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US 7,726,871 B2Granted
Vibration actuation system with independent control of frequency and amplitude
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsLimin Song, Leroy Clavenna, Ian A. Cody, Mohsen S. Yeganeh, Alan H. Wolf, Glen B. Brons, Wayne J. York
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Vibrational energy generated with a pneumatic vibrator is controlled to independently adjust the amplitude and the frequency. A mechanical resonator is used to adjust the frequency. The controlled vibrational energy can be applied to equipment, such as a heat exchanger to mitigate fouling.
Claims28
A method of controlling energy output from a pneumatic vibrator, comprising:
- producing vibrational energy with a pneumatic vibrator that has a pressurized fluid inlet and an actuator that responds to the pressurized fluid to generate vibrational energy, wherein the flow of the pressurized fluid is adjustable to control the amplitude of the vibrational energy;
- and
- modifying the vibrational energy with a resonator that responds to the vibrational energy with a resonance frequency, wherein the resonator comprises a housing having a resonance frequency and a frequency adjustment member by which the stiffness of the housing is adjustable to control the frequency of the vibrational energy output from the resonator.
A pneumatic vibrator assembly, comprising:
- a pneumatic vibrator that generates a vibrational force;
- and
- a resonator coupled to the pneumatic vibrator that modifies the vibrational force generated by the pneumatic vibrator, wherein the resonator includes a housing having a resonance frequency and a frequency adjustor coupled to the housing to adjust a stiffness of the housing to change the resonance frequency of the resonator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.