Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.

Textron Innovations Inc.

Taeoh Lee

Michael Reaugh Smith

David E Heverly, Ii

Maurice D Griffin

Frank B Stamps

Matthew Wade Hendricks

Robert J Pascal

Michael Scott Seifert

David Williams

David Heverly

David Haynes

Scott Hemmen

James E Wright

John Frakes

Michael R Smith

Frank Bradley Stamps

David E Heverly

Michael Smith

David E Heverly Ii

Ii David E Heverly

Jr David E Heverly

A piston for use in a liquid inertia vibration elimination ('LIVE') system. The piston includes a port that extends from a first end of the piston to an opposite second end of the piston, wherein a length of the port is longer than a length between the first and second ends of the piston.

Compact design of a liquid inertia vibration elimination system

The vibration suppression system includes a vibration isolator located in each corner in a four corner pylon mount structural assembly. The combination of four vibration isolators, two being forward of the transmission, and two being aft of the transmission, collectively are effective at isolating main rotor vertical shear, pitch moment, as well as roll moment induced vibrations. Each opposing pair of vibration isolators can efficiently react against the moment oscillations because the moment can be decomposed into two antagonistic vertical oscillations at each vibration isolator. A pylon structure extends between a pair of vibration isolators thereby allowing the vibration isolators to be spaced a away from a vibrating body to provide increased control.

Rotorcraft vibration suppression system in a four corner pylon mount configuration

A vibration isolation system includes a vibration isolator configured to flow a fluid. A fluid pumping system is connected to the vibration isolator. The fluid pumping system includes a fluid flow pathway configured to flow the fluid to the vibration isolator. The fluid pumping system includes a piston assembly positioned in the fluid flow pathway. The piston assembly includes a first piston and a second piston configured to displace the fluid in opposite directions through the fluid flow pathway. The vibration isolation system includes a fluid flow augmentation system, which includes an eccentric member positioned between the first piston and the second piston. The fluid flow augmentation system is configured to control a flow of the fluid to the vibration isolator through the fluid flow pathway by controlling a displacement of the first piston and the second piston through at least a partial rotation of the eccentric member.

Controlled pump augmentation for active vibration isolation

A tunable vibration isolator with active tuning elements having a housing, fluid chamber, and at least one tuning port. A piston is resiliently disposed within the housing. A vibration isolation fluid is disposed within the fluid chambers and the tuning ports. The tunable vibration isolator may employ either a solid tuning mass approach or a liquid tuning mass approach. The active vibration elements are preferably solid-state actuators.

Piezoelectric liquid inertia vibration eliminator

A method of isolating vibrations between vibrating bodies includes determining a pressure differential between a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber of a liquid inertia vibration eliminator (LIVE) unit, and selectively injecting fluid into or withdrawing fluid from the LIVE unit based on the pressure differential. A system for isolating vibrations between bodies includes a vibration isolator including fluid, a fluid regulator valve in fluid communication with the vibration isolator to selectively flow fluid through the vibration isolator, a pressurized fluid source in fluid communication with the fluid regulator to supply fluid to the fluid regulator, a controller in signal communication with the fluid regulator to control fluid flow between the fluid regulation valve and the vibration isolator, and at least one sensor in signal communication with the controller.

Active vibration isolation with direct fluid actuation

A rotorcraft vibration isolation system includes a plurality of liquid inertia vibration elimination (LIVE) units mounted on a first rotorcraft surface, an accumulator mounted on a second rotorcraft surface at a location that is remote from locations of the plurality of LIVE units, and a fluid passage to connect the accumulator to the plurality of LIVE units in parallel. The fluid passage has sufficient length to traverse between the location of the accumulator and each location of each LIVE unit. During rotorcraft operation, the second rotorcraft surface experiences lesser periodic vibration than the first rotorcraft surface.

Rotorcraft vibration isolation systems

A restraint system for a transmission in an aircraft can include a first strut having a first fluid chamber, a first piston resiliently coupled to a first housing with a first elastomeric member. The restraint system can include a second strut having second fluid chamber, a second piston resiliently coupled to a second housing with a second elastomeric member. The restraint system can include a fluid line between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber. The first strut and the second strut collectively provide not only torque restraint, but also torque measurement and fore/aft vibration isolation.

Helicopter transmission mount system

A vibration isolator can include an upper housing defining an upper fluid chamber; a lower housing defining a lower fluid chamber; a piston resiliently coupled to the upper housing with an upper elastomer member, the piston being resiliently coupled to the lower housing with a lower elastomer member; a tuning passage associated with the piston; and a tuning fluid disposed within the upper fluid chamber, the lower fluid chamber, and the tuning passage, the tuning fluid comprising a polytungstate.

Liquid inertia vibration mount

An apparatus includes an active vibration isolation system that includes a vibration isolator, a dual fluid pump in fluid communication with the vibration isolator and a hydraulic system, wherein the dual fluid pump is configured to segregate a tuning fluid from a hydraulic fluid and an electric-hydraulic servo valve in fluid communication with the dual fluid pump.

Active vibration isolation system

A vibration isolator includes a housing having an upper fluid chamber, a lower fluid chamber, a piston, a tuning passage, and a linear inductance motor assembly for changing the isolation frequency of the vibration isolator. The piston is resiliently disposed within the housing. A vibration tuning fluid is located in the upper fluid chamber, the lower fluid chamber, and the tuning passage. The linear inductance motor assembly includes a magnet member and an inductance coil at least partially surrounding the magnet member. A control system is configured to selectively actuate the magnet member; wherein selective actuation of the magnet member selectively imparts a pumping force on the tuning fluid, thereby changing the isolation frequency.

Vibration isolation system

A system and method to control vibrations exerted on a non-vibrating structure. The system includes an adjustable variable stiffness support securely attached to both the non-vibrating structure and a vibrating structure. A driver operably associated with the variable stiffness support is configured to selectively adjust the variable stiffness support. A control system in data communication with both a sensor system and the driver includes an algorithm to determine whether adjustment of the variable stiffness support is required.

Growing community of inventors

Keller, TX, United States of America

Taeoh Lee