US 12,270,449 B2
Automatically tunable mass damper
Charles Erklin Seeley, Niskayuna, NY (US); and Eladio Clemente Delgado, Burnt Hills, NY (US)
Assigned to GE Infrastructure Technology LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/685,495.
Prior Publication US 2023/0279917 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16F 7/10 (2006.01); F16F 7/104 (2006.01); H02K 7/02 (2006.01); H02K 7/116 (2006.01); F03D 7/02 (2006.01)
CPC F16F 7/1005 (2013.01) [F16F 7/104 (2013.01); H02K 7/02 (2013.01); H02K 7/116 (2013.01); F03D 7/0296 (2013.01); F05D 2260/96 (2013.01); F16F 2222/08 (2013.01); F16F 2232/08 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mass damper for reducing vibrations in a structure or machine, comprising:
a frame;
a base configured to be stationarily mounted onto the structure or machine, the frame movable linearly along a surface of the base in a longitudinal direction of the base;
a track gear disposed longitudinally on the surface of the base;
a flywheel in geared engagement with the track gear so as to be rotationally driven as the frame moves linearly along the track in the longitudinal direction of the base;
a rotation damper mounted on the frame, the rotation damper in geared engagement with the flywheel, the rotation damper producing a counter-torque against rotation of the flywheel, the counter-torque being proportional to a rotational velocity of the flywheel; and
the rotation damper comprising an electrical characteristic that is automatically changeable to adjust the counter-torque and tune the vibration mass damper.