A self-powered semi-active viscous damper and its operation method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a self-powered semi-active viscous damper and its operating method. The damper includes an energy conversion chamber, a hydraulic cylinder chamber, a piston rod, a ball screw, an electromagnetic motor, an energy storage device, and a control sensing unit. The piston rod passes through the hydraulic cylinder chamber and extends into the interior of the energy conversion chamber. The piston head on the piston rod divides the hydraulic cylinder chamber into a first hydraulic cylinder chamber and a second hydraulic cylinder chamber, and the two chambers are connected through a bypass pipeline, on which a flow control valve is provided. The piston rod portion in the energy conversion chamber converts translational motion into rotational motion through the ball screw, thereby driving the electromagnetic motor to convert rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy, and the energy storage device collects and stores the electrical energy. The control sensing unit adjusts the opening of the flow control valve according to the amplitude of structural vibration to achieve semi-active control of the damper. Compared with the prior art, the present invention not only achieves adaptive control of structural vibration, but also achieves self-supply of electrical energy and adapts to complex vibration environments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of structural vibration reduction, and in particular to a self-powered semi-active viscous damper and an operating method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In civil engineering, with the continuous development of large structures such as high-rise buildings, bridges, and nuclear power plants, structures are facing increasingly diverse and extreme dynamic loads, including natural disasters such as earthquakes and wind loads, as well as other environmental excitations. These external loads can induce structural vibrations, which in turn can affect the safety and service life of the structures and even cause serious property damage and loss of life. Therefore, effectively controlling structural vibrations has become a major challenge in civil engineering.

[0003] Traditional viscous dampers and semi-active control technologies are widely used in structural vibration control and can reduce the impact of vibration on the structure by adjusting the damping force. Viscous dampers usually use liquid as the damping medium and consume vibration energy through the viscous properties of the fluid. Semi-active dampers combine the advantages of active and passive control systems and can respond to the vibration of the structure in real time by adjusting the characteristics of the damper (such as flow control, valve adjustment, etc.) without increasing external energy consumption. For example, Chinese patent CN117212382A discloses an active and semi-active viscous fluid damper, which is provided with a bypass damping hole equipped with an adjustable check valve at both ends of the device. The output can be adjusted by controlling the adjustable check valve, which not only greatly improves the damping efficiency of the device, but also effectively shortens the length of the device.

[0004] However, existing semi-active dampers generally rely on external power sources or mechanical drives to achieve damping adjustment, which often results in energy consumption issues and, in extreme situations (such as power outages after an earthquake), can significantly reduce control effectiveness. Therefore, eliminating reliance on external power sources and achieving self-powered dampers while maintaining excellent control performance and achieving broadband vibration control has become a critical technical requirement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a self-powered semi-active viscous damper and an operating method thereof, which can achieve broadband vibration control and self-powering of the damper.

[0006] The purpose of the present invention can be achieved by the following technical solutions:

[0007] The present invention provides a self-powered semi-active viscous damper, comprising an energy conversion chamber, a hydraulic cylinder chamber, and a piston rod. The energy conversion chamber and the hydraulic cylinder chamber are sealed and connected, and the piston rod passes through the hydraulic cylinder chamber and extends into the energy conversion chamber.

[0008] The piston rod is provided with a piston head, which divides the hydraulic cylinder chamber into a first hydraulic cylinder chamber and a second hydraulic cylinder chamber along the axial direction of the piston rod. Bypass pipelines are provided on both sides of the hydraulic cylinder chamber. The first hydraulic cylinder chamber and the second hydraulic cylinder chamber are connected through the bypass pipelines, and flow control valves are provided on the bypass pipelines.

[0009] The portion of the piston rod extending into the energy conversion chamber is provided with a ball screw capable of converting the translational motion of the piston rod into rotational motion, and the energy conversion chamber is also provided with an electromagnetic motor capable of converting rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy;

[0010] The damper also includes an energy storage device and a control sensing unit.

[0011] In the present invention, the stroke L1 of the piston rod in the ball screw is equal to the stroke L2 in the second hydraulic cylinder chamber, ensuring that the translation of the piston rod is not affected and that the ball screw can effectively convert the translation of the piston rod into rotational motion.

[0012] Preferably, a first piston shaft connector is provided at one end of the piston rod close to the hydraulic cylinder chamber, and a second piston shaft connector is provided at one end of the energy conversion chamber away from the hydraulic cylinder chamber. The damper is connected to the first structure and the second structure through the first piston shaft connector and the second piston shaft connector. When the first structure and the second structure vibrate, the piston rod moves linearly along its axial direction.

[0013] Preferably, the control sensing unit is electrically connected to the flow control valve and can control the on / off state of the flow control valve.

[0014] Preferably, the control sensing unit comprises a sensor capable of monitoring the vibration amplitude of the first structure and the second structure.

