Floating active baffles, system and method of slosh damping comprising the same

Abstract

This disclosure provides a system for damping slosh of a liquid within a tank, a baffle for use in the system, and a method of damping slosh using the system. The system includes a plurality of baffles. Each baffle has a body configured to substantially float upon the liquid. Each baffle also has an activation material received along at least a portion of the body. The activation material is magnetically reactive provided in a quantity sufficient to enable the body to be manipulated in the presence of a magnetic field (M). The system further includes an actuator configured to provide the magnetic field (M).

Claims

1. A baffle for passive and active damping movement of a liquid within a tank, vessel or container comprising: a body configured to float upon a surface of the liquid; and an activation material received within the body, wherein the activation material comprises a magnetically permeable material, and wherein the body is provided with a volume of activation material sufficient to enable the body to be manipulated in the presence of a selectively generated magnetic field that activates and moves the baffle with a series of other baffles into at least a semi-rigid structural layer while substantially remaining afloat along a surface of the liquid.

2. The baffle according to claim 1, wherein the activation material has a magnetic permeability of at least 5,000.

3. The baffle according to claim 1, wherein the body further comprises an air chamber at least partially surrounded by the activation material.

4. The baffle according to claim 1, wherein the body has a top wall, a bottom wall, and a peripheral wall, wherein the top surface has a substantially triangular shape.

5. The baffle according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises a material having a low density and low reactivity with the liquid in which the baffle is placed.

6. A system for damping slosh of a liquid within a tank, comprising: a plurality of baffles, each baffle comprising: a body configured to substantially float upon the liquid; and an activation material received along at least a portion of the body, wherein the activation material comprises a magnetically reactive material in a quantity sufficient to enable the body to be manipulated in the presence of a magnetic field; and an actuator configured to generate the magnetic field sufficient to activate and to move at least a portion of the baffles into a structural layer floating upon the liquid, and wherein as the magnetic field is varied, a rigidity of the structural layer is adjusted to adapt to varying slosh conditions.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the activation material has a magnetic permeability of at least 5,000.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the body includes an air chamber at least partially surrounded by the activation material.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the actuator comprises a magnet having an axis between opposite poles thereof, and wherein the magnet is positioned with respect to the tank and the liquid such that the axis is substantially parallel to a slosh direction of the liquid within the tank and substantially along a free surface of the liquid during equilibrium.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the magnet is configured to be mounted outside of the tank.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the magnet is configured to be mounted within the tank.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein the actuator is adapted to be movable relative to the tank to adjust for changes in the volume of liquid within the tank.

13. The system according to claim 6, wherein the actuator comprises an electromagnet.

14. The system according to claim 6, wherein the body comprises a buoyant material having a low density and low reactivity with the liquid in which the baffle is placed.

15. A method of damping slosh of a liquid held within a tank, comprising: floating a plurality of baffles upon a surface of the liquid, each baffle comprising a body configured to substantially float upon the liquid and having an activation material therein, the actuation material provided in quantity sufficient to enable the baffle to be manipulated in the presence of a magnetic field; creating a magnetic field in proximity to the liquid; and moving the baffles into a semi-rigid structural layer substantially floating along the surface of the liquid in response to the magnetic field.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein creating the magnetic field comprises passing a current through an electromagnet.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: adjusting the current passing through the electromagnet to change a rigidity of the structural layer created by the baffles.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein creating the magnetic field comprises: aligning an axis of a magnet generally parallel with a slosh direction of the liquid, and with the axis generally extending along the free surface during equilibrium.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: adjusting the position of the magnet creating the magnetic field as a volume of liquid within the tank changes.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of the baffles include an air chamber at least partially surrounded by the activation material to enhance the buoyancy of the baffles for floating upon the surface of the liquid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other advantages and aspects of the embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following detailed description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, as follows.

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates known slosh reduction techniques including diaphragms, baffles, and acoustic damping.

