Active Vibration Damper with Multi-Directional Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vibration damping technologies, particularly in wind turbines and tall structures, face limitations due to their narrow frequency bandwidth and inability to effectively dampen vibrations in unknown or multiple directions, leading to instability and reduced operational efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An active vibration damper system equipped with multiple vibration sensors, a balancing mass, and drives that can move and orient within a multi-dimensional directional continuum, using a control device to determine the direction and amplitude of vibrations and generate control signals to dampen oscillations without exciting additional vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If passive vibration absorbers are installed to dampen vibrations, then vibration amplitudes are limited in the resonance range, but the bandwidth is limited and only one frequency can be damped at a time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies active vibration control with controllable dampers that can dynamically adjust their damping characteristics. The control device receives signals from vibration sensors and actively modulates the dampers to achieve effective damping across multiple frequencies and directions, unlike fixed passive absorbers. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to respond to varying vibration conditions and expand the effective bandwidth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs multiple vibration sensors arranged to detect vibrations in different directions and frequencies simultaneously. The control device processes signals from all sensors and coordinates the dampers to provide comprehensive vibration damping across a broad spectrum of conditions, making the system universally effective rather than frequency-specific.
2Reliability
If passive vibration absorbers are used to dampen vibrations, then large vibration amplitudes are limited, but the system requires shutdown in strong winds reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The active vibration control system dynamically adjusts damping forces based on real-time vibration measurements, providing effective damping even in strong wind conditions without requiring shutdown. The control device continuously modulates the dampers to counteract vibrations, allowing the wind turbine to maintain operation during conditions where passive systems would require cessation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses vibration sensors to continuously monitor vibration levels and feeds this information back to the control device, which adjusts the damper activation accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables the system to provide precisely the right amount of damping needed at any moment, maintaining reliability while maximizing productivity by avoiding unnecessary shutdowns.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple passive absorbers are installed to dampen different frequencies, then broader frequency coverage is achieved, but the device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a single control device that processes signals from multiple vibration sensors and coordinates multiple dampers to achieve broad frequency coverage. Rather than installing separate passive absorbers for each frequency, the active control system makes each damper multi-functional through intelligent control, reducing the overall number of components needed while maintaining versatile frequency damping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the functions of multiple potential passive absorbers into a coordinated active control system. The control device combines information from multiple sensors and coordinates multiple dampers to work together, achieving the equivalent or superior performance of multiple separate passive absorbers with reduced complexity.
4Reliability
If the direction of vibration is unknown and varies in all directions, then comprehensive damping is required, but passive absorbers can only dampen in fixed directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple vibration sensors arranged in different orientations to detect vibrations from any direction. The control device processes these multi-directional signals and dynamically adjusts the dampers to counteract vibrations regardless of their direction. This dynamic multi-directional capability allows the system to adapt to unknown and varying vibration directions, providing comprehensive damping coverage that fixed passive absorbers cannot achieve.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and robust damping of vibrations in multiple directions, even when the direction of vibration is unknown, thereby enhancing the stability and operational efficiency of oscillating systems like wind turbines and tall structures.
Implementation Method 1
a measurement signal representative of a vibration of the system capable of oscillating relative to a reference system can be detected by means of the vibration sensor
Implementation Method 2
a balancing mass acting on the system capable of oscillating... a compensation movement of the balancing mass relative to the oscillatable system can be determined... the balancing mass can be moved in accordance with the determined compensation movement
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5~7
Figure 8~9
AI summary
The active vibration damper has multiple vibration sensors (1), by which a time-dependent measuring signal (M) is detected, where the measuring signal represents a vibration of an oscillatory system relative to a reference system for a detection direction of a component. The component runs in the detection direction. The detection direction fixes a multi-dimensional direction continuum. The vibration damper has a mass-balancing gear (5) that acts on the oscillatory system.