[0015] Further preferably, the sensor includes an acceleration sensor, a displacement sensor or a velocity sensor.

[0016] Preferably, the hydraulic cylinder cavity is filled with damping fluid, the energy conversion cavity and the hydraulic cylinder cavity are sealedly connected via a cavity connecting portion, and the cavity connecting portion is provided with a through hole for the piston rod to pass through the cavity connecting portion and extend to the energy conversion cavity.

[0017] In the present invention, the arrangement of the cavity connection portion must ensure that the damping fluid only flows in the hydraulic cylinder cavity and does not leak into the energy conversion cavity.

[0018] Preferably, the electromagnetic motor is arranged in the energy conversion chamber at one end away from the hydraulic cylinder chamber through a fixing part, and the output end of the ball screw is coaxially connected to the rotor of the electromagnetic motor. The magnetic flux lines of the electromagnetic motor are cut by the rotational motion of the ball screw, thereby converting the rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy.

[0019] Preferably, the energy storage device is arranged on the energy conversion cavity, is electrically connected to the electromagnetic motor, and can collect the electrical energy converted from the rotational kinetic energy of the electromagnetic motor and supply energy to the damper.

[0020] Further preferably, the energy storage device includes a supercapacitor or a lithium battery.

[0021] The present invention also provides a method for operating the self-powered semi-active viscous damper, which controls the sensing unit to identify the vibration amplitude of the first structure and the second structure, controls the flow control valve to adjust the valve opening, and thus adjusts the amount of damping fluid passing through the bypass line to change the damping level.

[0022] Preferably, when the flow control valve is closed, the flow of the damping fluid is restricted and the damping increases; when the flow control valve is fully opened, the damping fluid can flow freely between the first hydraulic cylinder chamber and the second hydraulic cylinder chamber through the bypass line, achieving a low damping response.

[0023] Preferably, under a vibration environment, the piston rod moves linearly, the ball screw converts the translation of the piston rod into rotational motion, the electromagnetic motor converts the rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy and stores it in the energy storage device, and the energy storage device provides energy for the flow control valve to achieve self-supply of energy.

[0024] The self-powered semi-active viscous damper of this invention converts the structure's mechanical energy into electrical energy by driving a control sensing unit, eliminating reliance on an external power source. Through a motion conversion mechanism, the kinetic energy generated by the structure during vibration is converted into electrical energy and stored in an energy storage device for subsequent control system use. Furthermore, adjustment of the flow control valve allows the damper to adjust its damping capacity in real time based on the structure's vibration response, achieving wide-band vibration control.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0026] (1) The present invention provides a self-powered semi-active viscous damper, which can adjust the damping capacity of the damper in real time according to the vibration response of the structure through the regulation of the flow control valve. At the same time, it can convert the kinetic energy generated by the structure during the vibration process into electrical energy and store it in an energy storage device to power the damper, thereby achieving wide-band vibration control and self-powering of the damper.

[0027] (2) The self-powered semi-active viscous damper of the present invention monitors the vibration of the structure by controlling the sensing unit. By adjusting the position of the flow control valve between fully open and fully closed, the damping level can be adjusted. It can adapt to the vibration control requirements within different frequency ranges and provide effective control from low-frequency to high-frequency vibrations, achieving wide-band vibration control. It is particularly suitable for coping with various complex excitations such as earthquakes and wind loads.

[0028] (3) The self-powered semi-active viscous damper of the present invention can convert the translational motion of the piston rod generated by the structural vibration into rotational motion through the cooperation of the electromagnetic motor and the ball screw, and then generate electricity through the cutting of magnetic flux lines, thereby converting kinetic energy into electrical energy, thereby realizing energy recovery and efficient utilization.

[0029] (4) The self-powered semi-active viscous damper of the present invention avoids dependence on external power supply through the energy conversion mechanism of the structure itself, ensuring that the damper can still work normally in extreme disaster situations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the self-powered semi-active viscous damper of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 AA cross-sectional diagram;

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of BB cross section;

[0033] In the figure, 1-energy conversion chamber, 2-hydraulic cylinder chamber, 21-first hydraulic cylinder chamber, 22-second hydraulic cylinder chamber, 3-piston rod, 31-piston head, 4-bypass line, 5-flow control valve, 6-ball screw, 7-electromagnetic motor, 8-energy storage device, 9-first piston shaft connector, 10-second piston shaft connector, 11-sensor, 12-cavity connecting part, 13-fixing part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. This embodiment is implemented based on the technical solution of the present invention, and provides a detailed implementation method and specific operation process, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0035] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] In the following implementation manners or examples, unless otherwise specified, functional components or structures are conventional components or conventional structures used in the art to achieve corresponding functions.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] A self-powered semi-active viscous damper is mainly composed of three parts: an energy conversion chamber 1, a hydraulic cylinder chamber 2, and a piston rod 3. The hydraulic cylinder chamber 2 is filled with damping fluid. The energy conversion chamber 1 and the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2 are sealed, and the piston rod 3 passes through the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2 and extends into the interior of the energy conversion chamber 1. The piston rod 3 is equipped with a piston head 31, which divides the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2 into a first hydraulic cylinder chamber 21 and a second hydraulic cylinder chamber 22 along the axial direction of the piston rod 3. A bypass line 4 is provided on both sides of the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2, connecting the first hydraulic cylinder chamber 21 and the second hydraulic cylinder chamber 22, and is equipped with a flow control valve 5 to achieve precise regulation of the damping fluid flow in the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2.

