Vibration control assembly for an aircraft and method of controlling aircraft vibration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235868-B2
Application number	US-202017137900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2020
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A vibration control assembly for an aircraft including a housing operatively coupled to the aircraft. Also included is a cage disposed within an interior region of the housing, the cage rotatable within the housing about a first axis. Further included is a gyroscope wheel disposed within the cage and rotatable about a second axis other than the first axis, wherein a controllable moment is imposed on the aircraft upon rotation of the gyroscope wheel to counter vibratory moments produced by the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling vibration on a vibration producing structure comprising:
rotating a cage about a cage axis, the cage disposed within a housing;
rotating a gyroscope wheel about a gyroscope wheel axis that is non-parallel to the cage axis, the gyroscope wheel disposed within the cage;
producing a moment on the vibration producing structure upon rotating the gyroscope wheel, wherein the cage and gyroscope wheel partially form a first vibration control assembly;
controlling precession of the first vibration control assembly with the rotation of the cage;
transmitting power, by a planetary gear arrangement, to the gyroscope wheel to rotate the gyroscope wheel about the gyroscope wheel axis; and
supporting, by a motor shaft extending along the cage axis and penetrating the housing, a sun gear operatively connected to the planetary gear arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the moment produced on the vibration producing structure by varying a rotational speed of the gyroscope wheel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the rotational speed of the gyroscope wheel is varied based on a speed of a motor coupled to the gyroscope.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting power to the gyroscope wheel comprises transmitting power directly from an electric motor shaft of an electric motor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting power to the gyroscope wheel comprises transmitting power directly from a hydraulic motor shaft of a hydraulic motor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the planetary gear arrangement is coupled to a vibration producing structure gearbox with a gearbox shaft.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the cage about the cage axis and rotating the gyroscope wheel about the gyroscope wheel axis selectively adjusts the moment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gyroscope wheel includes a gyroscopic shaft extending along the gyroscope wheel axis and a wheel segment extending along the cage axis, the wheel segment being disposed to rotate about the gyroscope wheel axis.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling precession of the first vibration control assembly comprises controlling a precession direction and a precession speed.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vibration control assembly is controlled to precess in a first direction, and wherein the first direction is opposite to a second direction associated with a second vibration control assembly operatively coupled to the first vibration control assembly.

11. A method of controlling vibration on a vibration producing structure comprising:
rotating a cage about a cage axis, the cage disposed within a housing;
rotating a gyroscope wheel about a gyroscope wheel axis that is non-parallel to the cage axis, the gyroscope wheel disposed within the cage;
producing a moment on the vibration producing structure upon rotating the gyroscope wheel, the cage and gyroscope wheel being included in a first vibration control assembly;
controlling precession of the first vibration control assembly with the rotation of the cage; and
transmitting power, by a planetary gear arrangement, to the gyroscope wheel to rotate the gyroscope wheel about the gyroscope wheel axis,
the planetary gear arrangement including a planet gear shaft extending substantially parallel to the cage axis, the planet gear shaft including at least one planet gear operable to rotate the gyroscope wheel about the gyroscope wheel axis.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising supporting, by a motor shaft extending along the first axis and penetrating the housing, a sun gear operatively connected to the planetary gear arrangement.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gyroscope wheel includes a gyroscopic shaft extending along the gyroscope wheel axis and a wheel segment extending along the cage axis, the wheel segment being disposed to rotate about the gyroscope wheel axis.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gyroscopic shaft supports first and second gyroscopic bearings, such that rotating the gyroscope wheel produces a moment that is passed through the first and second gyroscopic bearings into the cage.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gyroscope wheel is rotated by electric motor permanent magnets, the magnets being disposed along an outer perimeter of a wheel portion of the gyroscope wheel and at an inner portion of a motor stator, and wherein the magnets are configured to drive rotation of the gyroscope wheel.

16. A method of controlling vibration of a system including a vibration producing structure, the method comprising:
monitoring, by a controller, a moment associated with a vibration control assembly of the system;
responsive to monitoring the moment, controlling, by the controller, the moment associated with the vibration control assembly,
the vibration control assembly comprising:
a housing operatively connectable to the vibration producing structure;
a cage disposed within the housing, the cage being rotatable within the housing about a cage axis;
a gyroscope wheel disposed within the cage and rotatable about a gyroscope wheel axis that is non-parallel to the cage axis, the gyroscope wheel being operable to impose the moment to be input to the vibration producing structure to counter vibratory moments produced by the vibration producing structure;
a planetary gear arrangement configured to transmit power to the gyroscope wheel to rotate the gyroscope wheel about the gyroscope wheel axis; and
a motor shaft extending along the cage axis and coupled to a motor, the motor shaft supporting a sun gear operatively connected to the planetary gear arrangement, wherein the moment is controllable by varying a motor speed of the motor.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising controlling the motor to rotate the cage in accordance with the monitored moment.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising adjusting the moment to be input to the vibration producing structure in accordance with the monitored moment.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the motor is operatively coupled to the gyroscope wheel and drives rotation of the gyroscope wheel.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein controlling the motor comprises varying the motor speed between about 0 rpm and about 20,000 rpm.

Assignees

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Welsh William A
• Gmirya Yuriy

Classifications

• F16F15/02

  Suppression of vibrations of non-rotating, e.g. reciprocating systems; Suppression of vibrations of rotating systems by use of members not moving with the rotating systems ({F16F15/005 takes precedence } ; layered products B32B; suppression of vibration in ships B63; {relieving load on bearings, using magnetic means F16C39/06}) · CPC title

• B64C27/001 Primary

  Vibration damping devices · CPC title

• F16F1/00

  Springs (working with fluid F16F5/00, F16F9/00) · CPC title

• F16F15/315

  characterised by their supporting arrangement, e.g. mountings, cages, securing inertia member to shaft (F16F15/31 takes precedence) · CPC title