Feedback control of electrorheological fluid response
AssigneeMichigan State University
InventorsJohn R. Lloyd, Clark J. Radcliffe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closed loop feedback control for enhancing the response of electrorheological fluid having a light source and a photodetector measuring the light transmission through the electrorheological fluid. A manually controllable signal generator generates a reference signal indicative of the desired transmission through the electrorheological fluid. A control amplifier responsive to the difference between the measured transmission and the reference signal changes the value of the electric field being applied across the electrorheological. The change in the electric field selected to significantly reduce the time required for the electrorheological fluid to change from its current state to the desired state.
Claims25
A feedback control of electrorheological fluid response, comprising:
- means for measuring at least one parameter of said electrorheological fluid to generate a current state signal indicative of the current physical state of said electrorheological fluid;
- a signal generator for generating a reference signal indicative of a desired value of said at least one parameter;
- a control amplifier generating an electric field across said electrorheological fluid, said control amplifier responsive to said reference signal and the difference between said current state signal and said reference signal to generate a change in said electric field across said electrorheological fluid selected to reduce the response time of said at least one parameter of said electrorheological fluid to a change from said current physical state to said desired value.
A feedback control of electrorheological fluid response, comprising:
- a pair of spatially separated electrodes;
- an electrorheological fluid filling the space between said pair of spatially separated electrodes;
- a light source for generating a light beam through said electrorheological fluid at a predetermined angle to an electric field through said electrorheological fluid;
- means for detecting the intensity of said light beam transmitted through said electrorheological fluid to generate a current state signal having a value indicative of the current state of said electrorheological fluid;
- a controllable signal generator for generating a reference signal having a value indicative of a desired state of said electrorheological fluid;
- a controller for applying an electric potential between said spatially separated electrodes to generate said electric field, said controller responsive to the difference between said current state signal and said reference signal for changing said electric potential between said pair of spatially separated electrodes to change the value of said electric field being applied across said electrorheological fluid, said changing of said electric potential reducing the time required for said electrorheological fluid to change from said current state to said desired state.
A method for changing the response time of an electrorheological fluid comprising the steps of:
- measuring at least one parameter of the electrorheological fluid to generate a current state signal indicative of the current state of the electrorheological fluid;
- generating a reference signal having a value corresponding to a desired state of the electrorheological fluid;
- changing the value of an electric field applied across the electrorheological fluid as a function of the difference between said current state signal and said reference signal until said current state signal is equal to said reference signal indicating said current state of said electrorheological is precisely equal to said desired state of the electrorheological fluid.
A method for increasing the response of an electrorheological fluid from a current state to a desired state comprising the steps of:
- directing a light beam of a known intensity through said electrorheological fluid at a predetermined angle relative to the electric field placing said electrorheological fluid in said current state;
- detecting the intensity of said light beam after reacting with said electrorheological fluid to generate a current state signal;
- generating a reference signal having a value corresponding to a desired state of said electrorheological fluid;
- changing the value of the electric field applied across said electrorheological fluid as a function of the difference between said current state signal and said reference signal to reduce the response of said electrorheological fluid from said current state to said desired state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.