ACTIVE DAMPING DEVICE AND DESIGN METHOD

Abstract

A damping device and a design method provide an active damping for a device in which vibration is to be reduced. The damping device includes vibration detection means for detecting a vibration of the object; vibration generation means for generating a distortion on a portion of the object; control means for controlling the vibration generation means by a signal from the vibration detection means; and signal input and output means for transferring a signal with the control means. A driving force generation signal is received from outside through the signal input and output means, the driving force corresponding to the driving force generation signal is generated by the control means, the selected vibration generation means is driven by the driving force, and vibration state information obtained from the selected vibration detection means is output from the control means to the outside through the signal input and output means.

Claims

1. A damping device attached to a structure body of an object of which a vibration is to be reduced, the device comprising: vibration detection means for detecting a vibration of a portion of the object; vibration generation means for generating a distortion on a portion of the object; control means for generating a control signal determining driving force of the vibration generation means by a signal from the vibration detection means; and signal input and output means for performing transferring of a signal with the control means, wherein a driving force generation signal is received from outside through the signal input and output means, the driving force corresponding to the driving force generation signal is generated by the control means, the selected vibration generation means is driven by the driving force, and vibration state information obtained from the selected vibration detection means is output from the control means to the outside through the signal input and output means.

2. The damping device according to claim 1, further comprising: signal analyzing means which is provided ahead of the signal input and output means; and a display device which displays a calculation result by the signal analyzing means, wherein transfer characteristics from the driving force generation signal to the vibration state information are calculated based on the driving force generation signal and the vibration state information, and the result of the calculation is displayed on the display device.

3. A design method for a damping device attached to a structure body of an object of which a vibration is to be reduced, the damping device including a plurality of vibration detection means for detecting a vibration of a portion of the object, a plurality of vibration generation means for generating a distortion on a portion of the object, control means for generating a control signal determining driving force of the vibration generation means by a signal from the vibration detection means, signal input and output means for performing transferring of a signal with the control means, signal analyzing means which is provided ahead of the signal input and output means, and a display device which displays a calculation result by the signal analyzing means, the method comprising: measuring a driving force generation signal and vibration state information for each combination of the vibration detection means and the vibration generation means by switching the plurality of vibration detection means and the plurality of vibration generation means; displaying a list of result of transfer characteristics which are calculated by the signal analyzing means on the display device; and selecting a combination of the vibration detection means and the vibration generation means which is considered as the most appropriate combination among the combinations by an operator.

4. The design method for a damping device according to claim 3, wherein, for the selected combination of the vibration detection means and the vibration generation means, the operator is capable of changing a control parameter in the control means.

5. The design method for a damping device according to claim 3, wherein the transfer characteristics obtained by a plurality of combinations of the driving force generation signals and the vibration state information are displayed in a parallel manner together with a frequency axis on the display device.

6. The design method for a damping device according to claim 3, wherein the transfer characteristics obtained by a plurality of combinations of the driving force generation signal and the vibration state information are displayed in an overlapping manner on the display device.

7. The design method for a damping device according to claim 4, wherein the transfer characteristics obtained by a plurality of combinations of the driving force generation signals and the vibration state information are displayed in a parallel manner together with a frequency axis on the display device.

8. The design method for a damping device according to claim 4, wherein the transfer characteristics obtained by a plurality of combinations of the driving force generation signal and the vibration state information are displayed in an overlapping manner on the display device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating Example 1.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating an operation of Example 1.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of Example 1.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating Example 2.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a flow chart comparing a design method of Example 2 and the method of the related art with each other.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating a display example of Example 2.

[0024] FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating another display example of Example 2.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, in a description of an example, an object of which vibration is to be reduced is described as an information storage device using a RAID device for example.