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a novel hybrid technique that combines passive and active damping of fluid slosh through the utilization of active baffles.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates the basic concept of combining passive and active fluid slosh damping elements according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a cross section of an active baffle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates the basic concept of combining passive and active fluid slosh damping elements according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, including a detailed view of a floating actuator.

(7) FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C show several views of an experimental setup utilizing one embodiment of a fluid slosh damping system according to the present disclosure.

(8) FIG. 7 shows an experimental setup of a second embodiment of a fluid slosh damping system according to the present disclosure.

(9) FIG. 8 illustrates the testing phases for experiments conducted using active baffles.

(10) FIGS. 9-14 are graphical illustrations of the force output recorded during high and low slosh tests for each phase of experimental testing conducted.

(11) FIG. 15 illustrates a summary of the results achieved for each phase of experimental testing under both low fluid slosh and high fluid slosh conditions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) The following detailed description is provided as an enabling teaching of embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that many changes can be made to the embodiments described, while still obtaining the beneficial results. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the embodiments described can be obtained by selecting some of the features of the embodiments without utilizing other features. Accordingly, those who work in the art will recognize that many modifications and adaptations to the embodiments described are possible and may even be desirable in certain circumstances. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the invention and not in limitation thereof, since the scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

(13) The present disclosure describes a system and method of damping fluid slosh using active baffles. The active baffles are configured to provide a structural layer to constrain the free surface of the liquid in a tank or other container. The structural layer is understood to increase in rigidity as the baffles are activated and the strength of a magnetic field increases. The system, or parts thereof, may be referred to as a propellant management device (PMD) used for managing liquid propellant within fuel tanks on vehicles such as rockets, aircraft and ships. The system may also have beneficial uses in other environments, such as tanker trucks transporting liquid beyond their own fuel. Therefore the system of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to a PMD.

(14) Each embodiment of the present disclosure generally involves the use of active baffles to create a hybrid system that combines the benefits of passive damping and active damping as shown in FIG. 2. In other words, the present disclosure uses baffles, particularly floating baffles, similar to known passive systems, but provides a means for controlling the baffles, thereby rendering the baffles active. Furthermore, this hybrid system preserves the natural frequency increase and kinetic energy interactions that have been shown to be advantageous in both known wall-fixed and known floating baffle propellant management devices.

(15) The active baffles are generally classified as floating because the active baffles have a buoyancy that allows them to float along the free surface of the liquid in the container. The ability to float allows the active baffles to provide damping at substantially all fill levels and orientations of the tank. This is particularly important in aircraft or spacecraft PMDs where the fuel is being burned and the vehicle is not always oriented in the same direction as it travels. When not activated, each active baffle may be free floating along all six degrees of freedom. In other embodiments, each active baffle could be constrained in its movement along one or more of the degrees of freedom. In some cases, the active baffles may be referred to as micro-baffles. The term micro should be understood to reflect the relatively small size of each individual active baffle relative to the free surface area of liquid. The term micro should not be limited to any particular mathematical definition of size.

(16) According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the active baffles may be activated in the presence of a magnetic field. In some embodiments, the magnetic field may be applied at all times, and in other embodiments the magnetic field may be selectively presented to the active baffles. In some embodiments, the magnetic field is generated by an electro-magnet that can be selectively activated and deactivated with the use of electric current. Therefore, in some instances, the active baffles may be described as electro-active. Generation of the magnetic field using an electromagnet may be preferred because the strength of the field can be varied by changing the current. Upon exposure to magnetic fields of varying strength, the rigidity of the structural layer formed by the active baffles could adapt to various slosh conditions.

