Computer-implemented method, system, and computer program for actively damping vibrations in structures

Abstract

The present invention discloses a computer-implemented method and system (1) for actively damping vibrations in a building structure having floors. The method includes distributing devices (4)—vibration transducers (6) and / or vibration generators (7)—in a floor (3) that capture data related to the vibrations. After inducing an initial vibration, data related to the mass, stiffness, and damping distribution is captured. A data model (14) of the floor's mass, stiffness, and / or damping characteristics is created. The data model (15) is used to calculate effective counter-vibrations corresponding to previously detected external vibrations, effectively damping the vibrations and enabling the placement of vibration-sensitive machinery (8) on the floor (3). Some embodiments further disclose the interaction of the proposed system (1) with a building's earthquake protection system.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for active damping of vibrations in a structure, a corresponding method and a computer program product, in particular according to the features of the independent claims. [Background technology]

[0002] Buildings in earthquake-prone regions such as Japan must be designed to be mechanically flexible to absorb earthquake vibrations and waves to avoid structural damage. Therefore, the stiffness of such buildings is intentionally kept low. This low stiffness is achieved through the building's basic construction principles and is a fixed building characteristic.

[0003] At the same time, the precision requirements for the production of semiconductor chips, for example, are increasing significantly. For example, the requirements for semiconductor nanostructures are changing from over 20 nm to the sub-5 nm range. This requires extremely high rigidity for such buildings and extremely high effectiveness of any vibration isolation measures, since even slight vibrations can lead to reduced yields and increased costs.

[0004] As a result, given these higher precision requirements, areas with higher seismic risk will no longer be considered as production locations for vibration-sensitive machinery, such as machinery for semiconductor chips that use next-generation machines like lithography laser platforms, as they will no longer be able to meet the higher rigidity requirements.

[0005] US5592791A discloses an advanced active vibration control system that uses sensors, actuators, and digital signal processing with adaptive filtering to damp vibrations caused by environmental disturbances in buildings. However, this document only discloses two large actuators 28A and 28B on the top floor of the building.

[0006] EP3584664 A1 provides a compact, cost-effective vibration control device and method that does not require on-board frequency analysis equipment. Pre-analyzed vibration data is used to program the control unit, enabling it to respond to vibrations in real time while minimizing noise, errors and the risk of resonance, and sending targeted damping signals to actuators for efficient vibration damping. Summary of the Invention

[0007] It is therefore desirable to make these areas and locations available again as potential production sites that provide the required level of stiffness while maintaining effective earthquake protection for buildings.

[0008] The present invention is not limited to machine installation locations in earthquake regions, but can also be useful when applied to structures such as buildings having floors with low rigidity.

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer-implemented method for actively damping vibrations in structures, a corresponding method and computer program, which is improved over the prior art, and in particular for actively increasing the stiffness of buildings.

[0010] This object is achieved by a computer-implemented method for actively damping vibrations in a structure, a corresponding method and a computer program according to the independent claims. The dependent claims describe further particularly useful embodiments of the invention.

[0011] A computer-implemented method for actively damping vibrations in a structure having a floor according to the present invention comprises: a) distributing a plurality of devices capable of capturing data relating to vibrations of the floor at several discrete locations on the floor; b) repeatedly applying a force to the floor to induce an initial vibration; c) acquiring data on the mass, stiffness and damping distribution of the floor from the data acquired by each device on the initial vibration of the floor; d) creating a virtual mass, stiffness or damping model of the floor from the captured data of the device; e) detecting vibrations (other than the initial vibration) in the floor by the device at each of the number of discrete locations; f) inducing corresponding counter-vibrations at the several discrete locations on the floor in response to the detected vibrations based on the virtual mass, stiffness, or damping model of the floor by repeatedly applying corresponding reaction forces to the floor.

[0012] The present invention allows a distributed sensor network (multiple devices) around a machine production area (floor) to detect, for example, approaching earthquake waves or vibrations from inside or outside the structure before they reach the floor on which the vibration-sensitive machine stands. The technical advantage is more effective vibration isolation of the machine, optimizing machine settings and improving machine efficiency and output quality. The solution of the present invention thus provides "virtual stiffness" to structures such as buildings, especially in earthquake regions. This allows for high levels of virtual stiffness to be achieved in floors of structures, for example, to support the production of semiconductor chips.