EXAMPLE 1

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating Example 1. FIG. 1 is an example in which an active damping device 1 of the present invention is mounted on a storage device 2 as an object. Piezoelectric sensors 3a and 3b are attached to a structural plate 6 of a side surface of a housing of the storage device 2. In addition, plate-shaped piezoelectric actuators 4a, 4b and 4c are attached to another portion of the structural plate 6 and the piezoelectric sensors 3a and 3b and the piezoelectric actuators 4a, 4b and 4c are connected to a controller 5. How to reduce the vibration of the structural plate 6 of the storage device 2 will be described using FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a simplified view illustrating a case where the structural plate 6 is bent by vibration. The dotted line in the FIG. 2 represents an original shape of the storage device 2. A deformation illustrated by a solid line is generated by the vibration of the storage device 2, the structural plate 6 is bent, the piezoelectric sensors 3a and 3b are deformed as the deformation of the structural plate 6 and thus a voltage output 7 is output according to the amount of distortion. The voltage output is input to the controller 5. A feedback circuit illustrated in FIG. 3 is formed so that the voltage output 7 is zero in frequency as an object in the controller S. Therefore a control output 8 is transmitted to the piezoelectric actuators 4a to 4c. The piezoelectric actuators 4a, 4b and 4c generate distortion according to the control output 8 and deform so that vibration with respect to the structural plate is suppressed. Therefore the vibration generated to the structural plate 6 is reduced.

[0027] In this example, two sensors are used as the piezoelectric sensor 3a and 3b. When the vibration as an object increases, in other words, in a case where the number of the vibration mode which is to be dealt with increases in the storage device 2, a lot of vibration is capable of being detected by increasing the number of the piezoelectric sensors 3, which is preferable. This is because since a portion which is greatly vibrated is different according to the vibration mode, the vibration mode of which detection is difficult is present according to the position of the sensor, in a case where the vibration mode is detected by one sensor as in the related art. Furthermore, in a case where the storage device 2 has a substantially box type housing as the storage device 2 of this example, the vibration mode exhibits a complex aspect (FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified state for explanation). Accordingly, desirably, the piezoelectric sensors 3 are also attached to other components without limiting to the structural plate 6 as one component.

[0028] Similarly, also regarding to the piezoelectric actuators 4 having a role which causes the structural plate 6 to be deformed so that vibration is reduced, in order to obtain great driving force as the deformation is generated to the structural plate 6 with respect to the vibration mode as an object, it is desirable to use a plate-shaped piezoelectric element having larger area.

[0029] However, it is difficult to obtain a place to which the plate-shaped piezoelectric element having large area is attached. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the piezoelectric element having a large area increases from the difficulty of manufacture thereof. In the device of the present invention, the driving force which can efficiently reduce the vibration of an object is generated by using a plurality of plate-shaped piezoelectric actuators 4 of which the shape and the performance are aligned according the same standard, obtaining the driving force thereof as a whole and determining the number and the placement of the vibration generation means in advance according to the properties of the object.

[0030] Here, the piezoelectric element is used as the vibration detection means. However, other vibration generation means such as a sensor for detecting the acceleration or a sensor for detecting displacement or speed may be used. On the other hand, the piezoelectric actuator is used as the vibration generation means. However, vibration generation means of the type using inertial force such as by movement of a weight by the electromagnetic actuator may be used.

[0031] In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a signal input and output interface 9 connected to the controller 5 is capable of outputting a signal state signal 13 which is proportional to the voltage output 7 transmitted from the piezoelectric sensors 3a and 3b in the controller 5. In addition a driving force generation signal 14 input from outside is transmitted to the piezoelectric actuators 4a to 4c, in a superimposing state to the control input 8. According to the construction, since the sensors and the actuators included in the damping device 1 can be used, it is not necessary to newly prepare a sensor for measuring vibration or an actuator (a vibrator) for vibrating an object. It is possible to significantly reduce time which is required to solve the vibration problem since the vibrational state of the object can be immediately grasped in a case where the vibration problem has become emerged and data required for design and adjustment of the damping device can be collected. In the active damping device in the related art, in order to grasp a vibration state with respect to the device of the object (which frequency is a problem, or vibration amplitude of which portion is large) in a first place, time and facility margins were necessary since a vibrator and a measuring device are prepared, measurement is performed and then the design of the damping device is initiated based the results of the measurement.

