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A centrifugal pendulum absorber is a type of tuned mass damper. It reduces the amplitude of a torsional vibration in drive trains that use a combustion engine.
The centrifugal pendulum absorber was first patented in 1937 by R. Sarazin [1] and a different version by R. Chilton in 1938. [2] Generally, both Sarazin and Chilton are credited with the invention. Sarazin's work was used during World War II by Pratt & Whitney for aircraft engines with increased power output. The power increase caused an increase in torsional vibrations which threatened the durability. This resulted in the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine that used pendulum weights attached to the crank shaft.
The use of centrifugal pendulum absorbers in land vehicles did not start until later. Although internal combustion engines had always caused torsional vibrations in the drive train, the vibration amplitude was generally not high enough to affect durability or driver comfort. One application existed in tuned racing engines where torsional crank shaft vibrations could cause damage to the cam shaft or valves. In this application a centrifugal pendulum absorber is directly attached to the crank shaft. [3]
In 2010, centrifugal pendulum absorbers following the patents of Sarazin and Chilton were introduced in a BMW 320D. The reason for it was again the increase in torsional vibrations from higher power engines. [4] In this case, the 4-cylinder diesel engine BMW N47. Unlike the previous designs, the centrifugal pendulum absorber was not attached to the combustion engine but attached to a dual mass flywheel.
The function of a centrifugal pendulum absorber is as with any tuned mass absorbers based on an absorption principle rather than a damping principle. The distinction is significant since dampers reduce the vibration amplitude by converting the vibration energy into heat. Absorbers store the energy and return it to the vibration system at the appropriate time. [5] Centrifugal pendulum absorbers like tuned mass absorbers are not part of the force/torque flow.
The centrifugal pendulum absorber differs from the tuned mass absorber in the absorption range. It is effective for an entire order instead of a narrow frequency range.
Internal combustion engines follow a development trend towards a reduction in the number of cylinders, increased energy output per cylinder and driving at lower engine speeds. [6] This leads to an increased engine efficiency but causes the engine's torsional vibrations to increase. The vibrations lead to durability concerns as well as a comfort reduction for the passengers and have to be avoided through the use of harmonic dampers and absorbers. This situation moves the balance between the cost of the centrifugal pendulum absorber technology and the benefit for the drive train efficiency. The following cars use centrifugal pendulum absorbers
A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting rods.
A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders and cylinder blocks share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder piston engine whose cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
A centrifugal supercharger is a specialized type of supercharger that makes use of centrifugal force in order to increase the manifold air pressure, MAP. An increased MAP allows the engine to burn more fuel, which results in an increased power output. Centrifugal superchargers are generally attached to the front of the engine via a belt-drive or gear-drive from the engine's crankshaft.
A tuned mass damper (TMD), also known as a harmonic absorber or seismic damper, is a device mounted in structures to reduce mechanical vibrations, consisting of a mass mounted on one or more damped springs. Its oscillation frequency is tuned to be similar to the resonant frequency of the object it is mounted to, and reduces the object's maximum amplitude while weighing much less than it.
A connecting rod, also called a 'con rod', is the part of a piston engine which connects the piston to the crankshaft. Together with the crank, the connecting rod converts the reciprocating motion of the piston into the rotation of the crankshaft. The connecting rod is required to transmit the compressive and tensile forces from the piston. In its most common form, in an internal combustion engine, it allows pivoting on the piston end and rotation on the shaft end.
A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft, propeller shaft, or Cardan shaft is a component for transmitting mechanical power, torque, and rotation, usually used to connect other components of a drivetrain that cannot be connected directly because of distance or the need to allow for relative movement between them.
Balance shafts are used in piston engines to reduce vibration by cancelling out unbalanced dynamic forces. The counter balance shafts have eccentric weights and rotate in opposite direction to each other, which generates a net vertical force.
Torsional vibration is the angular vibration of an object - commonly a shaft - along its axis of rotation. Torsional vibration is often a concern in power transmission systems using rotating shafts or couplings, where it can cause failures if not controlled. A second effect of torsional vibrations applies to passenger cars. Torsional vibrations can lead to seat vibrations or noise at certain speeds. Both reduce the comfort.
Engine balance refers to how the inertial forces produced by moving parts in an internal combustion engine or steam engine are neutralised with counterweights and balance shafts, to prevent unpleasant and potentially damaging vibration. The strongest inertial forces occur at crankshaft speed and balance is mandatory, while forces at twice crankshaft speed can become significant in some cases.
The crossplane or cross-plane is a crankshaft design for piston engines with a 90° angle between the crank throws. The crossplane crankshaft is the most popular configuration used in V8 road cars.
Mechanical resonance is the tendency of a mechanical system to respond at greater amplitude when the frequency of its oscillations matches the system's natural frequency of vibration closer than it does other frequencies. It may cause violent swaying motions and potentially catastrophic failure in improperly constructed structures including bridges, buildings and airplanes. This is a phenomenon known as resonance disaster.
A swing-piston engine is a type of internal combustion engine in which the pistons move in a circular motion inside a ring-shaped "cylinder", moving closer and further from each other to provide compression and expansion. Generally two sets of pistons are used, geared to move in a fixed relationship as they rotate around the cylinder. In some versions the pistons oscillate around a fixed center, as opposed to rotating around the entire engine. The design has also been referred to as a oscillating piston engine, vibratory engine when the pistons oscillate instead of rotate, or toroidal engine based on the shape of the "cylinder".
Vibration isolation is the prevention of transmission of vibration from one component of a system to others parts of the same system, as in buildings or mechanical systems. Vibration is undesirable in many domains, primarily engineered systems and habitable spaces, and methods have been developed to prevent the transfer of vibration to such systems. Vibrations propagate via mechanical waves and certain mechanical linkages conduct vibrations more efficiently than others. Passive vibration isolation makes use of materials and mechanical linkages that absorb and damp these mechanical waves. Active vibration isolation involves sensors and actuators that produce disruptive interference that cancels-out incoming vibration.
A harmonic damper is a device fitted to the free end of the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine to counter torsional and resonance vibrations from the crankshaft. This device must be an interference fit to the crankshaft in order to operate in an effective manner. An interference fit ensures the device moves in perfect step with the crankshaft. It is essential on engines with long crankshafts and V8 engines with cross plane cranks, or V6 and straight-three engines with uneven firing order. Harmonics and torsional vibrations can greatly reduce crankshaft life, or cause instantaneous failure if the crankshaft runs at or through an amplified resonance. Dampers are designed with a specific weight (mass) and diameter, which are dependent on the damping material/method used, to reduce mechanical Q factor, or damp, crankshaft resonances.
On maritime vessels, noise and vibration are not the same but they have the same origin and come in many forms. The methods to handle the related problems are similar, to a certain level, where most shipboard noise problems are reduced by controlling vibration.
The Geislinger coupling is an all-metal coupling for rotating shafts. It is elastic in torsion, allowing it to absorb torsional vibration.
The Michel engine was an unusual form of opposed-piston engine. It was unique in that its cylinders, instead of being open-ended cylinders containing two pistons, were instead joined in a Y-shape and had three pistons working within them.
A dual-mass flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to provide continuous energy in systems where the energy source is not continuous, the same way as a conventional flywheel acts, but damping any violent variation of torque or revolutions that could cause an unwanted vibration. The vibration reduction is achieved by accumulating stored energy in the two flywheel half masses over a period of time but damped by arc springs, doing that at a rate that is compatible with the energy source, and then releasing that energy at a much higher rate over a relatively short time. A compact dual-mass flywheel often includes the whole clutch, including the pressure plate and the friction disc.
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