WO2013158073A1

WO2013158073A1 - Integrated actuator for elevator vibration control

Info

Publication number: WO2013158073A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/033865
Authority: WO
Inventors: Arthur Blanc; David R. Polak; Kenji Homma
Original assignee: Otis Elevator Company
Priority date: 2012-04-17
Filing date: 2012-04-17
Publication date: 2013-10-24

Abstract

An integrated actuator for damping vibration in a structural member includes an enclosure; a sensor generating a sensor signal in response to vibration in the elevator structural member; a controller in the enclosure, the controller receiving the sensor signal and generating a control signal; and a force actuator in the enclosure, the force actuator generating a force in response to the control signal to reduce the vibration in the structural member.

Description

INTEGRATED ACTUATOR FOR ELEVATOR VIBRATION CONTROL

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to elevator systems. More specifically, the subject disclosure relates to an integrated actuator for providing elevator vibration control.

[0002] Elevator systems typically include elements to reduce vibration throughout the elevator system. Conventional passive acoustic treatments (e.g., weights, dampers) used to reduce noise inside an elevator car or a drive enclosure can be bulky, heavy, and of limited efficiency at low frequencies. In addition, with lighter weight cars and faster car speeds, passive acoustic treatments may not be effective enough and too expensive to attain the desired ride quality as strong vibrations and transient aerodynamic loads excite the structure. Improvements in ride quality would be well received in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0003] According to one aspect of the invention, an integrated actuator for damping vibration in an elevator structural member includes an enclosure; a sensor generating a sensor signal in response to vibration in the elevator structural member; a controller in the enclosure, the controller receiving the sensor signal and generating a control signal; and a force actuator in the enclosure, the force actuator generating a force in response to the control signal to reduce the vibration in the elevator structural member.

[0004] Another aspect of the invention is an elevator system including an elevator car coupled to a belt; a drive machine for imparting motion to the elevator car through the belt; an integrated actuator for damping vibration in a structural member of one of the elevator car and the drive machine, the integrated actuator comprising: an enclosure; a sensor generating a sensor signal in response to vibration in the elevator structural member a controller in the enclosure, the controller receiving the sensor signal and generating a control signal; and a force actuator in the enclosure, the force actuator generating a force in response to the control signal to reduce the vibration in the elevator structural member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1A is a schematic of an exemplary elevator system having a 1:1 roping arrangement; [0006] FIG. IB is a schematic of another exemplary elevator system having a different roping arrangement;

[0007] FIG. 1C is a schematic of another exemplary elevator system having a cantilevered arrangement;

[0008] FIG. 2 depicts an integrated actuator mounted to a structural member of an elevator car; and

[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective, cross-sectional view of an exemplary integrated actuator.

[0010] The detailed description explains the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of examples with reference to the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Shown in FIGS. 1A, IB and 1C are schematics of exemplary traction elevator systems 10. Features of the elevator system 10 that are not required for an understanding of the present invention (such as the guide rails, safeties, etc.) are not discussed herein. The elevator system 10 includes an elevator car 12 operatively suspended or supported in a hoistway 14 with one or more belts 16. The one or more belts 16 interact with one or more sheaves 18 to be routed around various components of the elevator system 10. The one or more belts 16 could also be connected to a counterweight 22, which is used to help balance the elevator system 10 and reduce the difference in belt tension on both sides of the traction sheave during operation.

[0012] The sheaves 18 each have a diameter 20, which may be the same or different than the diameters of the other sheaves 18 in the elevator system 10. At least one of the sheaves 18 could be a drive sheave. A drive sheave is driven by a machine 50. Movement of the drive sheave by the machine 50 drives, moves and/or propels (through traction) the one or more belts 16 that are routed around the drive sheave.

[0013] At least one of the sheaves 18 could be a diverter, deflector or idler sheave.

Diverter, deflector or idler sheaves are not driven by a machine 50, but help guide the one or more belts 16 around the various components of the elevator system 10.