[0013] In step b), forces are applied to the floor within a certain frequency range. This can be done with a device, as described below. The applied forces cause floor vibrations within a specific frequency range, which are measured by the device. In this way, a transfer function (representing the vibration resulting from the force as a function of frequency) is measured from each device. In step d), the transfer functions are combined into a modal model of the floor by interpolation. The modal model includes the floor's stiffness, mass, or damping distribution, measured from the response to an initial vibration stimulus to the floor. Interpolation here means that the measurements accurately represent the force-to-vibration transfer from one discrete vibration generator (actuator) of the device to each discrete vibration transducer (sensor) of the device. This interpolation describes the force-to-vibration transfer from each actuator position to each location on the floor (between sensor positions).

[0014] Steps a) to d) may be considered as initialization steps for measuring the mass, stiffness, and damping characteristics of the floor and calibrating the system. When calibrating a system, these steps usually need to be performed once. That is, the vibrations detected in step e) of the method of the present invention are different from the artificially induced initial vibrations, particularly in step b). Therefore, the vibrations detected in step e) are vibrations caused by sources on the floor of the structure, such as machines standing on the floor (e.g., chip production machines), or sources from other parts of the structure (e.g., air conditioners or pumps in the building) or sources outside the structure (e.g., traffic, earthquakes, etc.). However, steps a) to d) may be performed more frequently than once, for example, periodically, to adapt to changes in floor vibrations and can be part of self-learning or machine learning.

[0015] Thereby, at least steps b), c), e), and especially step f), are performed by one and the same device at the same location, which device therefore comprises a vibration transducer for detecting vibrations in the floor and at least one vibration generator for compensating the detected vibrations by inducing counter-vibrations into the floor that correspond to said vibrations. In other words, the detection of vibrations and the induction of corresponding counter-vibrations are performed via one and the same device, each device advantageously comprising a vibration transducer (sensor) and a vibration generator (actuator), and arranged in approximately the same place.

[0016] According to one example, generating or inducing counter-vibrations involves utilizing vibrations of appliances, such as air conditioning units, or other production machinery located on or near the same floor or building structure. In other words, during operation, the machines generate vibrations that are propagated throughout the building structure. For example, the settings of these machines are adjusted so that the vibrations generated by these machines act as counter-vibrations in the context of the claimed method. The data model can further take into account the mass of the machine and therefore its vibration generation and damping behavior.

[0017] According to one example, the data model takes into account media and other vibration sources such as noise, which can be considered as vibrations in a water medium or vibrations in an air volume (air conditioning system). The vibration generator can also be configured to generate reaction forces in gaseous and fluid media such as air and water, according to one example. In other words, both reaction forces and counter-vibrations and sources of vibration can be associated not only with the fixed structure but also with other media mentioned above, and are taken into account in the generation of the mass, stiffness, and damping data model.

[0018] Therefore, in a first step, before distributing multiple devices to several discrete locations on the floor, a site survey can be performed to roughly calculate the stiffness characteristics of the installation location (the structure's floor) and the vibrations present before installation. Based on that input, the type and location of the devices can be optimized and installed accordingly. After installation, the device units can be tuned for optimal vibration reduction and controller stability, and the achieved vibration reduction can be evaluated. In this way, the devices can be positioned where they can most effectively affect the floor dynamics and obtain the best information on the floor dynamics.

[0019] After distribution of equipment on the floor, the controller unit obtains a model of the structural dynamics of the factory using vibration generators and vibration transducers, i.e., the equipment grid. This model, also called a virtual mass, stiffness, or damping model, is based on the floor response measured at the equipment due to excitation by the equipment itself. The vibration generators and vibration transducers are thus used to map the dynamic characteristics of the factory floor. Tuning or optimization of the control unit begins with a basic, suboptimal starting point.

[0020] Based on a measured dynamic model of the factory floor, the self-learning software adapts the controller parameters to optimize vibration. The control unit obtains information about the factory dynamics (i.e., the response of sensors to excitation by equipment). When something changes in the factory, the dynamics model is adjusted and the self-learning software adapts the controller parameters (steps a) to d) of the method of the present invention.

