Lord Corporation

Swanson, Doug A.

Pedersen, Douglas G.

Southward, Steve C.

Ryu, Jihan

Black, Paul R.

Paul Black

Douglas A Swanson

Doug Swanson

Mark R Jolly

Russell E Altieri

Jihan Ryu

Daniel Kakaley

Douglas Pedersen

Victor Zaccardo

Doug G Pedersen

Askari Badre-Alam

David J Clark

Christopher P Townsend

Steve C Southward

Matthew K Ferguson

Andrew D Meyers

Stephen C Southward

David Edeal

Wayne Lee Winzenz

Warren F Brannan

Michael D Janowski

Douglas G Pedersen

David Newton

Ian Cassidy

Doug A Swanson

Systems and methods for measuring a clearance between a rotating machine component and a sensor unit are disclosed. In some aspects, a system includes a sensor unit oriented to detect the rotating machine component as the rotating machine component rotates past the sensor unit, the sensor unit including at least a first sensing element and a second sensing element spaced apart from the first sensing element. The system includes a sensor processing unit in electrical communication with the sensor unit. The sensor processing unit is configured for receiving a first waveform from the first sensing element; receiving a second waveform from the second sensing element; and determining, based on a comparison between the first waveform and the second waveform, a distance between the blade tip and the sensor unit.

Rotating machine component clearance sensing systems and methods

An active vibration control system (AVCS) and method for reducing motion and/or vibration of a seat frame within an aircraft includes vibration sensors, a controller, and force generators. In some embodiments, the vibration sensors and/or the force generators are attached to the seat frames. In other embodiments, the vibration sensors and/or the force generators are attached to aircraft structures, proximate to the seat frame. By monitoring the motion and/or vibration of the seat frame, the controller calculates a cancelling force to be generated by the force generators to reduce the vibration experienced by the seat frame and its occupant. Such seat frame vibration control can be implemented as a separate AVCS in an aircraft, or can be integrated in an existing AVCS that is also configured to provide vibration control in other parts thereof.

Active vibration control of floor and seat frame vibration

A system for controlling shaft displacement within a support structure, the system having a rotatable shaft, at least one bearing supporting the shaft, the at least one bearing having an inner race rotatable along with the shaft and an outer race circumferentially surrounding the inner race, an electromagnet assembly positioned about the shaft along a longitudinal axis thereof, and a controller that detects a radial motion of the shaft and determines a corrective force to reduce the radial motion of, or a parameter related to, the shaft, the controller commanding the electromagnet assembly to generate the corrective force to act on the shaft, the electromagnet assembly having a plurality of phases spaced circumferentially about the shaft, the controller commanding different phases of the electromagnet assembly to generate the corrective force so that a vector of the corrective force rotates about the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Rotatable shaft bearing with electromagnetically controlled support impedance

Actuators are components of machines, which move and/or control a mechanism or system. During operation, actuators can experience regeneration events, with the actuator actually generating excess energy (e.g., regenerative energy) which must be stored or dissipated to avoid damaging the power supply. An actuator motor controller is configured to implement field oriented voltage control and flux weakening voltage control without current sensors. Dissipating regenerative energy includes providing a motor controller to command a motor drive to modify an input voltage, or to dissipate regenerative energy in a dump circuit. This command can cause motor windings to dissipate regenerative energy. Systems having a plurality of actuators distribute regenerative energy from one actuator to another. A central controller provides centralized regeneration dissipation control for the plurality of actuators. A power distribution unit includes a dump resistor to dissipate regenerative energy in addition to or instead of in the actuators.

Actuator motion controller with regeneration compensation

A control system for resonant inertial actuators estimates operating parameters of the resonant inertial actuators based on voltage and current feedback and dynamically limits selected parameters to maintain the safe, efficient, and cost effective operation of the resonant inertial actuators. Resistance within the electrical drives for the resonant inertial actuators is estimated from the voltage and current feedback and in conjunction with the modeling of the resonant inertial actuators other operating parameters are calculated or otherwise estimated. Having regard for the responsiveness of the resonant inertial actuators to changes in command signals, the command signals are adjusted to dynamically limit the estimated parameters.

