A compensating damper comprises opposed working end faces, a hermetically sealed chamber between the working end faces, and a set of plates in the chamber with a film of viscous fluid between each pair of adjacent plates. The damper has at least two different film thickness zones across the set of plates, each of the different film thickness zones providing a different resistance response when acted upon by an outside force exerted on at least one of the opposed working end faces. Multiple internal guide pins may extend axially from the opposed working end faces for engaging the plate stack partially from each of said working end faces to increase the stroke while providing for a compact damper. The plates may have a conical configuration to providing dampening in different plans.

Earth vibrators, such as servo-hydraulic vibrators, are improved to produce more output force and less distortion at very low frequencies by capturing mass from the vehicles which carry them, adding sufficient inertial mass to the reaction mass without adding much vehicle and equipment weight while also avoiding increases to the servo-hydraulic vibrator's stroke length. In particular, improvements to servo-hydraulic vibrators, at low frequencies, will couple some mass from the carrier vehicle frame and its load using non-rigid coupling only when additional mass is needed using dampers connected between the reaction mass and the carrier vehicle's frame, with the added damping being applied by a control system at very low frequencies of output where the vibrator is otherwise unable to produce force equal to its hold-weight.

A vehicle incorporates a gravity-assist energy harvesting suspension system including one or more gravitational positive displacement pumps. The positive displacement pump has a cylinder and a reciprocating piston inside the cylinder. The piston is adapted for movement along a compression stroke and an opposite extension stroke in response to a gravitational bounce of the vehicle when in motion. A turbine comprising a rotor shaft and attached blades is mounted relative to a distal end of a fluid outlet hose connected to the pump. Fluid discharged through the outlet hose acts on the blades, thereby moving and imparting rotational energy to the rotor shaft. A generator is operatively connected to the turbine, and is adapted for converting the rotational energy generated by the rotor shaft to electrical energy.

A vehicle incorporates a gravity-assist energy harvesting suspension system including one or more gravitational positive displacement pumps. The positive displacement pump has a cylinder and a reciprocating piston inside the cylinder. The piston is adapted for movement along a compression stroke and an opposite extension stroke in response to a gravitational bounce of the vehicle when in motion. A turbine comprising a rotor shaft and attached blades is mounted relative to a distal end of a fluid outlet hose connected to the pump. Fluid discharged through the outlet hose acts on the blades, thereby moving and imparting rotational energy to the rotor shaft. A generator is operatively connected to the turbine, and is adapted for converting the rotational energy generated by the rotor shaft to electrical energy.

An orifice plate includes a wear-resistant inner diameter surface, an outer diameter surface, a first side surface extending between the wear-resistant inner diameter surface and the outer diameter surface, and a second side surface extending between the wear-resistant inner diameter surface and the outer diameter surface, the second side surface disposed opposite the orifice plate from the first side surface. The orifice plate may comprise a body portion comprising a first material. The wear-resistant inner diameter surface may comprise a second, wear-resistant material.

A system for damping vibration of a tower structure at a selected one or more natural frequencies of the tower structure. The system includes a tank assembly with one or more tanks, and a fluid positioned in the tank to a preselected depth above a floor. The tank includes wall(s) defining an average travelling distance of a wave through the fluid initiated by the vibration of the tower structure at the natural frequency. The system includes one or more inserts located on the floor in the tank for damping movement of the fluid. The preselected depth and the average travelling distance are selected so that the fluid is movable at the selected natural frequency and out of phase with the vibration of the tower structure, to dampen the vibration of the tower structure at the selected natural frequency.

A system for damping vibration of a tower structure at a selected one or more natural frequencies of the tower structure. The system includes a tank assembly with one or more tanks, and a fluid positioned in the tank to a preselected depth above a floor. The tank includes wall(s) defining an average travelling distance of a wave through the fluid initiated by the vibration of the tower structure at the natural frequency. The system includes one or more inserts located on the floor in the tank for damping movement of the fluid. The preselected depth and the average travelling distance are selected so that the fluid is movable at the selected natural frequency and out of phase with the vibration of the tower structure, to dampen the vibration of the tower structure at the selected natural frequency.

The invention includes systems having a cover attached to a frame, and a transmission unit with a rotational device connected to or part of the frame. The cover is mechanically connected to the at least one rotational device. A vibration dampening unit mechanically connected to the transmission unit such that translational movement (e.g. vertical movements) of the cover causes rotational movement of the rotational device. The rotational movement is, in turn, transmitted to the vibration dampening unit via the transmission unit. Preferably, the vibration dampening unit is a passive unit and also a resistance force modulated vibration dampening unit. The invention also includes methods for dampening vibrations on a load which includes converting translational movement of a load to rotational movement in a transmission unit, the transmission magnifies the displacement and speed of the rotational movement, and then transmitting the rotational movement to a vibration dampening unit, which dissipated the vibrational energy.

A formation method for liquid rubber composite nodes with a tubular flow channel is provided. The formation method includes adding a middle spacer sleeve between an outer sleeve and a mandrel, bonding the middle spacer sleeve and the mandrel together through rubber vulcanization and assembling the integrated middle spacer sleeve and the mandrel into the outer sleeve; installing a tubular flow channel in the mandrel; hollowing the middle spacer sleeve to form a plurality of spaces; after vulcanization, forming a plurality of interdependent liquid cavities by using rubber and the plurality of spaces; and arranging liquid in the plurality of liquid cavities and communicating the plurality of liquid cavities through the tubular flow channel.

A formation method for liquid rubber composite nodes with a tubular flow channel is provided. The formation method includes adding a middle spacer sleeve between an outer sleeve and a mandrel, bonding the middle spacer sleeve and the mandrel together through rubber vulcanization and assembling the integrated middle spacer sleeve and the mandrel into the outer sleeve; installing a tubular flow channel in the mandrel; hollowing the middle spacer sleeve to form a plurality of spaces; after vulcanization, forming a plurality of interdependent liquid cavities by using rubber and the plurality of spaces; and arranging liquid in the plurality of liquid cavities and communicating the plurality of liquid cavities through the tubular flow channel.