Automatically tunable mass damper
AssigneeGE Infrastructure Technology LLC
InventorsCharles Erklin Seeley, Eladio Clemente Delgado
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method include with a mass damper for reducing vibrations in a structure or machine. The mass damper includes a frame that is movable linearly along a base, which includes a track gear. A flywheel is in geared engagement with the track gear so as to be rotationally driven as the frame moves linearly relative to the base. A rotation damper is mounted on the frame and is geared engagement with the flywheel, the rotation damper producing a counter-torque against rotation of the flywheel that is proportional to a rotational velocity of the flywheel. The rotation damper has an electrical characteristic that is automatically adjusted to change the counter-torque and tune the mass damper.
Claims20
A mass damper for reducing vibrations in a structure or machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- a base configured to be stationarily mounted onto the structure or machine, the frame movable linearly along a surface of the base in a longitudinal direction of the base;
- a track gear disposed longitudinally on the surface of the base;
- a flywheel in geared engagement with the track gear so as to be rotationally driven as the frame moves linearly along the track in the longitudinal direction of the base;
- a rotation damper mounted on the frame, the rotation damper in geared engagement with the flywheel, the rotation damper producing a counter-torque against rotation of the flywheel, the counter-torque being proportional to a rotational velocity of the flywheel;
- and
- the rotation damper comprising an electrical characteristic that is automatically changeable to adjust the counter-torque and tune the vibration mass damper.
A mass damper for reducing vibrations in a structure or machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- a base, the frame movable linearly along the base;
- a track gear disposed on the base;
- a flywheel in geared engagement with the track gear so as to be rotationally driven as the frame moves linearly relative to the base;
- a rotation damper mounted on the frame, the rotation damper in geared engagement with the flywheel, the rotation damper producing a counter-torque against rotation of the flywheel, the counter-torque being proportional to a rotational velocity of the flywheel;
- the rotation damper comprising an electrical characteristic that is automatically changeable to adjust the counter-torque and tune the vibration mass damper;
- and
- wherein the frame and the track gear are located within a housing mounted to the base, the base and the housing configured for stationary mounting to the structure or machine.
A mass damper for reducing vibrations in a structure or machine, comprising:
- a frame;
- a base, the frame movable linearly along the base;
- a track gear disposed on the base;
- a flywheel in geared engagement with the track gear so as to be rotationally driven as the frame moves linearly relative to the base;
- a rotation damper mounted on the frame, the rotation damper in geared engagement with the flywheel, the rotation damper producing a counter-torque against rotation of the flywheel, the counter-torque being proportional to a rotational velocity of the flywheel;
- the rotation damper comprising an electrical characteristic that is automatically changeable to adjust the counter-torque and tune the vibration mass damper;
- the flywheel comprising an outer circumferential surface geared directly to the track gear;
- and
- wherein the rotation damper is geared directly to the outer circumferential surface of the flywheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.