[0032] In addition, by providing the signal input and output interface 9 with outside in the damping device 1, during the operation of the damping device 1, the signal input and output interface 9 may be used for monitoring of operation of the damping device 1. Since the damping device 1 maybe easily maintained after applying a change of the operation of the damping device or a significant change of the characteristic of the object, as well as at the time of design thereof, values of products including the service are increased.

[0033] According to the example, with respect to the active damping device of related art, the present invention can be simply designed without other equipment being required, since the time required for the design is reduced and the sensors and the actuators which are included in the damping device itself may be used. Compared to a Passive damping device which is widely used, it will become apparent with reference to the present example, the active damping device which is difficult to introduce in terms of cost and design man-hour, even though it has high damping performance, becomes widely applicable to various devices.

EXAMPLE 2

[0034] FIG. 4 is Example 2 of the present invention. The configuration of piezoelectric sensors 3a and 3b, piezoelectric actuators 4a to 4c, a controller 5 and a signal input and output interface 9 is the same as that of Example 1. As a preferable configuration at the time of design of a damping device 1 of the present example, an active damping design system 10 in which an analyzing device 11 and a display device 12 which displays an analyzing result of the analyzing device 11 are included ahead of the signal input and output interface 9 is illustrated.

[0035] The analyzing device 11 and the display device 12 install an interface for exchanging signals with the signal input and output interface 9 on the base as a general personal computer, and have a function of transmitting a vibration state signal 13 or a driving force generation signal 14 sent from the signal input and output interface 9 by software.

[0036] Further, on the software, the signal from any of the piezoelectric sensors 3a and 3b can be selected and the driving force signal sent to the piezoelectric actuators 4a to 4c can be also selected. By doing so, the driving force is generated in a certain actuator, and the vibration state generated on the object (the storage device 2) at this time can be measured by a certain censor. At this time, in the manner of the following formula (1), transfer characteristic of an object from the actuator to the sensor is calculated in the analyzing device 11.

(transfer characteristic of an object after Fourier trans form)=(vibration state information after Fourier transform) (driving force generation signal to an object after Fourier transform) (1)

[0037] The transfer characteristic indicates that how vibration amplitude and phase of the object change depending on the frequency. In general, the vibration of which the vibration amplitude is large (the vibration peak) is a problem. When mounting positions of the sensor and the actuator is different from each other, since which vibration mode is affected is different, the transfer characteristic is changed by the selected combination of the senor and the actuator.

[0038] In general, when the vibration problem is solved, the problematic frequency is determined. The problematic frequency is different according to the cases such as in a case where a frequency has an especially large vibration peak compared to other vibration peak or other important component has frequency which easily overreacts on the problematic frequency. Accordingly, a designer of the damping device performs design of the damping device by considering the transfer characteristic by paying attention to the problematic frequency. All or a portion of the combination of the plurality of sensors and actuators as described above in the present example are measured and the combination of which frequency peak is large is selected in the problematic frequency among the frequency, for example. In the combination of the sensor and the actuator of which vibration peak is maximum, when the damping device 1 is actually operated, since it means that the actuator and the sensor are installed in positions in that the driving force from the actuator is efficiently applied to the object or the vibration of the object can be effectively measured, it is possible to determine the positions as the mounting positions of the sensors and the actuators. Of course, properties in a case where a plurality of sensors (in this example, the piezoelectric sensors 3a and 3b) and a plurality of actuators (in this example, the piezoelectric actuators 4a to 4c) are driven can be considered.

[0039] In addition, as an example, the combination of which the vibration peak is large in the problematic frequency is selected. However, a case where the vibration peak is maximized may not necessarily selected according to intention of the designer. This is a case where the object itself is measured and then vibration reduction of the object is considered. However, in applying the same damping device 1 to other object of the same design, the case of the preferred selection as a whole, or the like corresponds to this.