(17) FIG. 3 illustrates the basic slosh damping system 1 combining passive and active damping elements in one embodiment. The system 1 can include a tank 4 capable of containing a liquid 8, such as fuel. The liquid 8 can fill the tank 4 to various levels. Generally, at least some headspace will be present resulting in a free surface 12 of the liquid 8 that is not in direct contact with a wall of the tank 4. The system 1 can also include a plurality of active baffles 20. The number of active baffles 20 may vary based upon the dimensions of the tank 4 and the potential area of the free surface 12. The quantity of active baffles 20 may be selected to include as many baffles as possible to create a single layer of baffles along the free surface 12 in the most likely orientation. In most embodiments, the active baffles 20 are configured to float upon the liquid 8 when a sufficient volume of liquid is present in the tank 4. The active baffles 20 are also capable of being manipulated by an actuator 40 to create a semi-rigid structural layer at the free surface 12 of the liquid 8. As discussed above, the active baffles 20 may be manipulated by a magnetic field M, in which case the actuator 40 may include a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. FIG. 3 shows the actuator 40 comprising coiled wire forming an electromagnet 42. The electromagnet 42 may be mounted outside of the tank 4 with the axis A of the electromagnet parallel with a slosh direction 105 and along the free surface 12 of the liquid 8. As should be understood, the axis A of a magnet is the axis between opposite poles thereof.

(18) The active baffles 20 may take a variety of forms, shapes, sizes, and configurations made from a variety of materials so long as the active baffles 20 are capable of at least partially floating upon the free surface 12 of the liquid and respond to the actuator 40. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of an active baffle 20 according to one embodiment. The active baffle 20 includes a body 22 having an inner peripheral wall 24, an outer peripheral wall 26, a bottom wall 28 and a top wall (not shown). The inner peripheral wall 24 at least partially defines an air chamber 30 to assist with the buoyancy of the active baffle 20. A channel 32 is formed between the inner and outer peripheral walls 24, 26. The channel 32 is then at least partially filled with an activation material 34 to allow the active baffle 20 to respond to the electromagnet 42. Therefore the activation material 34 will at least partially surround the air chamber 30.

(19) The body may be made from various materials. In the illustrated embodiment Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic and Polylactic Acid (PLA) plastic were used. These materials are preferred for their light weight and low density. Other metals, polymers and composites may be used based on their strength, buoyancy, manufacturability and reactivity with the liquid being used.

(20) The body 22 of the illustrated embodiment, used in the experiments below, is an equilateral triangle with 1.5 inch long sides and a 0.4 inch thickness. The channel 32 is 0.075 inches wide along the perimeter. The active baffles 20 should not be limited to the specific or relative dimensions of the embodiment used in the experiments below.

(21) The equilateral triangle shape of the body 22 was determined to be advantageous. Other shapes, however, may also be used, such as hexagonal, square, rectangular, circular or a combination of shapes. Preferably, the active baffles 20 may have shapes, such as the equilateral triangle, that allow them to join together in a relatively close-packed or substantially inter-fitting configuration under influence by the magnetic field.

(22) The activation material 34 may vary, keeping in mind that modification of the type and amount of activation material embedded within the active baffle 20 has a direct effect on the buoyancy to keep the active baffle afloat. The activation material 34 should be one that preserves the magnetic flux which is transmitted through the baffles, and preferably be as magnetically permeable as possible. Example activation materials include Carbonyl Iron (CI) particles, ferrofluid and solution mixtures thereof. Baffles embedded solely with CI particles may be preferred. Other even more highly permeable materials such as Metglas may also be used.

(23) Magnetic permeability is defined as a measure of the ability of a substance to sustain a magnetic field. With the exception of several man-made alloys and other magnetic mediums, raw iron offers the highest permeability value. Table 1 lists relative permeability values for a variety of materials.

(24) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Relative Relative Material Permeability Material Permeability Wood ~1.0 Aluminum ~1.0 Stainless Steel 40-95 Stainless Steel 750-950 (martensitic, (martensitic, hardened) annealed) Iron (various) 5,000-200,000 Metglas 1,000,000

(25) Again, the actuator 40 may take various forms. In many embodiments the actuator 40 provides a magnetic field, preferably one where the flux lines emanate far from the pole of the magnet, through the full diameter of the tank. The governing equation for the pole strength (in Tesla), of an electromagnet is equal to:

(26) $P=\frac{N?I?A}{L}$
where N is the number of turns, I is the current, A is the cross-sectional area of the core, and L is the length of the core.