[0040] The portion of the piston rod 3 that extends into the energy conversion chamber 1 is equipped with a ball screw 6, which converts the piston rod 3's translational motion into rotational motion. An electromagnetic motor 7 is also located within the energy conversion chamber 1, converting the rotational kinetic energy generated by the ball screw 6 into electrical energy. Furthermore, the damper of this embodiment is equipped with an energy storage device 8 and a control sensing unit. The energy storage device 8 stores the electrical energy converted by the electromagnetic motor, while the control sensing unit regulates the damper's operating state based on the vibration signal, achieving semi-active control to adapt to varying operating conditions and requirements.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] A self-powered semi-active viscous damper, the structure of which is as follows Figure 1-3 As shown, it includes an energy conversion chamber 1, a hydraulic cylinder chamber 2, a piston rod 3, and a control sensing unit.

[0043] The energy conversion chamber 1 and the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2 are sealed and connected via a cavity connection portion 12. The cavity connection portion 12 is provided with a through hole, which enables the piston rod 3 to pass through the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2 and extend into the interior of the energy conversion chamber 1. A piston head 31 is mounted on the piston rod 3. The piston head 31 divides the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2 into a first hydraulic cylinder chamber 21 and a second hydraulic cylinder chamber 22 along the axial direction of the piston rod 3. A bypass line 4 is provided on both sides of the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2, so that the first hydraulic cylinder chamber 21 and the second hydraulic cylinder chamber 22 can be connected through the bypass line 4. The hydraulic cylinder chamber 2 is filled with damping fluid, and the provision of the cavity connection portion 12 ensures that the damping fluid does not leak into the energy conversion chamber 1. A flow control valve 5 is provided on the bypass line 4 to achieve regulation of the flow of the damping fluid.

[0044] A first piston-shaft connector 9 is provided at the end of the piston rod 3 closest to the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2, and a second piston-shaft connector 10 is provided at the end of the energy conversion chamber 1 further from the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2. The damper is mounted on the first and second structures via these two connectors. When the first and second structures vibrate, the piston rod 3 can produce translational motion along its axial direction.

[0045] The control sensing unit is electrically connected to the flow control valve 5 and includes a sensor 11, which can be an acceleration sensor, displacement sensor, or velocity sensor. This sensor monitors the vibration amplitude of the first and second structures and adjusts the opening of the flow control valve 5 based on the monitoring data, achieving semi-active control of the damper. When the flow control valve 5 is closed, the flow of the damping fluid is restricted, increasing damping. When the flow control valve 5 is fully open, the damping fluid can flow freely within the hydraulic cylinder chamber 2, achieving a low-damping response. Adjusting the position of the flow control valve 5 between fully open and fully closed adjusts the damping level.

[0046] The portion of piston rod 3 extending into energy conversion chamber 1 is connected to ball screw 6, which converts the translational motion of piston rod 3 into rotational motion. Furthermore, an electromagnetic motor 7 is mounted within energy conversion chamber 1, secured via a fixture 13 at the end of the chamber away from hydraulic cylinder chamber 2. The output end of ball screw 6 is coaxially connected to the rotor of electromagnetic motor 7. The rotational motion of ball screw 6 cuts through the electromagnetic motor's magnetic flux lines, converting rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy.

[0047] In this embodiment, the damper is also equipped with an energy storage device 8. This device is electrically connected to the electromagnetic motor 7 and disposed on the energy conversion chamber 1. It is used to collect and store the electrical energy converted by the electromagnetic motor 7 to power the various components of the damper. Energy storage device 8 can be a supercapacitor or a lithium battery to meet energy requirements under different operating conditions.

[0048] The operating method of the self-powered semi-active viscous damper provided in this embodiment is as follows: the sensing unit is controlled to identify the vibration amplitude of the first structure and the second structure, and the flow control valve 5 is controlled to adjust the valve opening, thereby adjusting the amount of damping fluid passing through the bypass line 4 and changing the damping level; when the flow control valve 5 is closed, the flow of the damping fluid is restricted and the damping increases; when the flow control valve 5 is fully opened, the damping fluid can flow freely between the first hydraulic cylinder chamber 21 and the second hydraulic cylinder chamber 22 through the bypass line 4, thereby achieving a low damping response.

