Adaptive Flexural Wave Absorber With Piezoelectric Shunt Tuning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional passive dampening materials struggle to effectively absorb flexural waves, especially at low frequencies, due to their lack of tunability and inability to adapt to changing wave frequencies, which results in reduced absorption efficiency and increased weight in target systems.
Innovation Solution
The use of an adaptive shunting circuit in conjunction with a piezoelectric patch and mass member to absorb flexural waves. The shunting circuit dissipates electricity generated by the piezoelectric patch in response to flexural waves, effectively absorbing the waves and allowing for tunability across multiple frequency bandwidths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If passive dampening materials are used to absorb flexural waves, then absorption capability is provided, but absorption efficiency decreases at low frequencies and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the damping system adaptive rather than static. The shunting circuit with variable electrical components (inductors and capacitors) allows the system to dynamically adjust its damping characteristics in real-time to match changing flexural wave frequencies, particularly maintaining effectiveness at low frequencies where passive materials fail.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters by using variable electrical components in the shunting circuit. By adjusting inductance and capacitance values, the system modifies its resonant frequency and damping characteristics to optimize absorption for different flexural wave frequencies, enabling effective low-frequency absorption without increasing weight.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If passive dampening materials are used to absorb flexural waves, then absorption capability is provided, but tunability is limited without changing physical geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/passive damping system with an electromechanical system. Instead of physically adjusting geometries to change damping characteristics, the system uses electrical components (inductors, capacitors, and control circuits) to electronically tune the damping properties, enabling rapid adaptation to different flexural wave frequencies without mechanical reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptive shunting circuit provides dynamic tunability by allowing real-time adjustment of electrical parameters. The system can actively track and adapt to changing flexural wave frequencies, providing versatility across a broad frequency range including low frequencies, whereas passive materials have fixed characteristics determined only by their physical geometry.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If passive dampening materials are used to absorb flexural waves, then absorption capability is provided, but weight increases considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes heavy passive dampening materials with a lightweight electromechanical system. The piezoelectric patch coupled with the shunting circuit provides equivalent or superior damping performance with minimal added weight, as the active control system requires only small sensing and actuating elements rather than bulky passive materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves effective low-frequency absorption without weight increase by changing from passive material properties to active electrical control parameters. The adaptive shunting circuit provides frequency-dependent damping with minimal mass, leveraging electrical field interactions rather than mechanical material properties to achieve the desired absorption effect.
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 solution achieves efficient absorption of flexural waves across a range of frequencies, including low frequencies, with improved tunability and reduced weight compared to conventional systems, thereby enhancing the performance and efficiency of mechanical structures subjected to flexural waves.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric patch, connected to the arm member, that generates electricity in response to a flexural wave propagating through the beam
Implementation Method 2
a shunting circuit, connected to the piezoelectric patch, that dissipates electricity generated by the piezoelectric patch to absorb the flexural wave
Data Source
AI summary
A flexural wave absorption system includes a base member connected to a beam that may be subject to flexural waves, an arm member, connected to the base, disposed substantially in parallel alignment with the beam, a mass member connected to a distal end of the arm member, a piezoelectric patch, connected to the arm member, that generates electricity in response to a flexural wave propagating through the beam, and a shunting circuit, connected to the piezoelectric patch, that dissipates electricity generated by the piezoelectric patch to absorb the flexural wave.