[0040] In a case where the vibration problem of the object is generated, the design method of the active damping device of the related art and the design method of the active damping device of the present example are illustrated in FIG. 5. As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the design method of the active damping device of the related art, flow of grasp of the vibration characteristic of the object, modeling, selection or design of the sensor and the actuator, consideration of the installation positions of the sensor and the actuator, and the design of the control system is made, and in some cases, it takes time corresponding to the flow including the case to return to the previous process. On the other hand, the plurality of sensors 3a and 3b and the plurality of actuators 4a to 4c are temporarily installed, the plurality of sensors 3a and 3b and the plurality of actuators 4a to 4c are switched, the driving force generation signal and the vibration state information with respect to each combination of the sensor and the actuator are measured, and then the transfer characteristic is calculated from the formula (1) by the analyzing device 11. The vibration characteristic of the object can be grasped according to this, the list of the results of these is displayed on the display device 12, and a combination of the sensor and the actuator which is considered to be most appropriate is selected from among the list by the operator. At this time, it is more convenient that the adjustment of a control system is performed at the same time. Then, the sensor and the actuator are installed on the positions which are considered to be appropriate, where treatment such as an insulating treatment and protection process is performed, and thus the design of the active vibration damper is completed. Not only the design method of the present invention is simpler than the design method of the related art, but also a series of operations proceeds only at the active damping device design system 10, the present invention is not required for other equipment. In other words, when effort which is not illustrated in FIG. 5 that a piece of equipment such as other measuring equipment is prepared is considered, it is apparent that the design method of the present invention is useful in terms of the time. Accordingly, the man-hour and the cost required to the design may be significantly reduced.

[0041] A list of the transfer characteristics displayed on the display device 12 and an adjustment screen of the control system parameter are illustrated in FIG. 6 as an example. After the transfer characteristic from the actuator to the sensor is analyzed by the formula (1), the operator can grasp the overall vibration state by plurality of transfer characteristics 15 of each combination (for example, curves illustrated by A-a, A-b, and A-c in FIG. 6 are the transfer characteristics) displayed on the display device 12. At this time, when the plurality of transfer characteristics 15 are aligned on a frequency axis 17, for example, displayed in parallel as the A-a, A-b, and A-c in FIG. 6, the size of the vibration is easily grasped in each transfer characteristic 15 by the position of the problematic frequency being displayed with a highlighting 16 and thus the design is easy. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the problematic frequency among the overall frequencies is more easily grasped and the sizes of the vibrations in the problematic frequency are also more easily compared with each other by displaying the curves showing the transfer characteristic 15, for example the transfer characteristic displayed with A-a, A-b, and A-c in FIG. 7 in an overlapped manner with each other.

[0042] In FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, it is further preferable for design if an adjustment screen 18 of the control parameter is displayed such that a parameter of the controller 5 such as a gain of the controller and a value by which how may Hz around the object frequency is reduced can be adjusted after the target frequency and the transfer characteristic 15 to be focused on have become apparent.

[0043] The screens in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are examples, and in addition to the above, information displayed state, information required to the design of the control parameter, or the like can be displayed.

[0044] In the examples as described above, the design of the active damping device 1 which is easier and quicker than that in the related art is possible and the man-hour of the product development and adjustment can be reduced by quickly solving the vibration problem of the object.

[0045] The present invention is not limited to Examples 1 and 2 and various modification examples are included in the present invention. For example, Examples 1 and 2 described above are described for easily understanding and explaining in detail the present invention and the present invention is not limited as one necessarily including the all constructions described. In addition, it is possible to displace a portion of a certain example with construction of other example, and to add construction of other example to a portion of a certain example. In addition, with respect to a portion of construction of each example, it is possible to add, delete and replace other configuration.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0046] 1 active damping device

[0047] 2 storage device

[0048] 3 piezoelectric sensor

[0049] 4 plate-shaped piezoelectric actuator

[0050] 5 controller

[0051] 6 structural plate

[0052] 7 voltage output

[0053] 8 control signal

[0054] 9 signal input and output interface

[0055] 10 active damping device design system

[0056] 11 analyzing device

[0057] 12 display device

[0058] 13 vibration state signal

[0059] 14 driving force generation signal

[0060] 15 transfer characteristic

[0061] 16 highlighting

[0062] 17 frequency axis

[0063] 18 adjustment screen of control parameter