Vibration Absorber Assembly with Roller Support and Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tall, slender structures like wind turbines face challenges in effectively damping transverse vibrations due to low natural frequencies, requiring large pendulum lengths that occupy excessive installation space and struggle with precise friction adjustment for optimal vibration reduction.
Innovation Solution
A vibration damper arrangement with a roller arrangement on the absorber mass, connected to a controllable drive device and an eddy current damper, allowing for adjustable natural frequency and minimal friction, enabling efficient vibration reduction with minimal space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pendulum is used for vibration damping in structures with low natural frequencies, then vibration reduction is achieved, but the pendulum requires a relatively large length which increases installation space requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional long pendulum mechanical system with a compact vibrational absorber assembly that uses a spring-mass system instead of a gravity-dependent pendulum. This substitution allows achieving the same vibration damping effect with significantly reduced installation space by using elastic restoration force rather than gravitational force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental operating parameter from gravity-based pendulum length to spring-based natural frequency tuning. By adjusting spring stiffness and absorber mass, the natural frequency can be precisely matched to the structure's vibration frequency without requiring large physical dimensions, thus resolving the space-effectiveness contradiction.
2Reliability
If friction is increased to extract energy from oscillating movement, then vibration damping is improved, but friction cannot be adjusted precisely enough to achieve desired reduction with small components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces friction-based energy dissipation with viscous damping through a dashpot mechanism. The dashpot provides smooth, adjustable damping force proportional to velocity, eliminating the imprecision and non-linearity of friction-based systems while maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a hydraulic dashpot where viscous fluid resistance provides the damping effect. This pneumatic/hydraulic approach enables precise and continuous adjustment of damping characteristics through fluid viscosity and orifice sizing, overcoming the discrete and unpredictable nature of mechanical friction.
3Ease of operation
If the roller arrangement is arranged on the absorber mass, then support occurs in the area of the center of mass, but larger tilting forces act on the absorber mass and pendulum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rotational degree of freedom for the absorber mass assembly, allowing it to tilt and self-align with the direction of vibration. This dimensional addition enables the support point to dynamically follow the center of mass position, minimizing tilting forces while maintaining proper alignment during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the support system dynamic by allowing the absorber mass to rotate and adjust its orientation in response to vibration direction changes. This dynamic adaptation ensures that the support force always acts through the center of mass, eliminating static misalignment issues and reducing tilting forces during operation.
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 solution effectively reduces vibrations with minimal space and energy requirements, providing adaptive damping that can be active or passive depending on energy availability, ensuring reliable vibration control for tall structures.
Implementation Method 1
supporting the absorber mass (5) via a roller arrangement (11) in the area of the center of mass
Implementation Method 2
connected to a controllable drive device and an eddy current damper
Implementation Method 3
use a pendulum for the vibration damper arrangement
Implementation Method 4
The greater the angle of inclination of the surface relative to the direction of gravity, the lower the natural frequency of the pendulum
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The oscillation damper arrangement (1) has a pendulum (3) which is suspended on the building. The damper mass (5) and the pendulum are supported at inclined flat surface (6) relative to the gravitational force direction (15). The pendulum is supported at the inclined flat surface over a roller assembly (11). The roller assembly is connected with a drive device (13) designed as electric drive.