Resonance test system
AssigneeAlliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
InventorsWalter Musial, Darris White
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus (10) for applying at least one load to a specimen (12) according to one embodiment of the invention may comprise a mass (18). An actuator (20) mounted to the specimen (12) and operatively associated with the mass (18) moves the mass (18) along a linear displacement path (22) that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the specimen (12). A control system (26) operatively associated with the actuator (20) operates the actuator (20) to reciprocate the mass (18) along the linear displacement path (22) at a reciprocating frequency, the reciprocating frequency being about equal to a resonance frequency of the specimen (12) in a test configuration.
Claims21
An apparatus for applying at least one cyclical load to a specimen, the specimen extending at least along a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a mass;
- an actuator mounted to the specimen and operatively associated with said mass, said actuator moving said mass along a linear displacement path that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the specimen;
- and
- a control system operatively associated with said actuator, said control system operating said actuator to reciprocate said mass along the linear displacement path at a reciprocating frequency, said reciprocating frequency being about equal to a resonance frequency of the specimen in a test configuration.
A system for vibrating a specimen, the specimen extending at least along a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- reciprocating mass means operatively associated with the specimen for vibrating the specimen along the longitudinal axis at about a resonance frequency of the specimen in a test configuration;
- and
- displacement control means operatively associated with said reciprocating mass means for varying a vibrational displacement of the specimen.
A method for vibrating a specimen, the specimen extending at least along a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- mounting amass to the specimen so that said mass can be reciprocated along a linear displacement path that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the specimen;
- and
- reciprocating the mass along the linear displacement path at a reciprocation frequency that is about equal to a resonance frequency of the specimen in a test configuration.
An apparatus for applying at least one cyclical load to a specimen, the specimen extending at least along a longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a mass;
- an actuator mounted to the specimen and operatively associated with said mass, said actuator moving said mass along a linear displacement path that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the specimen;
- a transverse load actuator operatively associated with the specimen, said transverse load actuator applying to the specimen a cyclical load in a transverse direction, said transverse direction being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the specimen and to the linear displacement path;
- and
- a control system operatively associated with said actuator and said transverse load actuator, said control system operating said actuator to reciprocate said mass along the linear displacement path at a reciprocating frequency, said reciprocating frequency being about equal to a resonance frequency of the specimen in a test configuration, said control system operating said transverse load actuator to vary the cyclical load at about the reciprocating frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.