[0021] Stiffness in the sense of the present invention is the degree to which an object resists deformation in response to an applied force. Stiffness may be considered as the resistance of an object to static deformation (at 0 Hz) or dynamic deformation (meaning deformation under motion, above 0.01 Hz). The opposite of stiffness is compliance, flexibility, or bendability, i.e., the more flexible an object is, the less stiff it is.

[0022] The grid of the devices of the present invention allows floor motion to be measured by induced vibrations therein. These devices also induce reaction forces in the floor to reduce this floor motion, equalizing the detected vibrations. The vibrations cancel each other out. This has the same effect as increasing the structural stiffness of an object (or building), except that this cannot be done at 0 Hz.

[0023] Such artificial stiffness has limitations that make it impossible by definition at 0 Hz. However, creating stiffness over a wide frequency range requires very large motors and amplifiers. The method of the present invention can effectively create artificial stiffness in a limited frequency band when stiffness falls off within a certain frequency range, for example, due to the natural frequency of the building. These devices can be controlled by a control unit in a feedback control loop. The loop works as follows: Vibration transducers (sensors) provide sensed vibration data. The control unit calculates the optimal reaction force. Vibration generators (actuators) apply the respective reaction force to the floor. In a further loop, sensors measure the effect of the reaction force on the floor, and if this loop is ineffective, another loop is executed to control the adjusted reaction force.

[0024] The control unit may be connected or connectable to vibration-sensitive machines, such as machines that produce semiconductor chips, such as stereolithography machines. Such machines may include various modes, such as load / unload, where the machine exerts forces on the floor but vibrations are not significant, and scan / process mode, where the machine needs to be very accurate but does not exert significant forces on the floor. This allows the machine controller of the machine to feed forward data from the machine controller to the control unit (e.g., read-only) regarding machine settings, which the control unit uses to optimize the machine settings before its sensors pick up disturbances.

[0025] Machine settings can be systematically adapted so that machine-induced vibrations can act as counter-vibrations to dampen floor or structure vibrations. Two-way communication between the system's control unit and the machine (machine controller) can mean that the control unit provides vibration data input to the machine controller, which the machine controller can use to suppress vibrations by optimizing its own controller settings and even generate counter-forces in the controller.

[0026] When something is described as being connected or connectable to something, the former means that the connection is already established, while the latter means that the connection can be interrupted. In both cases, the connection may be wired, for example by a cable, or wireless, for example by radio or mobile communication.

[0027] Advantageously, the devices may be located near known vibration sources such as machines, pumps, or air conditioning units that are in direct or indirect contact with the floor, so that vibration transducers and vibration generators can be placed in specific locations, such as near the vibration source, to prevent vibrations emanating therefrom from reaching the floor itself.

[0028] Furthermore, in step d1) between steps d) and e) of claim 1, the reaction forces introduced by the device at several discrete locations are reduced to a predetermined or minimum amount by optimizing at least a portion of the data of the created model. A virtual mass, stiffness, and damping model of the floor, also called the floor's modal model, describes the effect of each actuator on the floor vibration at any location on the floor. The control unit can obtain specific (mainly minimum) values ​​at any location on the floor (over discrete points) by modifying the force output of each individual actuator. There are several known methods for optimizing a controller for a problem of known disturbance location and frequency and fixed actuator and sensor locations. One of them is the H∞ (H-infinity) method, see for example https: / / en.wikipedia.org / wiki / H-infinity_methods_in_control_theory or Skogestad, Sigurd; Postlethwaite, Ian (2005), Multivariable Feedback Control: Analysis and Design (2nd ed.), Wiley, ISBN 978-0-470-01167-6.

[0029] The method can capture, in particular, the amplitude, frequency, wavelength, time course or spectrum of said quantities of vibrations detected by devices such as vibration transducers, as well as vibration generators, i.e., they may apply a counterforce in the form of vibrations, which may be characterized by amplitude, frequency, wavelength, time course or spectrum of said quantities.

