Method and apparatus for damping structural vibrations
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorJ. Robert Fricke
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The damped structural member includes a structural member and granular material in intimate contact with the member. In one embodiment the granular material is lightweight and has a bulk specific gravity of less than 1.5. When low weight is important, the granular material has a bulk specific gravity of less than or equal to one. The particles of the granular material are also in intimate contact with one another. The granular material may be substantially non-viscoelastic. Preferred granular material is low density polyethylene and glass microspheres. The granular material fills hollow structural members or is placed into intimate contact with open structural members. The lightweight fill effectively damps vibrational modes without excessively increasing the weight of the structural member.
Claims32
Method for damping vibration in a structure comprising:
- placing nonspherical granular material into intimate contact with the structure wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other, the granular material having a bulk specific gravity less than one.
Damped structural member comprising:
- a structural member;
- and
- nonspherical granular material having a bulk specific gravity less than one in intimate contact with the member wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other.
Method for damping vibration in a structure comprising:
- coupling nonspherical granular material to the structure wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other, the granular material having a bulk specific gravity less than one.
Method for damping vibration in a structure comprising:
- coupling nonspherical granular material to the structure wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other, the granular material being substantially non-viscoelastic.
Damped structural member comprising:
- a structural member;
- and
- nonspherical granular material having a bulk specific gravity less than one coupled to the member wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other.
Damped structural member comprising:
- a structural member;
- and
- nonspherical granular, substantially non-viscoelastic material coupled to the member wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other.
Method for damping vibration in a structure comprising:
- placing nonspherical granular material into intimate contact with the structure wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other, the granular material having a bulk specific gravity less than 1.5.
Damped structural member comprising:
- a structural member;
- and
- nonspherical granular material having a bulk specific gravity less than 1.5 in intimate contact with the member wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other.
Method for damping vibration in a structure comprising:
- coupling granular material composed of nonsolid granules to the structure wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other, the granular material having a bulk specific gravity less than 1.5.
Method for damping vibration in a structure comprising:
- coupling granular glass to the structure wherein particles of the granular glass are in intimate contact with each other, the granular glass having a bulk specific gravity less than 1.5.
Method for damping vibration in a structure comprising:
- coupling granular material composed of nonsolid granules to the structure wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other, the granular material being substantially non-viscoelastic.
Method for damping vibration in a structure comprising:
- coupling granular glass to the structure wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other, the granular glass being substantially non-viscoelastic.
Damped structural member comprising:
- a structural member;
- and
- granular material composed of nonsolid granules having a bulk specific gravity less than 1.5 coupled to the member wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other.
Damped structural member comprising:
- a structural member;
- and
- granular glass having a bulk specific gravity less than 1.5 coupled to the member wherein particles of the granular glass are in intimate contact with each other.
Damped structural member comprising:
- a structural member;
- and
- granular material composed of substantially non-viscoelastic nonsolid granules coupled to the member wherein particles of the granular material are in intimate contact with each other.
Damped structural member comprising:
- a structural member;
- and
- substantially non-viscoelastic granular glass coupled to the member wherein the particles of the granular glass are in intimate contact with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.