Hydraulic vibration control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648529-B2
Application number	US-201715820129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2017
Priority date	Nov 21, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

In one embodiment, a centrifugal force generating device comprises a first hydraulic rotor, a second hydraulic rotor, and one or more hydraulic control valves. The first hydraulic rotor comprises a first mass and is configured to rotationally drive the first mass around a first axis of rotation using a first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor. The second hydraulic rotor comprises a second mass and is configured to rotationally drive the second mass around a second axis of rotation using a second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor. The one or more hydraulic control valves are configured to control the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor and the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A centrifugal force generating device, comprising:
a first hydraulic rotor comprising a first mass, wherein the first hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the first mass around a first axis of rotation using a first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor;
a second hydraulic rotor comprising a second mass, wherein the second hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the second mass around a second axis of rotation using a second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor; and
one or more hydraulic control valves configured to control the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor and further configured to control the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor;
wherein the first hydraulic rotor further comprises:
a first motor gear configured to rotate around a first shaft when driven by the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor; and
a first rotor gear configured to be rotationally driven by the first motor gear, wherein the first mass is coupled to the first rotor gear and is configured to rotate with the first rotor gear.

2. The centrifugal force generating device of claim 1 :
wherein the second hydraulic rotor further comprises:
a second motor gear configured to rotate around a second shaft when driven by the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor; and
a second rotor gear configured to be rotationally driven by the second motor gear, wherein the second mass is coupled to the second rotor gear and is configured to rotate with the second rotor gear.

3. The centrifugal force generating device of claim 1 , wherein the first mass and the second mass each comprise a tungsten weight.

4. The centrifugal force generating device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first hydraulic rotor further comprises a first fluid inlet and a first fluid outlet; and
the second hydraulic rotor further comprises a second fluid inlet and a second fluid outlet.

5. The centrifugal force generating device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more position sensors configured to track a rotational phase of each of the first mass and the second mass.

6. The centrifugal force generating device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more position sensors comprise one or more hall effect sensors.

7. The centrifugal force generating device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydraulic control valves are further configured to:
adjust the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor to control a first rotational frequency of the first mass; and
adjust the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor to control a second rotational frequency of the second mass.

8. The centrifugal force generating device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydraulic control valves are further configured to:
adjust the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor to control a first rotational phase of the first mass; and
adjust the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor to control a second rotational phase of the second mass.

9. The centrifugal force generating device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydraulic control valves are further configured to adjust at least one of the first flow of hydraulic fluid and the second flow of hydraulic fluid to control a relative phase of the first mass and the second mass.

10. A vibration control system, comprising:
one or more centrifugal force generators, wherein each centrifugal force generator comprises:
a first hydraulic rotor comprising a first mass, wherein the first hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the first mass around a first axis of rotation using a first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor;
a second hydraulic rotor comprising a second mass, wherein the second hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the second mass around a second axis of rotation using a second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor; and
one or more hydraulic control valves configured to control the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor and further configured to control the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor; and

a vibration controller configured to:
identify one or more vibrations;
determine one or more parameters of a vibration cancelling force for reducing the one or more vibrations; and
configure the one or more centrifugal force generators to produce the vibration cancelling force;

wherein the first hydraulic rotor further comprises:
a first motor gear configured to rotate around a first shaft when driven by the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor; and
a first rotor gear configured to be rotationally driven by the first motor gear, wherein the first mass is coupled to the first rotor gear and is configured to rotate with the first rotor gear; and

wherein the second hydraulic rotor further comprises:
a second motor gear configured to rotate around a second shaft when driven by the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor; and
a second rotor gear configured to be rotationally driven by the second motor gear, wherein the second mass is coupled to the second rotor gear and is configured to rotate with the second rotor gear.

11. The vibration control system of claim 10 , further comprising one or more vibration sensors to measure the one or more vibrations.

12. The vibration control system of claim 10 , wherein each centrifugal force generator further comprises one or more position sensors configured to track a rotational phase of each of the first mass and the second mass.

13. The vibration control system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more position sensors comprise one or more hall effect sensors.

14. The vibration control system of claim 10 , wherein the vibration controller configured to configure the one or more centrifugal force generators to produce the vibration cancelling force is further configured to adjust a hydraulic fluid configuration of the one or more centrifugal force generators.

15. An aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage;
one or more centrifugal force generators, wherein each centrifugal force generator comprises:
a first hydraulic rotor comprising a first mass, wherein the first hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the first mass around a first axis of rotation using a first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor;
a second hydraulic rotor comprising a second mass, wherein the second hydraulic rotor is configured to rotationally drive the second mass around a second axis of rotation using a second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor; and
one or more hydraulic control valves configured to control the first flow of hydraulic fluid through the first hydraulic rotor and further configured to control the second flow of hydraulic fluid through the second hydraulic rotor;

one or more vibration sensors configured to measure aircraft vibrations; and
a vibration controller configured to:
identify the aircraft vibrations measured by the one or more vibration sensors;
determine one or more parameters of a vibration cancelling force for reducing the aircraft vibrations; and
configure the one or more centrifugal force generators to produce the vibration cancelling force;

wherein the first hydraulic rotor further comprises:
a first motor gear configured to rotate around a first shaft when driven by the first

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc

Inventors

• Heverly Ii David E

Classifications

• B06B1/186

  operating with rotary unbalanced masses · CPC title

• B64C27/52

  Tilting of rotor bodily relative to fuselage (of see-saw type construction B64C27/43) · CPC title

• B64C2027/004

  using actuators, e.g. active systems · CPC title

• B64C2027/003

  mounted on rotor hub, e.g. a rotary force generator · CPC title

• F16F15/0235 Primary

  where a rotating member is in contact with fluid (rotary viscous dampers per se F16F9/12; suppression of vibrations in rotating systems containing a fluid F16F15/16) · CPC title