[0030] Thereby, the corresponding induced counter-vibration can be selected such that a predetermined compliance of the structure is set at a predetermined frequency or frequency range higher than 0.01 Hz and in particular lower than 10 Hz.

[0031] By means of embodiments of the invention, in particular by means of said method or said device, it is possible by means of the invention to realize an early warning system for vibration-sensitive machinery in order to perform an emergency shutdown in case of a detected earthquake. The method of the invention may therefore further comprise the following steps, whereby these steps may be followed by step e) of the method of claim 1: e1) Comparing the vibrations detected in the floor with at least a predetermined operational vibration and a predetermined shutdown (non-operational) vibration. e2) if, based on the comparison, the detected vibration corresponds to at least one predetermined operational vibration (corresponding to step e) of the method of claim 1), compensating for the detected vibration by inducing corresponding counter-vibrations for the detected vibration at several discrete positions on the floor depending on a virtual mass, stiffness and damping model of the floor, or if the detected vibration corresponds to at least one predetermined shutdown (non-operation), issuing a signal to immediately shut down the machine, and if the detected vibration is compensated for with the corresponding counter-vibration, terminating the compensation (corresponding to step f) of the method of claim 1), thereby omitting step f) of the method of claim 1.

[0032] In the method, the amplitude, frequency, wavelength, time course or spectrum of said quantity of the detected vibration is compared to the amplitude, frequency, wavelength, time course or spectrum of said quantity of a predetermined operating vibration or a predetermined shutdown (non-operating) vibration.

[0033] Thereby, at least one predetermined operational vibration is in the range of 10 Hz to 100 MHz inclusive, and the predetermined out-of-service (non-operational) vibration is below 10 Hz, in particular in the range of 5 Hz to 0.01 Hz.

[0034] According to this embodiment, a structure, floor, or machine has two modes: a rigid mode characterized by a predetermined operational vibration (in this mode, reaction forces increase the virtual stiffness of the structure by equalizing the detected vibrations), and a seismic mode characterized by a predetermined out-of-service (non-operational) vibration, in which the machine is shut down, suspending production and reducing the virtual stiffness of the structure. For example, a building is in the rigid mode to suppress vibrations for production purposes. The amplitude of these vibrations is in the micrometer range and mainly relates to a frequency range, for example, from 5 Hz to 100 Hz. When an approaching disturbance (earthquake, shock wave, accident, etc.) is detected, the vibration isolation system of the present invention is turned off, the seismic mode is turned on, and the flexibility of the structure (architecture) absorbs the waves.

[0035] Ground or soil movements during an earthquake are much larger, in the range of 100-250 mm in the low frequency range (e.g., 0-5 Hz). When the disturbance disappears, the seismic mode is switched off and the rigid mode is switched on again. The seismic mode can be provided as a special protection mode, which must resolve large motion disturbances at low frequencies (1-5 Hz) with significant wavelength compensation. Therefore, the countermeasure against earthquake-induced vibrations is the structure itself, i.e., designing the structure to withstand earthquakes.

[0036] Advantageously, the vibration propagation time may be measured by multiple devices to estimate the unknown vibration source. In this way, the sensors of the devices can locate a specific disturbance (vibration) source. For example, in a grid of 10 sensors located near a disturbing machine, all sensors measure vibrations at, say, 50 Hz.

[0037] The flight time can then be captured by determining the position of each device on the floor and calculating the phase shift of each vibration detected by the device. Using the combined position and phase shift information of all sensors, the location of the disturbance source can be estimated or even found by using the flight time, e.g., some kind of triangulation method.

[0038] The present invention further relates to a system for actively damping vibrations in a structure having a floor, comprising a plurality of devices and at least one control unit, each device comprising a vibration transducer for detecting vibrations in the floor and a vibration generator for compensating the detected vibrations by repeatedly introducing a corresponding reaction force into the floor, the at least one control unit being connected or connectable to the plurality of devices and being arranged to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0039] A number of devices may be interconnected by a control unit to form a grid of sensors and actuators together.

[0040] Thereby, the at least one vibration transducer and the at least one vibration generator of the at least one device may be mounted in a common housing, such that a grid of sensors and actuators can be installed within minutes by distributing the devices at discrete locations on the floor.