(27) Examples of actuators 40 include, but are not limited to modified solenoids, electromagnets 42, and bar magnets. The electromagnet 42 used for all slosh tests was made from 600 ft. of 18 gauge wire, and a 0.75 steel pipe fitting core, 1.5 long. Conduit plates were used as end caps and a 0.75 thick steel bolt was filed to fit into the pipe fitting after the wire was wound. The 18 gauge wire used for the electromagnet has a cross sectional area of 0.823 square inches and maximum current of 2.3 amperes. Compared to the 6.5 cm influence range of the most effective solenoid, the current electromagnet has an influence range of approximately 20.0 cm.

(28) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the slosh damping system 1. The second embodiment is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 3, but includes a floating actuator 40 disposed within the tank 4. The floating actuator 40 can includes a plurality of separate electromagnets 42. The electromagnets 42 may be arrayed around an actuator axis with each magnet axis arranged in a radial direction relative to the actuator axis. The floating actuator 40 may include a support material 44 configured to hold the plurality of electromagnets 42. The floating actuator 40 may also include a buoy 46. The buoy 46 and the support material 44 may combine to allow the floating actuator 40 to rest upon the free surface of the fluid. By providing a plurality of electromagnets 42, each having a unique magnet axis direction, each electromagnet could be selectively and individually energized so that the energized electromagnet 42 is the one with a magnet axis most closely parallel to the slosh direction at any given time.

(29) In some embodiments, the actuators 40, 40 may be mounted outside the tank (FIGS. 3 and 6) or inside the tank (FIGS. 5 and 7) in a manner that allows the actuator to adjust as the height and/or orientation of the free surface 12 moves in response to changing orientations of the tank or changes in volume or quantity of the liquid. In the example of the floating actuator 40, adjustment is provided by the buoyant nature thereof. In some embodiments, a guide 48 may be provided to restrain the motion of the floating actuator 40.

(30) A first embodiment of the present slosh damping system 1 is illustrated by a first experimental setup illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C. The setup includes a dynamic force-balance 101 fixed to a single axis linear motion actuator 103. Sloshing is generated in a lateral sloshing direction 105 by providing a mechanical frequency of given amplitude. A container 107 is held by arms linked to dynamic load cells 109 to measure the forces acting on the walls of the container 107. The first experimental setup includes the electromagnet 42 mounted outside of the container 107 with the axis of the electromagnet parallel with the slosh direction and along the free surface 12 of the liquid 8. As should be understood, the axis A of a magnet is the axis between opposite poles thereof. FIG. 6B shows a detailed view of the first experimental setup. FIG. 6C shows a top view of the first experimental setup.

(31) A second embodiment of the present slosh damping system 1 is illustrated by a second experimental setup illustrated in FIG. 7. The embodiment of FIG. 7 is substantially similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 6A-6C, but the electromagnet of the first setup has been suspended in a hanging fashion within the container 107. The electromagnet 42 is still oriented with its axis generally along the free surface 12 of the liquid 8 and generally parallel with the slosh direction. The electromagnet 42 of the second setup was hung in a manor to minimize the motion of the magnet itself during the slosh tests. In addition, in some applications, as a supply of fuel or other liquid in the tank or container is depleted, a further longitudinal translation of the moving fuel can occur, to at least some extent, leading to increased sloshing. In cases of extreme sloshing, the magnet or other actuator can be mounted in a manner so as to move with the free surface of the fuel. In one example embodiment, the magnet or actuator can comprise a design that includes an array of smaller buoyant magnets, as opposed to the use of larger size magnets in a relatively fixed orientation with respect to the liquid surface, as illustrated in, for example, FIG. 5 or 7. The magnets of such an array of magnets can be mounted so as to enable them to move with the surface, much like the baffles.