Rotary wing aircraft vibration control system with resonant inertial actuators

Structural health monitoring and protection systems and methods are provided. System and methods utilize structural information and/or enhanced built in testing capabilities for detecting failure modes that may cause damage to a structure. Systems and methods herein may protect a structure by mitigating one or more incorrect forces. The structure may be an aircraft, a rotary wing aircraft, or any other physical structure subject to vibrations and receptive to canceling of those vibrations.

Systems and methods for structural health monitoring and protection

The present subject matter relates to systems and methods for active vibration control system speed monitoring and control in which a speed protection monitor configured to receive index pulses as inputs to monitor the speed of one or more force generators. A rotary actuator control system can be connected in communication with the speed protection monitor and the one or more force generators, wherein the rotary actuator control system is configured to shut down or adjust the speed of the one or more force generators if the one or more force generators are determined to be operating at undesired speeds.

Monitor for active vibration control

Systems, methods, and computer program products for directional force weighting of an active vibration control system involve arranging a plurality of force generators in an array, identifying individual component forces corresponding to force outputs of each of the plurality of force generators, determining a combination of the individual component forces that will produce a desired total force vector, and adjusting the outputs of each of the plurality of force generators such that the combination of the individual component forces are at least substantially similar to the desired force vector.

Systems and methods for implementing directional force weighting with circular force generators

Hub-mounted active vibration control (HAVC) devices, systems, and related methods are provided. An HAVC device () includes a housing () having a tolerance ring () attached to a rotary hub (). The tolerance ring can accommodate dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion between dissimilar metals. The HAVC device can also include a plurality of coaxial ring motors (A,B,A,B) configured to rotate a plurality of imbalance masses for controlling vibration. An HAVC system can further include a de-icing distributor () for communicating instructions to one or more heating sources (HS) provided at one or more rotary blades () of a vehicle or aircraft. A method of controlling vibratory loads occurring at a moving platform can include providing a moving platform, mounting a vibration control device to a portion of the moving platform, and rotating at least one pair of imbalance masses such that the combined forces of the masses substantially cancel unwanted vibration of the platform.

Hub-mounted active vibration control (HAVC) devices, systems, and methods

Improved active vibration control (AVC) devices, systems, and related methods are provided herein. An AVC device includes a controller adapted to receive real-time aircraft information and adjust at least one control parameter as a function of the real-time aircraft information is provided. An AVC device is adapted to detect changes in real-time aircraft information, as the aircraft moves from a steady state to transient performance, low and high air speeds, or vice versa. An AVC system (e.g., AVCS) includes one or more sensors, one or more actuators, and a controller adapted to receive real-time aircraft information and adjust at least one control parameter. In some aspects, a method of controlling vibration within an aircraft includes receiving vibration information from at least one sensor, receiving real-time aircraft information from an avionics system, adjusting at least one control parameter used in a control algorithm, and generating a force command.

Active vibration control devices, systems, and methods

Improved active vibration control (AVC) devices (), systems, and related methods are provided herein. An AVC device () includes a controller () adapted to receive real-time aircraft information and adjust at least one control parameter as a function of the real-time aircraft information is provided. An AVC device is adapted to detect changes in real-time aircraft information, as the aircraft moves from a steady state to transient performance, low and high air speeds, or vice versa. An AVC system (e.g., AVCS) includes one or more sensors (), one or more actuators (), and a controller () adapted to receive real-time aircraft information and adjust at least one control parameter. In some aspects, a method of controlling vibration within an aircraft includes receiving vibration information from at least one sensor (), receiving real-time aircraft information from an avionics system (), adjusting at least one control parameter used in a control algorithm, and generating a force command.

A rotary wing aircraft including a vehicle vibration control system. The vehicle vibration control system includes a rotating hub mounted vibration control system, the rotating hub mounted vibration control system mounted to the rotating rotary wing hub with the rotating hub mounted vibration control system rotating with the rotating rotary wing hub driven to rotate about a rotating hub center Z axis by a gear box transmission. The vehicle vibration control system includes a rotary wing aircraft member sensor for outputting rotary wing aircraft member data correlating to the relative rotation of the rotating rotary wing hub member rotating about the rotating hub center Z axis relative to the nonrotating body, a first nonrotating body vibration sensor outputting first nonrotating body vibration sensor data correlating to vibrations.

Growing community of inventors

Fuquay-Varina, NC, United States of America

Paul Black