[0041] The at least one vibration transducer and the at least one vibration generator of the at least one device may be arranged on a base plate of a floor on which the machine is placed, on a machine platform standing on the base plate, or between the base plate and the machine platform. Thus, the device of the present invention may be incorporated not only on the floor but also on the base plate. Furthermore, the at least one device, particularly the vibration transducer and the vibration generator of the at least one device, may be arranged in the base plate, or in a machine platform located between the base plate and the floor, or in the support structure of the base plate. In this way, the device of the present invention may be incorporated not only in the floor but also in the base plate. This may further facilitate vibration capture and equalization. Furthermore, the at least one device, particularly the vibration transducer and the vibration generator of the at least one device, may be arranged inside the floor or underground.

[0042] To improve vibration detection, multiple devices may be provided, preferably at least one of the vibration transducers may be located external to the structure and positioned to detect vibrations in the soil surrounding the structure. Preferably, the multiple vibration transducers may be located external to the control unit and connected to the control unit, so as to become part of a sensor grid or network. Thus, if the external sensor grid fails to switch modes before, for example, an earthquake shock wave arrives, the device sensor picks up and the control unit triggers earthquake mode.

[0043] Thus, the control unit may include memory to log past vibrations captured by multiple devices, and the system may also log vibrations over time (e.g., by day, week, month, or year). This information indicates when new vibration sources are added, and based on this information, the device (sensor or actuator) grid can be expanded or its location adapted accordingly.

[0044] The invention may relate to the combination of the inventive system for actively damping vibrations in a structure having a floor with a machine, in particular a machine that is sensitive to or prone to vibrations, such as a stereolithography machine.

[0045] The invention further relates to a computer program comprising instructions for causing a system according to any of claims 7 to 14 to perform the steps of the method according to any of claims 1 to 6. For example, the computer program may be executed by a processor of either the control unit and / or the vibration transducer or generator. The computer readable medium may be a memory of the control unit and / or the vibration transducer or generator.

[0046] In general, the computer-readable medium may be a floppy disk, a hard disk, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) storage device, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), or a flash memory. The computer-readable medium may also be a data communication network such as the Internet from which program code can be downloaded. The computer-readable medium may be a non-transitory or transitory medium. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0047] The advantages of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments and drawings.

[0048] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a system in which the method of the present invention may be implemented according to one embodiment.

[0049] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an apparatus according to one embodiment.

[0050] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow chart of the method of the present invention.

[0051] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a simplified system for damping floor vibrations and a building combined with an existing earthquake protection system.

[0052] The reference signs used in the drawings and their meanings are listed in summary form in the list of reference signs. In principle, identical parts in the drawings are provided with the same reference signs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0053] 1 shows a schematic representation of a system 1 capable of implementing the method of the present invention according to one embodiment. The system 1 includes a plurality of devices 4 and is configured to actively damp vibrations in a structure 2, the structure 2 having a floor 3 on which the devices 4 are spread at different positions on the floor 3.

[0054] 2, each device 4 includes at least one vibration transducer 6 for detecting vibrations in the floor 3 and at least one vibration generator 7 for compensating for the detected vibrations by repeatedly introducing a corresponding reaction force into the floor 3. In the embodiment shown, the at least one vibration generator 7 and the vibration transducer 6 are both located within a common housing of each device 4.

[0055] As shown in Figure 1, at least one device 4 may be located outside a structure 2 and set up to detect vibrations in the soil surrounding the structure 2, such as a building. All devices 4 are connected or connectable, for example by a communication channel, such as wired or wireless, to at least one control unit 5 arranged to carry out the method of the present invention. To this end, in the control unit 5, a computer program of the present invention may be executed to carry out the method of the present invention. To this end, the control unit 5 may include at least a processor and a memory to execute the computer program.

