Spatially Decoupled Spring-Damper System for Active Engine Mounts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spring-damper systems require significant installation space and are limited in their ability to adapt to changing system properties, making them unsuitable for applications with restricted space, such as engine mounts, where they often compromise on damping or springing properties.
Innovation Solution
A spring-damper system with a coupling device that transfers load inputs to a spatially separate spring-damper device with minimal loss, allowing for a compact design and dynamic adaptation of damping and spring properties, using a sensor-actuator unit that detects load inputs and generates counterforces to mitigate vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional spring-damper systems are used in bearings or dampers, then vibration damping and isolation can be achieved, but the installation space required is large
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-damper system is divided into separate functional components: a bearing element and a damper element that can be independently positioned and optimized. This segmentation allows each component to be compact while maintaining overall vibration damping performance, reducing the total installation space required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent reconfigures the spring-damper arrangement from a conventional linear configuration to a spatial configuration where the bearing and damper elements are positioned at different locations and orientations. This dimensional reorganization enables more efficient space utilization while maintaining vibration damping effectiveness.
2Volume of moving object
If the size of actuators in active spring-damper systems is reduced to fit limited space, then installation space requirements are met, but maximum force and displacement capabilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mechanical leverage system with lever arms and pivot points that act as intermediaries between the small actuator and the load. This intermediary mechanism amplifies the actuator's force output, enabling small actuators to generate sufficient bearing forces for active vibration control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses counterbalancing elements and preloaded springs to augment the force output of small actuators. These counterweight mechanisms provide additional force multiplication, allowing the actuator to achieve higher maximum forces and displacement capabilities within compact dimensions.
3Reliability
If conventional spring-damper systems are used in active bearings, then broadband vibration reduction is achieved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the bearing element to serve multiple functions: it provides both structural support and active vibration control capabilities. By integrating the bearing and actuator functions into a unified modular unit, the system achieves broadband vibration reduction without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-damper system incorporates adjustable and adaptive elements that allow the bearing characteristics to be dynamically modified. This dynamic capability enables the system to optimize vibration reduction performance across different operating conditions while maintaining a relatively simple base structure that can be configured as needed.
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 effective vibration damping in constrained spaces without compromising on damping or springing properties, allowing for more powerful, robust, and cost-effective active spring-damper systems that can be used in previously inaccessible applications, while protecting sensitive components from environmental disruptions.
Implementation Method 1
The spring-damper device (10) consists of a damping element (11) and a resilient element (12)
Implementation Method 2
The spring-damper device (10) consists of a damping element (11) and a resilient element (12)
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a spring-damper system for use in bearings or as a damper, in particular as a spring-damper system in active engine mounts. The spring-damper system comprises a coupling device (20, 30, 40) that can be coupled to a load (1) and a support device (2) at a bearing or damping point (3) in order to mount the load (1) on the support device (2) so as to allow it to oscillate. The coupling device (20, 30, 40) is designed to transmit a load input generated by the load (1) to a spring-damper device (10) with essentially no loss and to receive a reaction to this from the spring-damper device (10) and feed it back to the load (1) in order to counteract the load input by damping vibrations. In this case, the spring-damper device (10) can be arranged and/or positioned spatially separate from the bearing or damping point (3).