[0049] Under a vibration environment, the piston rod 3 moves linearly, the ball screw 6 converts the translation of the piston rod 3 into rotational motion, the electromagnetic motor 7 converts the rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy and stores it in the energy storage device 8. The output end of the energy storage device is electrically connected to the control sensing unit, and the control sensing unit is electrically connected to the flow control valve 5. The energy storage device 8 provides energy for the regulation of the flow control valve 5, thereby realizing self-supply of energy.

[0050] The above description of the embodiments is intended to facilitate understanding and use of the invention by those skilled in the art. It will be apparent that those skilled in the art can readily make various modifications to these embodiments and apply the general principles described herein to other embodiments without requiring inventive effort. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention, without departing from the scope of the present invention, should be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-powered semi-active viscous damper, characterized in that: The invention comprises an energy conversion chamber (1), a hydraulic cylinder chamber (2), and a piston rod (3); the energy conversion chamber (1) and the hydraulic cylinder chamber (2) are sealed and connected; the piston rod (3) passes through the hydraulic cylinder chamber (2) and extends into the energy conversion chamber (1); The piston rod (3) is provided with a piston head (31), and the piston head (31) divides the hydraulic cylinder chamber (2) into a first hydraulic cylinder chamber (21) and a second hydraulic cylinder chamber (22) along the axial direction of the piston rod (3). Bypass lines (4) are provided on both sides of the hydraulic cylinder chamber (2). The first hydraulic cylinder chamber (21) and the second hydraulic cylinder chamber (22) are connected through the bypass lines (4), and the bypass lines (4) are provided with flow control valves (5); The portion of the piston rod (3) extending into the energy conversion chamber (1) is provided with a ball screw (6) capable of converting the translational motion of the piston rod (3) into rotational motion, and the energy conversion chamber (1) is also provided with an electromagnetic motor (7) capable of converting rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy; The damper also includes an energy storage device (8) and a control sensing unit.

2. A self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first piston shaft connector (9) is provided at one end of the piston rod (3) close to the hydraulic cylinder chamber (2), and a second piston shaft connector (10) is provided at one end of the energy conversion chamber (1) away from the hydraulic cylinder chamber (2). The damper is connected to the first structure and the second structure via the first piston shaft connector (9) and the second piston shaft connector (10). When the first structure and the second structure vibrate, the piston rod (3) moves in a translational manner along its axial direction.

3. The self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control sensing unit is electrically connected to the flow control valve (5) and is capable of controlling the on / off state of the flow control valve (5).

4. The self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control sensing unit comprises a sensor (11) capable of monitoring the vibration amplitude of the first structure and the second structure.

5. The self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sensor (11) includes an acceleration sensor, a displacement sensor or a speed sensor.

6. The self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydraulic cylinder chamber (2) is filled with damping fluid, and the energy conversion chamber (1) and the hydraulic cylinder chamber (2) are sealedly connected via a chamber connecting portion (12). The chamber connecting portion (12) is provided with a through hole for the piston rod (3) to pass through the chamber connecting portion (12) and extend to the energy conversion chamber (1).

7. The self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnetic motor (7) is arranged at one end of the energy conversion chamber (1) away from the hydraulic cylinder chamber (2) through a fixing member (13); the output end of the ball screw (6) is coaxially connected to the rotor of the electromagnetic motor (7); the magnetic flux lines of the electromagnetic motor (7) are cut by the rotational motion of the ball screw (6), and the rotational kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy.

8. The self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The energy storage device (8) is arranged on the energy conversion chamber (1), is electrically connected to the electromagnetic motor (7), and can collect the electrical energy converted from the rotational kinetic energy of the electromagnetic motor (7) and supply energy to the damper.

9. The self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The energy storage device includes a supercapacitor or a lithium battery.

10. A method for operating a self-powered semi-active viscous damper according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The control sensing unit identifies the vibration amplitudes of the first structure and the second structure, controls the flow control valve (5) to adjust the valve opening, thereby adjusting the amount of damping fluid passing through the bypass line (4) and changing the damping level; when the flow control valve (5) is closed, the flow of the damping fluid is restricted and the damping increases; when the flow control valve (5) is fully opened, the damping fluid can flow freely between the first hydraulic cylinder chamber (21) and the second hydraulic cylinder chamber (22) through the bypass line (4), thereby achieving a low damping response; Under a vibration environment, the piston rod (3) moves in a linear motion, the ball screw (6) converts the linear motion of the piston rod (3) into a rotational motion, the electromagnetic motor (7) converts the rotational kinetic energy into electrical energy and stores it in an energy storage device (8), and the energy storage device (8) provides energy for the flow control valve (5), thereby realizing energy self-supply.

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