Wheel Resonators Research Articles

Effect of Shock Absorber Friction on Vehicle Vertical Dynamics

<div>In order to efficiently predict and investigate a vehicle’s vertical dynamics, it is necessary to consider the suspension component properties holistically. Although the effects of suspension stiffness and damping characteristics on vertical dynamics are widely understood, the impact of suspension friction in various driving scenarios has rarely been studied in both simulation and road tests for several decades.</div> <div>The present study addresses this issue by performing driving tests using a special device that allows a modification of the shock absorber or damper friction, and thus the suspension friction to be modified independently of other suspension parameters. Initially, its correct functioning is verified on a shock absorber test rig. A calibration and application routine is established in order to assign definite additional friction forces at high reproducibility levels.</div> <div>The device is equipped in a medium-class passenger vehicle, which is driven on various irregular road sections as well as over single obstacles. For all tested road sections, a linear decrease of ride comfort in terms of specific relevant vertical objective values is found by increasing the friction force. This emphasizes a definite link between suspension friction and vertical vehicle body vibration, resulting in a negative impact on vertical ride comfort. However, the longitudinal vehicle body vibration is not significantly affected.</div> <div>The relevance of friction in terms of transmitting the energy associated with road unevenness to the chassis in the frequency range of the chassis’ natural frequency is found to be remarkably high on smooth roads, and still considerably high on bumpy roads. The chassis and wheel resonance frequencies are significantly friction-dependent due to the damper’s slip or stick states. The results obtained from smooth road tests demonstrate the practical relevance of accurately considering friction for the given suspension type in terms of vertical ride comfort prediction.</div>

Vibration Control of Car Body and Wheel Motions for In-Wheel Motor Vehicles Using Road Type Classification

In-wheel motor vehicles are gaining attention as a new type of electric vehicle due to their efficient power units located inside each wheel hub. However, they are more susceptible to wheel resonance due to the increase in unsprung mass caused by the weight of the motor. This can result in both decreased ride comfort and driving stability. To resolve this issue, in this study, we aim to apply an optimal switching controller with a semi-active actuator—a magnetorheological (MR) damper. For the implementation of the optimal switching controller, road type classification is also carried out. An acceleration sensor is used for the road type classification, and the control logics include a ride comfort controller (the linear quadratic regulator (LQR_Paved Road)) and a wheel motion controller (LQR_Off Road) for improved driving stability. For paved roads, the LQR_Paved Road control input is applied to the MR damper. However, if a road type prone to wheel resonance is detected, the control logic switches to the LQR_Off Road. During the transition, a weighted average of both the LQR_Paved Road and LQR_Off Road control input is applied to the actuator. Computer simulations are performed to evaluate the vibration control performance, including the ride comfort and driving stability on various road profiles.

Evaluation of a wheel-based seismic acquisition system for a planetary rover

Prior to using in-situ planetary resources, efficient mapping of geochemical and physical characteristics of the near surface will be required. As part of an integrated geophysical instrument suite on exploration and prospecting vehicles, we investigated the suitability of seismic piezo-sensors rigidly mounted on the interior of a generic rover wheel. Factors that can compromise proper data acquisition for this system include the natural mechanical resonance of the wheel and wheel-to-ground coupling. We characterized the natural resonance frequency bands of a generic wheel with an electromagnetic shaker. We also collected seismic shot gathers for subsequent seismic surface-wave analysis using a wheel in both a dry, laboratory sand tank (1.8 × 1.8 × 0.6 m) and in frozen loess soils within the United States Army Corps of Engineers Permafrost Tunnel in Alaska. For our wheel, self-weighted coupling to the ground was found to be adequate, although suitable wheelbase dimensions can constrain field acquisition geometries. In unconsolidated sediments, represented by medium sand (0.25–0.5 mm), wheel resonance of 1 kHz does not affect the fundamental mode used in shear-wave-velocity-to-depth inversion. When analyzed, shot-gather data collected from both wheel-mounted sensors and sand-planted sensors, in loose dry sand, effectively captured similar fundamental surface-wave modes. This is evident in frequency-versus-phase velocity dispersion images. Because narrow frequency bands of wheel resonance exhibit a high signal-to-noise ratio, they also readily detect lateral attenuation changes. Thus, wheel resonance can also be used to capture soil attenuation changes, including those produced when pore H2O ice acts to cement the regolith or loose-grained soils.