[0056] Thus, the devices 4 are distributed at discrete locations on the floor 3 at intervals. Together with the control unit 5, they form a grid of sensors (vibration transducers 6) and actuators (vibration generators 7). In one embodiment of the present invention, they may be located near a machine 8, particularly a vibration-sensitive machine such as a machine for semiconductor chip production. As indicated by the dashed lines, at least one device 4 may be located on the floor 3, inside the floor 3, or below the floor 3, or in or on a base plate 9 of the floor 3. Typically, the base plate 9 is for supporting the machine 8 or for a machine platform. At least one device 4 may be located between the base plate 9 and the machine platform. Alternatively, at least one device 4 may be located inside or on the machine platform.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1 , the control unit 5 may also be connected or connectable to the machine 8. This allows the control unit 5 to receive data regarding machine settings from the machine controller of the machine 8 and use this data as input to optimize the equipment settings of the machine 8. The connection allows the control unit 5 to issue an alert to the machine 8 if it senses a vibration disturbance via the device 4. In this way, vibrations characteristic of, for example, an incoming seismic wave may be picked up by the device 4 and the communication channel between the control unit 5 and the machine controller may alert the machine 8, causing the machine 8 to take itself out of service or turn off to prevent further damage to the machine 8. The present invention therefore provides more effective vibration isolation for the machine 8 and optimizes the setpoints of the machine 8, improving machine efficiency and output quality.

[0058] The control unit 5 itself may be connected or connectable to an external computer network (indicated by a computer and cloud symbol) for external evaluation. Part of the computer network may be a database accessible via other computing devices such as mobile phones or tablets.

[0059] A flowchart of the computer-implemented method of the present invention is disclosed in Figure 3. In a first step 100, which corresponds to step a) of the present invention, a plurality of devices 4 are distributed at several discrete locations on the floor 3 so that the devices 4 can capture data related to the vibrations of the floor 3.

[0060] After the devices 4 have been distributed at least partially in direct or indirect contact with the floor 3, a further step 200 is carried out, corresponding to step b) of the method of the present invention, whereby initial vibrations are induced by repeatedly applying forces to the floor 3, for example within a frequency range, whereby this is done by the vibration generators 7 of the devices 4, for example synchronously for all the devices 4 at once. The application of forces causes vibrations of the floor 3 within a particular frequency range.

[0061] These vibrations are picked up by a device 4, namely a vibration transducer 6. This is done in step 300, which corresponds to step c) of the method.

[0062] From the captured data, mass, stiffness and damping distributions of the floor are then generated, which is done in step 400, which corresponds to step d) of the method of the present invention. The resulting model may then be used to counteract further vibrations other than the initial vibrations (e.g. vibrations due to traffic outside the structure 8 or operation of machinery 8).

[0063] Therefore, in a subsequent step 500, which corresponds to step e) of the method, vibrations are detected in the floor 3. This allows the vibrations detected in the floor 3 to be equalized or counteracted by corresponding counter-vibrations induced by the device 4 at several discrete positions on the floor 3 by repeatedly applying respective reaction forces to the floor 3 in relation to the detected vibrations, depending on a virtual mass, stiffness and damping model of the floor 3. This is done in step 600, which corresponds to step f) of the method of the present invention, by repeatedly applying respective reaction forces to the floor 3 in relation to the detected vibrations, depending on a virtual mass, stiffness and damping model of the floor 3.

[0064] This provides a grid or network of discretely distributed sensors that can monitor and control vibrations of entire sections of the structure. Also, sensors both outside and inside the factory can be used to detect earthquakes and put machines into shutdown mode, while at the same time increasing the virtual stiffness of the structure and floors in the event of an earthquake, despite the inherent low stiffness of the earthquake-resistant structure.

[0065] According to the present invention, a distributed sensor network of devices 4 around the floor can determine the characteristics of the floor and apply corresponding counter-vibrations to equalize them, thereby increasing the "virtual stiffness" of the structure 2 and protecting the machine 8, for example, from approaching seismic waves or vibrations from inside or outside the structure 2, before the seismic waves or vibrations reach the floor 3 and cause damage to the machine 8 in operation or the product it is manufacturing.