[0014] In some embodiments, the elevator system 10 could use two or more belts 16 for suspending and/or driving the elevator car 12. In addition, the elevator system 10 could have various configurations such that both sides of the one or more belts 16 engage the one or more sheaves 18 (such as shown in the exemplary elevator systems in FIGS. 1A, IB or 1C) or only one side of the one or more belts 16 engages the one or more sheaves 18. [0015] FIG 1A provides a 1:1 roping arrangement in which the one or more belts 16 terminate at the car 12 and counterweight 22. FIGS. IB and 1C provide different roping arrangements. Specifically, FIGS. IB and 1C show that the car 12 and/or the counterweight 22 can have one or more sheaves 18 thereon engaging the one or more belts 16 and the one or more belts 16 can terminate elsewhere, typically at a structure within the hoistway 14 (for a machine room-less elevator system) or within the machine room (for elevator systems utilizing a machine room). The number of sheaves 18 used in the arrangement determines the specific roping ratio (e.g., the 2:1 roping ratio shown in FIGS. IB and 1C or a different ratio). FIG 1C also provides a cantilevered type elevator. The present invention could be used on elevator systems other than the exemplary types shown in FIGS. 1A, IB and 1C.

[0016] FIG. 2 depicts an integrated actuator 32 mounted to a structural member 30 of elevator car 12. The embodiment of FIG. 2 corresponds to the under slung arrangement shown in FIG. IB, where sheave 18 is located under car 12. Integrated actuator 32 is positioned to reduce vibration caused by sheave 18. As described further herein, the integrated actuator 32 may be mounted in a variety of locations in the elevator system.

[0017] Integrated actuator 32 provides active noise control by sensing vibration in a structure (e.g., part of car 12 or machine 50) and generating a force to counteract the vibration in the structure. FIG. 3 is a perspective, cross-sectional view of an exemplary integrated actuator 32. Integrated actuator 32 includes a mounting plate 34 which is used to secure the integrated actuator 32 to a structure. Mounting plate 34 may be secured to a structural member 30 through existing devices such as fasteners, adhesives, etc. The integrated actuator 32 may be mounted to any surface in the elevator system to reduce vibration, including elevator car 12, the elevator machine 50, etc. The sensor

[0018] A sensor 38 is positioned in a recess of mounting plate 34. Sensor 38 detects vibration in the structural member and provides a sensor signal indicative of the vibration. In exemplary embodiments, sensor 38 is an accelerometer, but may be implemented with other vibration sensing technologies.

[0019] An enclosure 36 is secured to the mounting plate 34 and contains a force actuator 40 and a controller 44 mounted to a printed circuit board 42. Mounting plate 34 seals an open end of the enclosure 36. Force actuator 40 may be implemented using a variety of devices such as an inertial mass actuator, shaker actuator, hydraulic actuator, piezoelectric actuator, etc. Controller 44 may be a general-purpose microprocessor executing computer program code to implement the functions described herein. Alternatively, controller 44 may be a implemented in hardware (e.g., an ASIC) or a combination of hardware/software. A power source for the sensor 38, force actuator 40 and controller 44 may be provided through a battery 46 on printed circuit board 42 or an external power source coupled to the integrated actuator 32 via wires.

[0020] The outer edge of mounting plate 34 surrounds the sensor 38 and force actuator 40. In other words, the mounting plate 34, enclosure 36, sensor 38 and force actuator 40 are arranged along a common axis. This arrangement aids sensing and reducing vibration due to the close proximately of the components. Sensor 38, force actuator 40, controller 44 and power source 46 are all located within the interior of the housing 36 and mounting plate 38, if employed.

[0021] In alternate embodiments, mounting plate 34 is not used and enclosure 36 is mounted directly to the structural member 30. Sensor 38 may also be positioned on circuit board 42 or on the interior of enclosure 36, rather than in a recess of the mounting plate 34. The integrated actuator 32 is depicted as cylindrical in shape, other forms may be selected based on the application. An elevator system is shown by way of illustrating an application of the integrated actuator 32. The integrated actuator 32 may be applied to any structure to dampen vibration.