Design and Modeling of Viscoelastic Layers for Locomotive Wheel Damping

Rail–wheel interaction is one of the most significant and studied aspects of rail vehicle dynamics. The vibrations caused by rail–wheel interaction can become critical when the radial, lateral and longitudinal loads of the vehicle, cargo and passengers are experienced while the vehicle is in motion along winding railroad paths. This mainly causes an excessive production of vibrations that may lead to discomfort for the passengers and shortening of the life span of the vehicle’s body parts. The use of harmonic response analysis (HRA) shows that the wheel experiences high vibrational amplitudes from both radial and lateral excitation. The present study describes a numerical and experimental design procedure that allows mitigation of the locomotive wheel resonance during radial and lateral excitations through viscoelastic layers. It is proven that these high frequencies can be reduced through the proper design of damping layer mechanisms. In particular, three parametric viscoelastic damping layer arrangements were analyzed (on the web of both wheel sides, under the rim of both wheel sides and on the web and under the rim of both wheel sides). The results demonstrate that the correct design and dimensions of these viscoelastic damping layers reduce the high-amplitude resonance peaks of the wheel successfully during both radial and lateral excitation.

Influence Mechanism of Electromechanical Parameters on Transient Dynamics of FWD-EVs: Part I: Co-Modeling of IWM and Vehicle System

In-wheel motor (IWM), as an ideal power source of independent four-wheel drive electric vehicles, has been paid more and more attention due to its high-power density, low starting current, wide speed adjustment range, simple control system and robustness. However, the electromechanical issue is enlarged in both longitudinal and vertical because of in-wheel driven scheme. In this paper, the electromagnetic multi-field characteristic of IWM is investigated based on Fourier series method. The negative vibration coupling on vehicle dynamics is discussed by proposing a conjoint electromechanical FWD-EV model. Results shows that the motor incentive coupled with the vehicle system in multi-degree of freedom, caused the body and wheel resonance in the low speed, meanwhile deteriorated the anti-rollover capability of the IWM-EV in the high speed.

Reduction in High-Frequency Wheel Noise/Vibration of Railway Vehicles Using Piezoelectric Shunt

We propose the application of a resonant shunt to wheels to reduce the high-frequency wheel noise generated by railway vehicles. High-frequency wheel noise is caused by the resonance of wheels owing to contact between rails and wheels. A resonant shunt is applied at specific frequencies to reduce wheel resonance. In this work, the high-frequency noise generated by a wheel moving on a curved railway track was analyzed and compared with the dynamic characteristics of the wheel. Further, to reproduce the high-frequency noise of the wheel, an external electric signal was input to a piezoelectric patch connected to the wheel to generate noise and vibration at the natural frequency of the wheel. The optimum mounting position of the piezoelectric patch was determined by numerically analyzing the strain energy of the wheel. Piezoelectric patches were connected to their respective resonant shunts to form a vibration reduction array. A synthetic inductor was tuned to effectively reduce the high-frequency vibration and noise of the wheel generated at its natural frequency. In the wheel excited at its natural frequency, vibration and noise were reduced by approximately 4–10 dB and 8–12 dB(A), respectively. In the wheels that were simultaneously excited at two natural frequencies, vibration and noise were reduced by 5 dB and 5 dB(A), respectively. The results showed that the resonant shunt could effectively reduce the noise and vibration generated by the wheel. Therefore, the resonant shunt is an effective circuit system for reducing noise and vibration even in large structures.

Acoustic Characteristics Prediction and Optimization of Wheel Resonators with Arbitrary Section

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Tire cavity noise of pure electric vehicles is particularly prominent due to the absence of engine noise, which are usually eliminated by adding Helmholtz resonators with arbitrary transversal section to the wheel rims. This paper provides theoretical basis for accurately predicting and effectively improving acoustic performance of wheel resonators. A hybrid finite element method is developed to extract the transversal wavenumbers and eigenvectors, and the mode-matching scheme is employed to determine the transmission loss of the Helmholtz resonator. Based on the accuracy validation of this method, the matching design of the wheel resonators and the optimization method of tire cavity noise are studied. The identification method of the tire cavity resonance frequency is developed through the acoustic modal test. A scientific transmission loss target curve and fitness function are defined according to the noise characteristics. Combing the transmission loss prediction theory and particle swarm algorithm, the structural parameters of the wheel resonator are optimized. A remarkable attenuation of tire cavity resonance can be observed through test results.</div></div>

Broad band metamaterial absorber based on wheel resonators with lumped elements for microwave energy harvesting