[0066] In Figure 4 a simplified schematic arrangement of the system 1 placed in a building structure 2 is shown. One of the advantages of the present invention is seen in the possibility of combining existing building earthquake protection systems with the vibration damping system 1. This allows taking advantage of the fact that locations and building structures 2 that do not originally offer the characteristics to support vibration-sensitive machines 8 can be modified to comply with high vibration isolation standards. One of the challenges is to address the requirement of both effective earthquake protection and effective vibration damping that allows the placement of machines 8 capable of producing, for example, semiconductors with structures in the single-digit nanometer range.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows a building 2 with a pre-installed earthquake protection system. For example, the roof area of ​​the building 2 is provided with a damping mass 10. Typically, such a damping mass 10 is suspended horizontally and may be coupled with an actuator (not shown) to actively generate a reaction force. Alternatively, or additionally, a shock absorber 11 is mounted on the base plate of the building structure 2. The machine 8 is disposed on a floor 3 of the structure 2. Vibration transducers 6 are disposed on one or more floors 3 to detect vibrations of the building floors 3. Optionally, or additionally, such transducers 6 can be disposed outside the structure 2. The transducers 6 can be combined with a vibration generator 7 in the device 4.

[0068] The vibration transducers 6 are configured to capture data on vibrations, particularly amplitude, frequency, etc. Additionally, earthquake sensors 12 are positioned within a certain distance around the building structure 8. These earthquake sensors 12 are configured to detect soil movements and vibrations caused by typical earthquakes. This sensor data is provided to the control unit 5. Optionally or additionally, an external earthquake countermeasure system 13 is connected to the control unit 5. When such an earthquake pre-warning system detects an approaching earthquake wave 15, it signals the control unit 5 to, for example, turn off any systems limiting the earthquake protection of the building structure 8. For example, the system 14 generating the virtual stiffness of the building structure 8 may be turned off to allow effective protection of the building in the event of an earthquake. In this case, the machine 8 may be switched into a protection mode to avoid damage.

[0069] The control unit 5 may be configured, for example, to switch between a seismic mode and a virtual stiffness mode of the structure 8. The control unit 5 includes or is connected to a data model 14 that describes vibration-related properties of one or more floors of the structure 8. The data model 14 may be based on methods such as wavelets, artificial neural networks, Bayesian networks, or finite-state time models, for example.

[0070] Combining external sensor data with the vibration suppression system can improve its performance and enable it to respond more effectively to changing conditions. Weather conditions can affect the behavior and vibration of a structure. One example proposes incorporating weather data such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation. This data can be obtained, for example, from a weather database 16. One example proposes adjusting the parameters of the vibration suppression system 1 to compensate for environmental effects. For example, during high winds, the system 1 is configured to provide increased damping or stiffness to counteract wind-induced vibrations.

[0071] An earthquake early warning system 13, such as that shown in FIG. 4, can detect the onset of an earthquake and provide advance notice. By way of example, receipt of this data can trigger a predetermined vibration control strategy, such as activating active control devices 10, 11 and / or adjusting the damping level of vibration generators 7, thereby mitigating the effects of an earthquake occurrence. Once a vibration suppression system is installed in a location subject to traffic vibrations or fluctuating loads, integrated data from traffic monitoring systems 17 and / or load sensors, such as that shown in FIG. 4, is provided to control unit 5, which then adjusts the system parameters accordingly. For example, road infrastructure loading conditions and real-time traffic patterns can be taken into account to optimize the control strategy to improve vibration suppression by taking into account the changing dynamic loads.

[0072] According to another example, data from noise sensors, air quality monitors, or ground movement sensors is provided to the control unit 5. This data helps to identify additional factors causing vibrations, enabling a more comprehensive control strategy. According to one example, the control unit 5 is adapted to provide signal processing of external data, such as traffic data from the traffic monitoring system 17 and / or earthquake warning system 13, and / or other external data, such as air quality and noise, to ensure sufficient signal quality.

[0073] According to one example, the control unit 5 is configured to create a virtual mass model, stiffness model, or damping model based on traffic monitoring data, weather data, and / or noise data. According to another example, creating the virtual mass model, stiffness model, or damping model includes analyzing the external data and the system-generated data using data mining methods. According to one example, the analysis includes pre-processing and / or classification of the external data before creating the data model, which may improve the accuracy and / or level of detail of the data model. When combining external sensor data with a vibration suppression system, it is essential to ensure data accuracy, synchronism, and appropriate signal processing techniques.