(32) Experiments outlined herein were conducted using an 8 inch diameter tank. The container 107, as shown in FIG. 6A, was filled with testing fluid 60% by volume, which has been identified through experimental testing to induce maximum slosh amplitude. The testing fluid was water, however, common rocket propellant, hydrazine, is substantially physically similar. The container 107 was left open at the top for ease of access.

(33) The experimental testing was conducted in three phases as illustrated in FIG. 8. The first phase characterized baseline sloshing values for the testing fluid within the container, i.e., free sloshing. The second phase repeated the experiment to evaluate the degree of damping present due to active baffles 20 floating on the free surface without a magnetic field. The active baffles 20 were activated during peak sloshing in the third phase of testing. Each of the three phases was repeated for two test cases: low sloshing and high sloshing. Low sloshing corresponds to a condition such that the slosh waves reach a height that is 12.5% of the container diameter in response to a 2.3 mm displacement of the container at 2 Hz. Similarly, high sloshing waves reach a height that is 25.0% of the container diameter in response to a 3.1 mm displacement of the container at 2 Hz. Table 2 below outlines the parameters used for each test case using the first experimental setup with the actuator outside of the container.

(34) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Test Case Amplitude, A (mm) Frequency, f.sub.n (H.sub.Z) Cycles, N.sub.c Low Sloshing 2.3 2.0 10 High Sloshing 3.1 2.0 10

(35) Testing for both phases was started by generating the sloshing laterally until a natural frequency was reached, i.e., the peak of its sloshing activity. The agitation of the tank was then stopped to allow natural damping to occur during a period of remnant slosh. This allowed for a period of time in order to achieve complete damping. The amount of damping present may be characterized by a damping factor based upon the time it takes the remnant slosh to dissipate and return to equilibrium. The damping factor is:

(36) $\mathrm{.Math.}=\frac{?}{\sqrt{\left(2?+{?}^2\right)}}$
Where, ? is the logarithmic decrement.

(37) The damping effect was characterized initially by the force signal immediately after the point in time where actuation of the linear actuator has ceased, i.e. the beginning of remnant sloshing. For the purpose of comparison, the damping time was defined as the time it takes for the remnant sloshing peak-to-peak amplitude to reduce to half its initial magnitude. FIGS. 9 through 14 compare the force output that was recorded for all six test iterations as remnant sloshing was dissipated. FIG. 15 illustrates a summary of the results achieved for each phase of experimental testing under both low slosh and high slosh conditions. During the experimental testing, a noise signal appeared on an average of every four seconds producing a set of false peaks seen in the figures.

(38) Visually, the activated baffle tests indicated a quicker damping time over the inactive baffle and free-slosh tests. Table 3 quantifies the damping times, t.sub.d, for each test iteration using the first setup of FIG. 5, having the external electromagnet 42. The active baffles 20 covered approximately 85% percent of the free surface 12 during these tests.

(39) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 % difference to free-slosh Phase Test Case T.sub.d(s) condition Phase I Low 5.7 N/A High 10.9 N/A Phase II Low 5.1 10.5 High 5.5 49.5 Phase III Low 1.5 73.7 High 1.3 88.1

(40) As seen from Table 3, the active baffles subject to the magnetic field induce up to an 88% reduction to the damping time of the free-slosh test case, and also provide a significant improvement over the floating baffles themselves. When the tests were run with the electromagnet hung inside the tank as shown in the second set up, the active baffles achieved a more organized pattern under influence of the magnetic field and further reduced the damping time.

(41) The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means plus function elements in any claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or acts for performing the function in combination with other claim elements as specifically claimed.

(42) Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many modifications to the exemplary embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition, it is possible to use some of the features of the embodiments disclosed without the corresponding use of the other features. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments is provided for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, and not in limitation thereof, since the scope of the invention is defined solely by the appended claims.