A new metamaterial absorber structure is designed and characterized both numerically and experimentally for microwave energy harvesting applications. The proposed structure includes four wheel resonators with different dimensions, from which the overall response of the structure can then be obtained by summing all the overlapping frequency responses corresponding to each dimension. The essential operation frequency range of the wheels is selected in such a way that the energy used in wireless communications and found within the environment that we live is absorbed. The dimensions are obtained using parametric study and genetic algorithm to realize wideband absorption response. When the simulation and measurement results are taken into account, it is observed that the metamaterial absorber based harvester has potential to absorb and convert microwave energy with an absorption ratio lying within the range of 80 and 99% for the frequency band of 3–5.9 and 7.3–8 GHz. The conversion efficiency of the structure as a harvester is found to be greater than 0.8 in the interval of 2–5 GHz. Furthermore, the incident angle and polarization dependence of the wheel resonator based metamaterial absorber and harvester is also investigated and it is observed that the structure has both polarization and incident angle independent frequency response with good absorption characteristics in the entire working frequency band. Hence, the suggested design having good absorption, polarization and angle independent characteristics with wide bandwidth is a potential candidate for future energy harvester using wireless communication frequency band.

Nonlinear Dynamic of Curved Railway Tracks in Three-Dimensional Space

On curved tracks, high-pitch noise pollution can often be a considerable concern of rail asset owners, commuters, and people living or working along the rail corridor. Inevitably, wheel/rail interface can cause a traveling source of sound and vibration, which spread over a long distance of rail network. The sound and vibration can be in various forms and spectra. The undesirable sound and vibration on curves is often called ‘noise,’ includes flanging and squealing noises. This paper focuses on the squeal noise phenomena on curved tracks located in urban environments. It highlights the effect of curve radii on lateral track dynamics. It is important to note that rail freight curve noises, especially for curve squeals, can be observed almost everywhere and every type of track structures. The most pressing noise appears at sharper curved tracks where excessive lateral wheel/rail dynamics resonate with falling friction states, generating a tonal noise problem, so-call ‘squeal’. Many researchers have carried out measurements and simulations to understand the actual root causes of the squeal noise. Most researchers believe that wheel resonance over falling friction is the main cause, whilst a few others think that dynamic mode coupling of wheel and rail may also cause the squeal. Therefore, this paper is devoted to systems thinking the approach and dynamic assessment in resolving railway curve noise problems. The simulations of railway tracks with different curve radii will be carried out to develop state-of-the-art understanding into lateral track dynamics, including rail dynamics, cant dynamics, gauge dynamics and overall track responses.

Analytical investigation of the SAFE diagram for bladed wheels, numerical and experimental validation

Compressor and turbine bladed wheels interact with the fluid distributed by the stator vanes. They are subject to vibration and fatigue loading, especially when resonance conditions are excited. Avoiding resonance is fundamental when designing bladed wheels. The Campbell diagram approach is too conservative since bladed wheels show many close frequency natural modes, thus it is almost impossible to avoid frequency matching. Singh׳s Advanced Frequency Evaluation (SAFE) diagram, or interference diagram, also introduces shape matching in addition to the frequency, for resonance prediction, therefore many frequency matching cases can be identified as non-critical and thus tolerated. The present paper explains and demonstrates the SAFE diagram by introducing an analytical expression to identify bladed wheel resonance conditions. The mode shape matching with a harmonic component is investigated by means of specific examples. Symmetry properties of the matching distribution of harmonic indices and mode shapes are also introduced and demonstrated. Finally, a bladed wheel analysis is used for validation, both in FE simulations and experiments.

Optomechanical transductions in single and coupled wheel resonators

In this report, the optomechanical transductions in both single and two side-coupled wheel resonators are investigated. In the single resonator, the optomechanical transduction sensitivity is determined by the optical and mechanical quality factors of the resonator. In the coupled resonators, the optomechanical transduction is related to the energy distribution in the two resonators, which is strongly dependent on the input detuning. Compared to a single resonator, the coupled resonators can still provide very sensitive optomechanical transduction even if the optical and mechanical quality factors of one resonator are degraded.

Cavity piezooptomechanics: Piezoelectrically excited, optically transduced optomechanical resonators

We present a monolithic integrated aluminum nitride (AlN) optomechanical resonator in which the mechanical motion is actuated by piezoelectric force and the displacement is transduced by a high-Q optical cavity. The AlN optomechanical resonator is excited from a radio-frequency electrode via a small air gap to eliminate resonator-to-electrode loss. We observe the electrically excited mechanical motion at 47.3 MHz, 1.04 GHz, and 3.12 GHz, corresponding to the 1st, 2nd, and 4th radial-contour mode of the wheel resonator, respectively. An equivalent circuit model is developed to describe the observed Fano-like resonance spectrum.

