Mechanical devices and method of creating prescribed vibration

Abstract

The invention provides a system for creating a prescribed vibration profile on a mechanical device comprising a sensor ( 30 ) for measuring an operating condition of the mechanical device, a circular force generator CFG ( 20 ) for creating a controllable rotating force vector comprising a controllable force magnitude, a controllable force phase and a controllable force frequency, a controller ( 22 ) in electronic communication with said sensor and said circular force generator, the controller operably controlling the controllable rotating force vector, wherein the difference between the measured operating condition and a desired operating condition is minimized.

1 . A system for creating a prescribed operating function within a mechanical device comprising:
 a mechanical device;   at least one circular force generator (CFG) affixed to the mechanical device, the CFG capable of producing a rotating force vector, wherein the rotating force vector includes a magnitude, a phase, and a frequency;   at least one prescribed vibration profile created in the mechanical device by the CFG;   at least one sensor positioned on the mechanical device;   an operating function measured by the sensor and associated with and enabled by the vibration profile;   a controller in electronic communication with the sensor and with the CFG, the controller operably controlling the rotating force vector based upon the measurement of the operating function, wherein the magnitude, phase and frequency are independently controllable by the controller, wherein the controller changes the rotating force vector; and,   wherein a difference between the measured operating function and the prescribed operating function is reduced.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the CFG further comprises two imbalanced rotors independently rotated by two motors. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second CFG, the second CFG operating at the same frequency as the CFG. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein one of the CFGs produces the force vector in a clockwise direction and the other CFG produces the force vector in a counter clockwise direction, wherein the combination of the two force vectors produce a resultant force vector that is controllable in two degree-of-freedom, the resultant force vector inducing a vibratory motion in the mechanical device and creating the prescribed operating function. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the prescribed operating function is a prescribed vibration profile and the sensor detects an operating vibration profile and captures a measurement thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vibratory profile is an elliptical vibratory motion at one specific frequency. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vibratory profile is selected from the group consisting of linear, elliptical and orbital motions. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the two motors are brushless permanent magnet motors. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is a plurality of accelerometers. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein said accelerometers are colocated with said CFG. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, thermocouples, infrared sensors, particle matter sensors, mass flow rate sensors, load sensors, optical sensors and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the sensor is a plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         14 . A system for creating a prescribed vibration profile within a mechanical device comprising:
 a mechanical device;   at least one circular force generator (CFG) affixed to the mechanical device, the CFG capable of producing a rotating force vector, wherein the rotating force vector includes a magnitude, a phase, and a frequency;   at least one sensor positioned on the mechanical device;   a controller in electronic communication with the sensor and with the CFG, the controller operably controlling the rotating force vector based upon the measurement of the vibration profile, wherein the magnitude, phase and frequency are independently controllable by the controller, wherein the controller changes the rotating force vector;   at least one vibration profile in the mechanical device created by the CFG, wherein the sensor measures a measured vibration profile;   wherein a difference between the measured vibration profile and a prescribed vibration profile is reduced.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the CFG further comprises two imbalanced rotors independently rotated by two motors. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a second CFG, the second CFG operating at the same frequency as the CFG. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein one of the CFGs produces the rotating force vector in a clockwise direction and the other CFG produces the rotating force vector in a counter clockwise direction, wherein the combination of the two rotating force vectors produce a resultant force vector that is controllable in two degree-of-freedom, the resultant force vector inducing a vibratory motion in the mechanical device and creating the prescribed vibration profile. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the prescribed vibratory motion is an elliptical vibratory motion at one specific frequency. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the prescribed vibration profile is selected from the group consisting of linear, elliptical and orbital motions. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the two motors are brushless permanent magnet motors. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the sensor is an accelerometer. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the sensor is a plurality of accelerometers. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22  wherein said accelerometers are colocated with said CFG. 
     
     
         24 . A method for creating a prescribed operating function on a mechanical device having at least one CFG capable of producing a rotating force vector with a controllable magnitude, phase and frequency, a sensor and a controller, and the CFG capable of creating at least one vibration profile in the mechanical device the method comprising the steps of:
 defining a prescribed operating function;   measuring the operating function operation with the sensor and generating a measured operating function;   communicating the measured operating function from the sensor to the controller;   calculating an error by comparing the measured operating function to the prescribed operating function;   processing the error in the controller using an algorithm, wherein the processing produces a command for the CFG, the command for including changes to the magnitude, the phase, and/or the frequency of the rotating force vector; and   communicating the changes to the force vector to the CFG such that the difference between the measured operating function and the prescribed operating function is reduced.   
     
     
         25 . A method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of using a feedback control algorithm. 
     
     
         26 . A method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of using an open-loop adaptive algorithm. 
     
     
         27 . A method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of using a non-adaptive open-loop algorithm. 
     
     
         28 . A method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of using a filtered-x least mean square (Fx-LMS) gradient descent algorithm. 
     
     
         29 . A method of  claim 24 , further comprising the step of using time-average gradient (TAG) algorithm. 
     
     
         30 . A method of  claim 24 , wherein the measuring step further comprises using a sensor selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, thermocouples, infrared sensors, particle matter sensors, mass flow rate sensors, load sensors, optical sensors, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         31 . A method of  claim 30 , wherein the measuring step further comprises using a plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         32 . A method of  claim 31 , wherein the measuring step further comprises using a plurality of different sensors. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of a vibratory deliquifying machine, a vibratory conveyor, a vibratory feeder, a vibratory shaker, a vibratory separator, a material separator, an attrition mill, a mold shakeout machine, a vibratory compactor, and a seismic impulse exciter. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 1 , where the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of an aircraft engine, a rotary wing aircraft hub, a propeller hub, and a landing craft fan hub. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of a building, a bridge, a medical device, and a medical bed. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of a vibratory deliquifying machine, a vibratory conveyor, a vibratory feeder, a vibratory shaker, a vibratory separator, a material separator, an attrition mill, a mold shakeout machine, a vibratory compactor, and a seismic impulse exciter. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 14 , where the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of an aircraft engine, a rotary wing aircraft hub, a propeller hub, and a landing craft fan hub. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of a building, a bridge, a medical device, and a medical bed. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of a vibratory deliquifying machine, a vibratory conveyor, a vibratory feeder, a vibratory shaker, a vibratory separator, a material separator, an attrition mill, a mold shakeout machine, a vibratory compactor, and a seismic impulse exciter. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 24 , where the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of an aircraft engine, a rotary wing aircraft hub, a propeller hub, and a landing craft fan hub. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the mechanical device is selected from the group consisting of a building, a bridge, a medical device, and a medical bed.