[0022] In operation, controller 44 receives the sensor signal from sensor 38. The sensor signal is indicative of vibrations being experienced at the structural member upon which the integrated actuator 32 is mounted. Controller 44 generates a control signal to drive the force actuator 40 with a frequency and amplitude to reduce or dampen the vibration in the structural member. The control signal may be derived by a variety of techniques including feedback control and feed-forward control. Controller 44 may filter the sensor signal to isolate known frequency bands of vibration in the elevator system, and generate the control signal in response to the presence of known vibrational frequencies. The motion of the force actuator 40 in response to the control signal generates a counteracting force in the structural member to reduce vibration in the structural member.

[0023] Integrated actuator 32 provides active noise control by damping the vibrations of the principal structure -borne noise sources in the elevator car, or other structures such as a power electronic drive enclosure. The integrated actuator is integrated in a housing 36, containing all parts within one body. Thus, the integrated actuator requires minimal installation time in the field (e.g., primarily attaching the integrated actuator onto a structure). In addition, the integrated actuator is low-cost, due to advances in sensor technologies and mass-produced actuators. In a tested feedback- velocity configuration, the integrated actuator was stable, and was shown to attenuate broadband vibrations by more than 5dB, and single resonances by more than lOdB. Moreover, the integrated actuator is lightweight, and does not require significant electrical power (~2 to 10W depending on the application). The integrated actuator can be applied to multiple noise and vibration problems.

[0024] While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An integrated actuator for damping vibration in a structural member, the integrated actuator comprising:

an enclosure;

a sensor generating a sensor signal in response to vibration in the elevator structural member;

a controller in the enclosure, the controller receiving the sensor signal and generating a control signal; and

a force actuator in the enclosure, the force actuator generating a force in response to the control signal to reduce the vibration in the elevator structural member.

2. The integrated actuator of claim 1 further comprising:

a mounting plate sealing an open end of the enclosure, the mounting plate for contact with the structural member.

3. The integrated actuator of claim 2 wherein:

the sensor is mounted in a recess formed in the mounting plate.

4. The integrated actuator of claim 1 wherein:

the sensor is an accelerometer.

5. The integrated actuator of claim 1 wherein:

the force actuator is one of an inertial mass actuator, a shaker actuator, a hydraulic actuator and a piezoelectric actuator.

6. The integrated actuator of claim 1 further comprising:

one of a battery in the enclosure and an external power source, powering the controller and force actuator.

7. The integrated actuator of claim 1 further comprising:

a printed circuit board in the enclosure, the controller mounted on the printed circuit board.

8. The integrated actuator of claim 1 wherein: the controller includes a filter for filtering the sensor signal to isolate known frequency bands of vibration in the structural member.

9. The integrated actuator of claim 1 wherein:

the controller generates the control signal using one of feedback control and feedforward control.

10. The integrated actuator of claim 1 wherein:

the enclosure, the sensor and the force actuator are arranged along a common axis.

11. An elevator system comprising:

an elevator car coupled to a belt;

a drive machine for imparting motion to the elevator car through the belt;

an integrated actuator for damping vibration in a structural member of one of the elevator car and the drive machine, the integrated actuator comprising:

an enclosure;

a force actuator in the enclosure, the force actuator generating a force in response to the control signal to reduce the vibration in the elevator

structural member.

12. The elevator system of claim 11 further comprising:

13. The elevator system of claim 12 wherein:

the sensor is mounted in a recess formed in the mounting plate.

14. The elevator system of claim 11 wherein:

the sensor is an accelerometer.

15. The elevator system of claim 11 wherein:

16. The elevator system of claim 11 further comprising:

one of a battery in the enclosure and a power source from the elevator system, powering the controller and force actuator.

17. The elevator system of claim 11 further comprising:

18. The elevator system of claim 11 wherein:

the controller includes a filter for filtering the sensor signal to isolate known frequency bands of vibration in the elevator structural member.

19. The elevator system of claim 11 wherein:

20. The elevator system of claim 11 wherein: