Actuator State Detection via Mechanical Vibration Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting the state change of electric actuators in high-power electrical systems are costly and complex, particularly in applications like automotive and aeronautical systems, as they rely on voltage and power measurements or state feedback circuits that increase in complexity with electrical power.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that record and compare mechanical vibrations, such as sounds, produced during state changes of electric actuators with standard vibrations, allowing independent detection of state changes regardless of the electrical power levels, using a microphone or piezoelectric sensor to transform mechanical vibrations into electrical signals for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If voltage and power measurement methods are used to detect actuator state changes, then detection reliability is maintained, but device complexity and cost increase significantly with electrical power levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical measurement systems with acoustic vibration detection. Instead of measuring voltages and powers through complex electronic installations, the invention uses a microphone to capture mechanical vibrations produced during actuator state changes. This substitution eliminates the need for high-power-compatible electronic components while maintaining detection reliability through acoustic signal analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces acoustic vibrations as an intermediary medium for state detection. The actuator's mechanical movements during state changes produce characteristic vibrations that serve as indirect indicators of its operational state. By detecting and analyzing these vibration patterns, the system can determine actuator state without directly measuring electrical parameters, thus avoiding the complexity associated with high-power electrical measurements.
2Measurement precision
If state feedback circuits are implemented in actuators, then accurate state detection is achieved, but cost and complexity increase rapidly with electrical power
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection function from the actuator itself by using an external acoustic sensing system. Instead of embedding state feedback circuits within the actuator, the invention places a microphone outside the actuator to capture vibrations. This separation removes the need for complex internal circuitry while preserving accurate state detection through external acoustic monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces electrical state feedback circuits with acoustic vibration sensing. The mechanical vibrations produced by the actuator during state transitions are captured and analyzed to determine its operational state, eliminating the need for electrical feedback circuits and their associated complexity and cost.
3Device complexity
If acoustic vibration detection is used to monitor actuator state changes, then cost and complexity are reduced, but detection must be independent of electrical power levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal detection system that functions across all electrical power levels by relying on acoustic vibrations rather than electrical measurements. The microphone-based system is inherently adaptable to different power levels because it detects mechanical vibrations that occur regardless of the electrical power magnitude, making the detection method universally applicable to low-power and high-power actuators alike.
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
This approach provides a simple, economical, and reliable means to detect state changes in electric actuators, improving reliability and reducing costs by decoupling detection from electrical power levels, suitable for use in vehicles with frequent battery or capacitor connections/disconnections.
Implementation Method 1
using a microphone or piezoelectric sensor to transform mechanical vibrations into electrical signals for analysis
Data Source
Figure 1a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for detecting a change in the state of an electric actuator, which includes the following steps: recording a mechanical vibration during an instruction to change the state of the actuator; comparing the recorded mechanical vibration with at least one standard change of state vibration; determining whether the recorded mechanical vibration matches said at least one standard vibration; sending a warning signal if the recorded mechanical vibration does not match said at least one standard vibration; or sending a signal confirming the change of state if the recorded mechanical vibration matches said at least one standard vibration.