted onto the actuator cylinder. The left and right end caps are respectively located on the left and right sides of the piston sleeve. Both the left and right end caps have through holes along their circumference for the magnetorheological fluid to pass through. A gap is formed between the outer contour of the piston body and the inner contour of the piston sleeve to allow flow through the through holes. The magnetorheological piston is provided with a baffle sleeve, and the baffle sleeve has a communicating hole that flows through the through hole. The baffle is slidably disposed inside the baffle sleeve. The opening and closing assembly includes a magnetic component, an elastic component, and a baffle. The elastic component applies an outward thrust to the magnetic component. When the excitation coil is energized, it applies an inward magnetic force to the magnetic component. Driven by the elastic component and the excitation coil, the magnetic component moves the baffle axially to open or close the through hole. The baffle has a through hole for the flow of magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological fluid can flow through the through hole in the piston sleeve and the baffle sleeve. When the excitation coil wound on the piston is not energized, the magnetic component is not subject to electromagnetic force, the baffle is pushed out by the elastic component along with the magnetic component, the motor does not work, the magnetorheological fluid can flow in the actuator, and the actuator can act as a passive damper to dissipate vibration energy. At this time, the actuator works in passive mode and plays a vibration reduction role. When a small current is passed through the excitation coil wound on the piston, the electromagnetic force on the magnetic component cannot overcome the elastic force of the elastic component. The baffle is pushed out along with the magnetic component. The connecting hole on the outer cylinder for the passage of magnetorheological fluid is connected to the through hole on the right end cover of the piston for the passage of magnetorheological fluid. The motor does not work, and the magnetorheological fluid can flow in the actuator cylinder. The magnetic field strength around the piston can be adjusted by adjusting the current to change the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid, thereby changing the damping force of the actuator and dissipating vibration energy. At this time, the actuator works in semi-active mode, which has a vibration reduction effect. When a large current is applied to the excitation coil wound on the piston, the electromagnetic force on the magnetic component overcomes the elastic force of the elastic component. The baffle moves to the left with the magnetic component, blocking the through hole on the outer cylinder for the magnetorheological fluid and the through hole on the right end cover of the piston for the magnetorheological fluid. The magnetorheological fluid channel is closed. At the same time, the motor starts working, driving the screw to rotate and compressing the magnetorheological fluid. This increases the pressure in one cavity of the outer cylinder and decreases the pressure in the other cavity. With the two liquid pipes connected, the pressure in one cavity of the corresponding actuator cylinder increases and the pressure in the other cavity decreases. By adjusting the output speed of the motor, the pressure in the two cavities of the actuator cylinder can be changed, thereby changing the force acting on the left end cover of the piston and the outer cylinder, realizing the actuator output force. At this time, the actuator works in active mode and can actively output force.

2. The active magnetorheological actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a floating piston, which divides the cavity into a magnetorheological fluid chamber and a gas chamber. The magnetorheological fluid chamber is in communication with the cavity, and the gas chamber is used to store gas. The actuator cylinder is equipped with an inflation valve that communicates with the gas chamber.

3. The active magnetorheological actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The actuator cylinder body includes an actuator cylinder barrel, an actuator left end cover, and an actuator right end cover. The actuator left end cover is threadedly connected to the actuator cylinder barrel, and the actuator right end cover is fixedly connected to the actuator cylinder barrel. An inflation valve is located on the actuator right end cover.

4. The active magnetorheological actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston left end cap and piston right end cap are made of magnetic shielding material, the piston sleeve is made of magnetic conductive material and is used to guide the magnetic circuit, and the piston body has a receiving groove along the circumference to accommodate the excitation coil.

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