Hydraulic vibration control
AssigneeBell Helicopter Textron Inc.
InventorDavid E. Heverly, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a centrifugal force generating device comprises a first hydraulic rotor, a second hydraulic rotor, and one or more hydraulic control valves. The first hydraulic rotor comprises a first mass and is configured to rotationally drive the first mass around a first axis of rotation using a first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor. The second hydraulic rotor comprises a second mass and is configured to rotationally drive the second mass around a second axis of rotation using a second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor. The one or more hydraulic control valves are configured to control the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor and the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor.
Claims20
A centrifugal force generating device, comprising:
- a first hydraulic rotor comprising a first mass, wherein the first hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the first mass around a first axis of rotation using a first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor;
- a second hydraulic rotor comprising a second mass, wherein the second hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the second mass around a second axis of rotation using a second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor;
- and
- one or more hydraulic control valves configured to control the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor and further configured to control the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor.
A vibration control system, comprising:
- one or more centrifugal force generators, wherein each centrifugal force generator comprises:
- a first hydraulic rotor comprising a first mass, wherein the first hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the first mass around a first axis of rotation using a first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor;
- a second hydraulic rotor comprising a second mass, wherein the second hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the second mass around a second axis of rotation using a second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor;
- and
- one or more hydraulic control valves configured to control the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor and further configured to control the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor;
- and
- a vibration controller configured to:
- identify one or more vibrations;
- determine one or more parameters of a vibration cancelling force for reducing the one or more vibrations;
- and
- configure the one or more centrifugal force generators to produce the vibration cancelling force.
An aircraft, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- one or more centrifugal force generators, wherein each centrifugal force generator comprises:
- a first hydraulic rotor comprising a first mass, wherein the first hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the first mass around a first axis of rotation using a first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor;
- a second hydraulic rotor comprising a second mass, wherein the second hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the second mass around a second axis of rotation using a second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor;
- and
- one or more hydraulic control valves configured to control the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor and further configured to control the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor;
- one or more vibration sensors configured to measure aircraft vibrations;
- and
- a vibration controller configured to:
- identify the aircraft vibrations measured by the one or more vibration sensors;
- determine one or more parameters of a vibration cancelling force for reducing the aircraft vibrations;
- and
- configure the one or more centrifugal force generators to produce the vibration cancelling force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.