GHz optomechanical resonators with high mechanical Q factor in air

We demonstrate wheel-shaped silicon optomechanical resonators for resonant operation in ambient air. The high finesse of optical whispering gallery modes (loaded optical Q factor above 500,000) allows for efficient transduction of the wheel resonator's mechanical radial contour modes of frequency up to 1.35 GHz with high mechanical Q factor around 4,000 in air.

A dynamic feedforward control approach for a semi-active damper based on a new hysteresis model

AbstractIn this paper a dynamic feedforward control approach for a continuously variable hydraulic semi-active damper of a vehicle suspension is presented. It takes into account dynamic effects in the damper force generation by employing a new hysteresis model. The hysteresis model describes the damper behavior considerably better than static characteristics do. The latter resemble the state of the art for the calculation of the control inputs of semi-active dampers in order to track reference forces from higher level suspension controllers. The low complexity of the hysteresis model enables its real time capability and thus the applicability of the damper control approach. The performance of the concept is validated in experiments on a quarter-car test rig by comparing the dynamic control approach with the static characteristic based control using a skyhook controller and a linear optimal regulator. The new dynamic feedforward controller especially improves ride safety by enabling better force tracking in the range of the wheel resonance frequency.

Vibrational resonances of nonrigid vehicles: Polygonization and ripple patterns

The well-known phenomenon of ripples on roads has its modern counterpart in ripple patterns on railroads and polygonization of wheels on state-of-the-art lightrail streetcars. Here we study an idealized mechanical suspension model for the vibrational frequency response of a buggy with a nonrigid body (typically, an aluminium chassis and coach). The finite flexural rigidity of the body is an important novel feature. Since the essential physics is described by only one extra material parameter ( viz. the stiffness coefficient), the model retains its basic simplicity and can still be analysed exactly. The dynamics (i.e., the Lagrangian equations of motion) are solved in the frequency domain. The motion on a distorted surface is treated as a nonholonomic constraint. Thus we analytically calculate spectra, e.g., the wheel spectrum. This reveals a new, significant wheel resonance (typically near 30–35 Hz), which is confirmed by means of a novel analysis of the wheel’s lift force (taking care of traction forces). At moderate city speeds this resonance agrees with recently observed characteristic ripple patterns on lightrail tracks, with wavelengths of approximately 10–20 cm (amplitudes of the order of a millimeter), and correspondingly polygonized wheels.

Wheel-rail Noise Generation, Part V: Inclusion Of Wheel Rotation

Previous models of wheel-rail noise generation have all been based on the dynamical behaviour of stationary wheels and rails. In this paper the effects of wheel rotation have been included into the theory of wheel rail noise generation. The relevant equations are derived on the assumption that the surface roughness provides a random displacement input to the system. The inclusion of the rotation into the interaction model gives an improved representation of the wheel web response, containing no anti-resonance dips. The major peaks in this motion, the most important acoustically, appear as single peaks close to wheel resonance frequencies, and these are significantly closer to the corresponding resonance frequencies than was the case for the model based on a non-rotating wheel. Viewed from the excitation point, the resonance peaks each split into two, which correspond to two contra-rotating waves. The predictions indicate that the resulting wheel vibration should contain no distinct node lines located either in the wheel or in space, a feature which is confirmed in practice. The predictions of the lateral response of the wheel tyre are improved compared to those for the non-rotating case.

Measurement and analysis of a microwave oscillator stabilized by a sapphire dielectric ring resonator for ultra-low noise

Phase-noise measurements are presented for a microwave oscillator whose frequency is stabilized by a whispering gallery mode sapphire ring resonator with Q of 2x10(5). The nature of the mode, which involves little metallic conduction, allows nearly full use of the very low dielectric loss in sapphire. Several mode families have been identified with good agreement with calculated frequency predictions. Waveguide coupling parameters have been characterized for the principal (lowest frequency) mode family, for n=5 to n =10 full waves around the perimeter. For a 5-cm wheel resonator in a 7.6-cm container, Q-values of above 10(5) were found at room temperature for all of the modes in this sequence. Coupling Q-values for the same modes ranged from 10(4) (n =5) to 10(5) (n=10) for a WR112 waveguide port at the center of the cylinder wall of the containing can. Phase noise measurements for a transistor oscillator locked to the n=10 (7.84-GHz) mode showed a 1/f(3) dependence for low offset frequencies, and a value of L(f)=-55 dB/Hz at an offset of 10 Hz from the carrier. The oscillator shows phase noise below the previously reported for any X-band source.