Floating-Plate Force Limiter for Short-Duration Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing energy absorbing devices face challenges in efficiently dissipating high frequency, high force, and low amplitude oscillations of short duration, and have a limited range of applicability.
Innovation Solution
A force limiting device comprising a set of parallel plates floating in a chamber filled with a working fluid, where the plates are axially movable and spaced by inter-plate gaps occupied by the fluid, allowing the fluid to be squeezed out under compressive load, effectively dissipating energy through molecular friction and capillary action.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional energy absorbing devices are used, then they can absorb energy, but they cannot efficiently dissipate high frequency, high force oscillations of short duration
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the energy dissipation function into multiple parallel plates (typically 3-7 plates) spaced by gaps, where each plate independently interacts with the working fluid. This segmentation allows the device to handle high-frequency oscillations effectively while maintaining a compact structure suitable for various applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a working fluid (hydraulic fluid or gas) contained in a chamber, where the fluid pressure and flow through inter-plate gaps provide the energy dissipation mechanism. The hydraulic or pneumatic action allows efficient dissipation of high-force oscillations while the compressibility of the fluid provides adaptability to different operating conditions.
2Loss of energy
If the plates are closely spaced to increase damping effect, then energy dissipation improves, but the device cannot handle high force loads
Solution Approach 1:
By using multiple plates instead of a single thick plate, the device achieves high energy dissipation through cumulative friction across many plate interfaces while each individual plate remains thin and lightweight. The parallel configuration distributes the force load across multiple plates, preventing any single plate from experiencing excessive stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines multiple damping plates in parallel within a single chamber, merging their individual damping effects into a cumulative system. The working fluid serves as a common medium connecting all plates, allowing the system to handle forces beyond what any single plate could withstand while maintaining high energy dissipation efficiency.
3Force
If a single large damping element is used, then force handling capacity increases, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the damping function into multiple simple parallel plates instead of using one complex large-scale damping element. Each plate is a simple flat component, and their collective arrangement provides the required force handling capacity without increasing individual component complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The working fluid serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the damping medium, acts as a lubricant between plates, transmits force between plates, and can be compressed to accommodate volume changes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining high force handling capacity.
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
The device provides efficient damping of high-frequency, high-force oscillations by converting input energy into heat through molecular friction, offering a wide range of applicability and self-compensating characteristics that reduce the impact of transient force peaks.
Implementation Method 1
efficiently dissipating high frequency, high force and low amplitude oscillations of short duration
Implementation Method 2
the relative movement of the plates causing the viscous fluid to be at least partly squeezed out from between the plates
Implementation Method 3
each individual plate forming a piston for working on the volume of the working fluid between it and the next plate
Data Source
AI summary
A force limiting device comprises a housing defining an axially extending chamber containing a working fluid. A force transmitting member may be mounted for linear reciprocable movement inside the chamber under the action of external loads. An axial array of plates is floatingly disposed in the chamber between the force transmitting member and an end wall of the chamber. At rest, each plate is spaced from an adjacent plate by a gap occupied by the working fluid. When the force transmitting member is displaced towards the array of plates, the fluid in the chamber causes the plates to be successively pushed against each other, thereby causing some of the fluid to be squeezed out from between the plates.