Active vibration and balance system for closed cycle thermodynamic machines

An active vibration control system for an axially reciprocating machine, comprising:

• a housing;
• a linear alternator having a stator rigidly carried by the housing and a mover supported for axially reciprocating movement;
• a counterbalance mass provided for axially reciprocating movement along an axis substantially coaxial with a motion axis of the mover of the linear alternator;
• a linear actuator communicating with the mass, carried by the housing, and configured to move the counterbalance mass relative to the alternator at a substantially common frequency;
• and
• analog control circuitry including decoupling circuitry, the analog control circuitry communicating with the linear actuator and user adjustable to adjust displacement amplitude of the linear actuator relative to the mover of the linear alternator.

A vibration control system for linear reciprocating machines, comprising:

• a first axially reciprocating machine;
• a second axially reciprocating machine rigidly mounted in aligned relation with the first axially reciprocating machine, electrically coupled with the first axially reciprocating machine, and operated in synchronized, opposed directions relative to the first axially reciprocating machine;
• first tuning circuitry associated with the first axially reciprocating machine;
• and
• second tuning circuitry associated with the second axially reciprocating machine;
• wherein one of power to at least one of the machines and a tuning factor for at least one of the first tuning circuitry and the second tuning circuitry is adjusted to minimize vibration for the linear reciprocating machines.

A method for controlling vibration from axially reciprocating machines, comprising:

• providing a first axially reciprocating machine with an associated first tuning circuitry and a second axially reciprocating machine with a second tuning circuitry, wherein the first machine and the second machine are rigidly mounted together in axially aligned relation;
• AC coupling the first axially reciprocating machine with the second axially reciprocating machine;
• operating the first machine and the second machine in synchronized, opposed directions;
• and
• adjusting power to at least one of the machines or adjusting a tuning value for at least one of the first tuning circuitry and the second tuning circuitry to minimize vibration for the axially reciprocating machines.

An active vibration control system for an axially reciprocating machine, comprising:

• a housing;
• a linear alternator having a stator rigidly carried by the housing and a mover supported for axially reciprocating movement;
• a counterbalance mass provided for axially reciprocating movement along an axis substantially coaxial with a motion axis of the mover of the linear alternator;
• a linear actuator communicating with the mass, carried by the housing, and configured to move the counterbalance mass relative to the alternator at a substantially common frequency;
• analog control circuitry communicating with the linear actuator and user adjustable to adjust displacement amplitude of the linear actuator relative to the mover of the linear alternator;
• and
• a Fast Fourier transform (FFT) analyzer and a vibration force detector, the FFT analyzer configured to detect vibration frequencies of the axially reciprocating machine,
• wherein the analog control circuitry cooperates with the FFT analyzer to adjustably control the linear actuator and reduce the detected vibration frequencies, and the vibration force detector is coupled with the housing and operative to measure a vibration force generated by the axially reciprocating machine.

A vibration control system for linear reciprocating machines, comprising:

• a first axially reciprocating machine;
• a second axially reciprocating machine affixed in substantially force-opposed relation with the first axially reciprocating machine, and configured for operation in a synchronized, opposed direction relative to the first axially reciprocating machine;
• a first tuning circuitry associated with the first axially reciprocating machine;
• and
• a second tuning circuitry associated with the second axially reciprocating machine;
• wherein power to at least one of the machines is adjusted to minimize combined vibration for the reciprocating machines.

A vibration control system for linear reciprocation machines comprising:

• a first axially reciprocating machine;
• a first tuning circuitry associated with the first axially reciprocating machine and including a first tuning capacitor having a tuning factor comprising a capacitance value for the first tuning capacitor;
• and
• a second axially reciprocating machine affixed in substantially force-opposed relation with the first axially reciprocating machine, and configured for operation in a synchronized, opposed direction relative to the first axially reciprocating machine;
• wherein power to at least one of the machines is adjusted by adjusting the capacitance value for the first tuning capacitor to minimize combined vibration for the reciprocating machines.