Device for recovering or damping the vibratory energy of a resonant mechanical element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12149188-B2
Application number	US-202117304393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2021
Priority date	Jun 22, 2020
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A device for recovering or dampening vibratory energy from a mechanical resonator, comprising:
an electrical generator comprising an element for converting mechanical vibration energy into electrical charges coupled to the resonator, the electrical generator periodically transferring a portion of the electrical charges from one terminal of the conversion element to the other; a frequency variation to phase variation conversion device, comprising an injection-locked oscillator of which the free-running oscillation frequency is equal to the resonance frequency of the resonator, and supplying to the electrical generator a control signal of frequency equal to that of the signal outputted by the conversion element and of which the phase shift depends on the difference between the frequency of the signal outputted by the conversion element and the resonance frequency of the resonator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for recovering or dampening vibratory energy from a mechanical resonator, comprising:
an electrical generator comprising at least one conversion element for converting mechanical vibration energy of the mechanical resonator into electrical charges mechanically coupled to the mechanical resonator and configured to output a conversion signal, corresponding either to a sinusoidal voltage obtained between first and second output electrodes of the at least one conversion element or to a sinusoidal current obtained on the first output electrode of the at least one conversion element, of frequency equal to a vibration frequency of the mechanical resonator, the electrical generator being configured to periodically transfer, on command of a signal to be received on a control input, at least part of the electrical charges from one to the other of the first and second output electrodes of the at least one conversion element;
a converter comprising an input electrically coupled to the first output electrode of the at least one conversion element and configured to provide at an output a square wave signal of frequency equal to the frequency of the conversion signal; and
a device for converting frequency variation into phase variation, comprising at least a first injection-locked oscillator, an injection input of which is electrically coupled to the output of the converter and configured such that its free oscillation frequency is substantially equal to a resonance frequency of the mechanical resonator, and configured to output on an output electrically coupled to the control input of the electrical generator, a periodic control signal of frequency equal to the frequency of the conversion signal and whose phase shift, relative to the conversion signal, is a function of a difference between the frequency of the conversion signal and the resonance frequency of the mechanical resonator.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the converter is configured such that the outputted square wave signal has a first value when the derivative of the conversion signal is positive and has a second value, different from the first value, when the derivative of the conversion signal is negative.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device for converting frequency variation into phase variation further comprises:
a second injection-locked oscillator, an injection input of which is coupled to the output of the first injection-locked oscillator and configured such that its free-running oscillation frequency is substantially equal to the resonance frequency of the mechanical resonator; and
a 180° phase shifter circuit, an input of which is coupled to an output of the second injection-locked oscillator.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the device for converting frequency variation into phase variation further comprises an EXCLUSIVE OR gate, a first input of which is electrically coupled to an output of the 180° phase shifter circuit, a second input of which is electrically coupled to the output of the 180° phase shifter circuit via an intermediary delay element and delivering the periodic control signal.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein an output of the EXCLUSIVE OR gate is coupled to the control input of the electrical generator via an amplifier.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical generator further comprises:
an electrical energy storage element comprising a first electrode electrically coupled to the first output electrode of the conversion element;
an AC-to-DC voltage conversion device comprising a first input terminal electrically coupled to the first output electrode of the conversion element and a second input terminal electrically coupled to a second electrode of the electrical energy storage element; and
a bi-directional switch configured to couple or not couple the second electrode of the electrical energy storage element to the second output electrode of the conversion element as a function of a value of the signal received at the control input of the electrical generator.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical generator comprises:
an electrical energy storage element comprising a first electrode electrically coupled to the first output electrode of the conversion element;
an AC-to-DC voltage conversion device; and
a bi-directional switch configured to couple or not couple a second electrode of the electrical energy storage element to a first input terminal of the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device, and couple or not couple the second output electrode of the at least one conversion element to a second input terminal of the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device, as a function of a value of the signal received at the control input of the electrical generator.

8. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the electrical energy storage element comprises at least one inductance or at least one capacitance.

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the electrical energy storage element comprises at least one inductance or at least one capacitance.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical generator comprises:
an AC-to-DC voltage conversion device; and
first and second switches configured to alternately couple the first output electrode of the conversion element to the second output electrode of the conversion element or to a first input terminal of the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device through a resonant capacitance;
wherein a second input terminal of the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device is electrically coupled to a second output electrode of the conversion element.

11. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device comprises a diode bridge.

12. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device comprises a diode bridge.

13. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device comprises a diode bridge.

14. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the electrical generator further comprises an output capacitance electrically coupled to output terminals of the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device.

15. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the electrical generator further comprises an output capacitance electrically coupled to output terminals of the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device.

16. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the electrical generator further comprises an output capacitance electrically coupled to output terminals of the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device.

17. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical generator comprises:
an AC-to-DC voltage conversion device comprising first and second input terminals coupled to the first and second output electrodes of the at least one conversion element, respectively; and
a Buck converter comprising first and second input terminals respectively coupled to first and second output terminals of the AC-to-DC voltage conversion device.

18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the device for converting frequency variation into phase variation further comprises:
a second injection-locked oscillator, of which an injection input is coupled to the output of the first injection-locked oscillator, configured such that its free-running oscillation frequency is substantially equal to the resonance frequency of the mechanical resonator;
a 180° phase shifter circuit, one input of which is coupled to the output of the second injection-locked oscillator;
a D flip-flop comprising a

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique
• Univ Savoie Mont Blanc

Inventors

• Morel Adrien
• Badel Adrien
• Badets Franck
• Goux Nicolas
• Pillonnet Gaël

Classifications

• H02N2/188

  adapted for resonant operation · CPC title

• H02M7/219

  in a bridge configuration · CPC title

• H02K35/00

  Generators with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating coil system, magnet, armature or other part of the magnetic circuit (arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with generators H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06) · CPC title

• H02N2/181 Primary

  Circuits; Control arrangements or methods · CPC title