Liquid Damper with Sealed Air Sub-Spaces for Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid dampers for vibration reduction in building and machine constructions require significant energy expenditure and practical difficulties for adjusting damping behavior, making it challenging to adapt to changing loads efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A liquid damper design with two chambers, where one is hermetically sealed and the other has an air outlet opening at the top, allowing for independent sealing and adjustment of air sub-spaces to change the natural frequency and damping without controlled gas supply, using a microcontroller to optimize the passage area and volume for minimal energy expenditure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If controlled supply and discharge of gas is used to adjust damping behavior, then the damping can be adapted to loads, but the energy requirement and practical difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid damper uses the natural oscillation of the liquid column to automatically adjust damping behavior without requiring external energy input. The system self-regulates by utilizing the kinetic energy already present in the vibrating structure, eliminating the need for powered gas supply systems while maintaining adaptability to varying loads
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a liquid column in a U-shaped or multi-chamber configuration where the liquid itself acts as the damping medium. By controlling the liquid level and chamber volumes, the system achieves adjustable damping characteristics without requiring active gas supply infrastructure, reducing both energy consumption and operational complexity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If mass-spring-damper absorbers are used, then vertical vibrations are reduced, but the design parameters cannot be easily changed without considerable effort
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid damper employs a flexible liquid column that can dynamically adjust its effective mass and stiffness characteristics based on the vibration amplitude and frequency. The liquid level can be adjusted to change the oscillating mass, and the chamber geometry allows for tuning the natural frequency, providing easy adaptability without replacing mechanical components
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows for easy modification of damping parameters by changing the liquid volume, liquid level, or chamber configuration. These parameter changes can be made simply by adding or removing liquid or adjusting movable partitions, without requiring replacement of spring elements or oscillating masses as in traditional mass-spring-damper systems
3Object-affected harmful factors
If pendulum absorbers are used, then horizontal vibrations are dampened, but the same adjustment difficulties apply
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid damper design can be configured to dampen both vertical and horizontal vibrations by orienting the liquid column appropriately or using multi-chamber arrangements. A single device can serve multiple vibration control functions, eliminating the need for separate pendulum absorbers and simplifying the overall system while maintaining ease of parameter adjustment
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 adaptation of damping behavior to varying loads with reduced energy consumption by adjusting the air compartment volumes and outlet passage area, effectively tuning the natural frequency and damping to optimize vibration reduction.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid damper for reducing vertical and/or horizontal vibrations in a building or machine construction with at least two chambers that are partially filled with liquid
Implementation Method 2
at least one chamber being hermetically sealed at its upper end, so that a closed air space is formed above the liquid
Implementation Method 3
Liquid damper for reducing vertical and/or horizontal vibrations
Data Source
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AI summary
In a liquid damper for reducing vertical and/or horizontal vibrations in a building or machine structure, having at least two chambers (1, 2) which are partially filled with liquid (3) and which communicate with one another at the lower ends thereof, wherein at least one chamber (1) is closed off in an air-tight fashion at the upper end thereof such that, by means of the liquid (3), a closed air chamber (V0) is formed, and at least one other chamber (2) is at least partially open at the upper end thereof, the closed air chamber (V0) is divided into at least two partial air chambers (V01 to V0n), wherein one partial air chamber (V01) is situated directly above the liquid (3) and one or more partial air chambers (V02 to V0n) are connected via openings (7) to the partial air chamber (V01) directly above the liquid (3) or to the respectively adjacent partial air chamber (V-02 to V0n), wherein said openings (7) can be sealingly closed off independently of one another.