[0074] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, these illustrations and descriptions are to be considered illustrative or representative rather than restrictive, and the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art and those practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or controller or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims are not to be construed as limiting the scope. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1: System 2: Structure 3:Floor 4: Equipment 5: Control unit 6: Vibration transducer 7: Vibration generator 8: Machine 9: Base plate 10: Damping mass 11: Shock absorber 12: Earthquake sensor 13: Earthquake advance warning system 14: Data Model 15:Seismic waves 16: Weather database 17: Traffic monitoring system

Claims

1. a) distributing a plurality of devices (4) capable of capturing data relating to the vibrations of a floor (3) at several discrete locations on said floor (3); b) inducing an initial vibration by repeatedly applying a force to the floor (3); c) acquiring data on the mass, stiffness or damping distribution of the floor (3) from the acquired data on the initial vibration of the floor (3) by each device (4); d) creating a virtual mass, stiffness or damping model of the floor (3) from the captured data of the device (4); e) detecting vibrations in the floor (3) by the device (4) at each of said several discrete locations; f) inducing corresponding counter-vibrations at the discrete locations of the floor (3) in response to the detected vibrations based on the virtual mass, stiffness and damping model of the floor (3) by repeatedly applying corresponding reaction forces to the floor (3); Including, 1. A computer-implemented method for actively damping vibrations in a structure (2) having said floor (3), comprising: g) at least steps b), c), e) and in particular step f) are performed by the same device (4) at the same location, said device (4) therefore comprising a vibration transducer (6) for detecting vibrations of said floor (3) and at least one vibration generator (7) for compensating the detected vibrations by introducing counter-vibrations into said floor (3) corresponding to said vibrations, 10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

2. The devices (4) are placed in the vicinity of known sources of vibration, such as machines (8), pumps or air conditioning units, which are in direct or indirect contact with the floor (3).

2. The method of claim 1 .

3. a step d1) between steps d) and e) according to claim 1, in which at least a part of the data of the created model is optimized, in particular to reduce the reaction forces introduced by the device (4) at the several discrete positions to a predetermined or minimum amount; 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the induced corresponding counter-vibration is selected such that a predetermined compliance of the structure (2) is set at a predetermined frequency or frequency range higher than 0.01 Hz; 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are connected to a first electrode.

5. The vibration propagation time is measured by the plurality of devices (4) to estimate the unknown vibration source.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are connected to a first electrode.

6. The propagation times are obtained by determining the position of each of the devices (4) on the floor (3) and calculating the phase shift of each vibration detected by the devices (4).

6. The method of claim 5.

7. A system (1) for actively damping vibrations in a structure (2) having a floor (3), comprising: a plurality of devices (4) and at least one control unit (5); Each device (4) comprises a vibration transducer (6) for detecting vibrations of said floor (3) and a vibration generator (7) for compensating said detected vibrations by repeatedly introducing a corresponding reaction force into said floor (3), 7. A system (1), wherein the at least one control unit (5) is connected or connectable to the plurality of devices (4) and is arranged to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the at least one vibration transducer (6) and the at least one vibration generator (7) of the at least one device (4) are installed in a common housing; 8. The system (1) according to claim 7.

9. the at least one vibration transducer (6) and the at least one vibration generator (7) of the at least one device (4) are arranged on a base plate of the floor (3) for placing a machine (8), or on a machine platform standing on the base plate, or between the base plate and the machine platform; A system (1) according to claim 7 or 8.

10. 9. The system (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the at least one vibration transducer (6) and the at least one vibration generator (7) of the at least one device (4) are arranged in a base plate of the floor (3) for placing a machine (8) or in a machine platform standing on the base plate.

11. the at least one device (4), in particular the vibration transducer (6) and the vibration generator (7) of the at least one device (4), are arranged inside or underground the floor (3); A system (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 10.

12. At least one of the vibration transducers (6) is disposed externally of the structure (2) and is arranged to detect vibrations in the soil surrounding the structure (2). A system (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 11.

13. The control unit (5) includes a memory to log past vibrations captured by the plurality of devices (4). A system (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

14. A computer program comprising instructions for causing a system (1) according to any of claims 7 to 13 to carry out the steps of the method according to any of claims 1 to 6.

Images