Tuned broadband particulate vibration absorber
AssigneeThe Aerospace Corporation
InventorSheldon Rubin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Broadband particulate absorbers include a suspended container for containing particulate beads that absorb vibration energy over a broad bandwidth so reduce coupled vibrations of mechanical systems over the broad bandwidth. The absorbers preferably include two opposing aluminum containers for containing particulate teflon beads. The aluminum containers are suspended and separated by aluminum I-beams attached to stringers of a rocket subjected during lift off to atmospheric pressure vibrations exerted on the vehicular skin coupling vibration through the stringers to trusses supporting sensitive inertial navigation payloads. The absorbers can be finely tuned using variably thick mass or various amounts of beads for reducing peak vibrations coupled into the payloads.
Claims11
An absorber attached to a mechanical system having a vibration response and disposed between a vibration source providing source vibrations and an object receiving coupled vibrations, the absorber for reducing the coupled vibrations, the absorber comprising
- a container means for defining a contained volume,
- a suspension means for suspending and attaching the container means to the mechanical system for coupling the source vibrations to the container means, and
- viscoelastic particulate means disposed within the contained volume of the container means for viscoelastically absorbing energy of the source vibrations for reducing the coupled vibrations over a broad bandwidth.
A plurality of absorbers disposed in a rocket having a mechanical system comprising a rocket skin, a plurality of stringers attached to the rocket skin and a truss attached to at least one of the plurality of stringers, a payload is supported by the truss, the payload receiving coupled atmospheric pressure vibrations coupled through the mechanical system, the plurality of absorbers are for reducing the coupled vibrations, each absorber is attached to a respective stringer, each absorber comprising,
- a container means for defining a contained volume,
- a suspension means for suspending and attaching the container means to the respective stringer for coupling the vibrations to the container means, and
- particulate means disposed within the contained volume of the container means for absorbing energy of the vibrations for reducing the coupled vibrations over a broad bandwidth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.