VIBRATIONAL FLUID MOVER ACTIVE CONTROLLER

• US 20150337828A1
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Refai-Ahmed, Gamal, Vogel, John Anthony, Giovanniello, Christian M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,951,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/04 Pumps having electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/14 having plate-like flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/047 Pumps having electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/10 having plate-like flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04F 7/00 Pumps displacing fluids by using inertia thereof, e.g. by generating vibrations therein
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A vibrational fluid mover includes a housing having at least one actuator element positioned thereon that vibrates responsive to a wave shape voltage applied thereto, such that a volume of a chamber in the housing increases and decreases to entrain and eject fluid into/out from the chamber. A control system is operably connected to the actuator element to cause the voltage to be provided thereto so as to actively control the movement of the actuator element. The control system is programmed to set a baseline value for an operational parameter of the vibrational fluid mover generated responsive to a target voltage and frequency being provided, monitor operation of the vibrational fluid mover during operation at the target voltage and frequency, identify a deviation of the operational parameter from the baseline value, and modify the voltage and frequency provided to the actuator element based on any deviation of the operational parameter.

Claims

1. A vibrational fluid mover comprising:

a housing defining a chamber, the housing having at least one orifice formed therein;

at least one actuator element positioned on the housing that moves in a time harmonic fashion responsive to a form of wave shape voltage applied thereto, such that a volume of the chamber increases and decreases to entrain fluid into the chamber and eject a jet of fluid out from the at least one orifice; and

a control system operably connected to the at least one actuator element to cause the form of wave shape voltage to be provided thereto so as to actively control the time harmonic movement of the at least one actuator element, wherein the control system is programmed to;

set a baseline value for an operational parameter of the vibrational fluid mover generated responsive to a target voltage and frequency being provided to the at least one actuator element;

monitor operation of the vibrational fluid mover during continued operation thereof at the target voltage and frequency;

identify a deviation of the operational parameter from the baseline value during the continued operation thereof at the target voltage and frequency; and

modify the voltage and frequency provided to the at least one actuator element based on the identified deviation of the operational parameter from the baseline value.

2. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 1 further comprising a sensing circuit configured to:

measure the operational parameter of the vibrational fluid mover generated responsive to the target voltage and frequency being provided to the at least one actuator element and

provide feedback on a measured value of the operational parameter to the control system, so as to provide for the monitoring of the vibrational fluid mover.

3. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 2 wherein the operational parameter comprises a current generated by the vibration of the at least one actuator element.

4. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 3 wherein, in identifying the deviation of the operational parameter from the baseline value, the control system is further programmed to:

determine a value of the current measured by the sensing circuit;

compare the value of the measured current by the sensing circuit to a current threshold; and

modify the voltage and frequency provided to the at least one actuator element based on the comparison of the measured current to the current threshold.

5. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 4 wherein the control system is further programmed to generate a failure flag if the measured current is less than the current threshold, the failure flag providing for initiation of a controlled shut down of the vibrational fluid mover.

6. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 4 wherein the control system is further programmed to initiate a throttled-down operating mode for the vibrational fluid mover if the measured current is greater than the current threshold, the throttled-down operating mode altering a value of the voltage provided to the at least one actuator element.

7. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 6 wherein the control system is further programmed to alter the value of the voltage provided to the at least one actuator element so as to operate the at least one actuator element within an operating box defined by maximum acceptable power and differential voltage levels.

8. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 2 wherein the control system is further programmed to set the baseline value of the operational parameter based on measurements thereof received from the sensing circuit during operation of the vibrational fluid mover at its beginning of life.

9. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 2 wherein, in modifying the voltage and frequency provided to the at least one actuator element, the control system is further programmed to identify an optimum voltage and frequency to provide to the at least one actuator element to achieve a desired flow rate and acoustic noise level by the vibrational fluid mover.

10. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 9 wherein the optimum voltage and frequency is selected from a supplied data set for the desired flow rate.

11. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 10 wherein the supplied data set comprises a flow rate curve.

12. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 1 wherein the operational parameter comprises a temperature of a heat generating component being cooled by the vibrational fluid mover.

13. A control system for providing active control of a synthetic jet actuator, the control system comprising a processor programmed to:

receive an initial feedback from a sensing circuit comprising measurements of one or more operational parameters of a synthetic jet actuator, the measurements of the one or more operational parameters resulting from operation of the synthetic jet actuator at a target voltage and frequency, the initial feedback being received during a beginning of life of the synthetic jet actuator;

set a baseline value for each of the one or more operational parameters based on the received initial feedback;

receive additional feedback from the sensing circuit comprising measurements of the one or more operational parameters of the synthetic jet actuator, the additional feedback on the one or more operational parameters resulting from operation of the synthetic jet actuator at the target voltage and frequency; and

cause the synthetic jet actuator to be operated at an updated voltage and frequency based on a comparison of the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the additional feedback and the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the initial feedback.

14. The control system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further programmed to identify a degraded operating performance of the synthetic jet actuator based on the comparison of the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the additional feedback and the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the initial feedback, with the processor being programmed to identify a deviation of the one or more operational parameters from the baseline value from the additional feedback.

15. The control system of claim 14 wherein the one or more operational parameters comprises a current generated by vibration of the synthetic jet actuator, with the processor being programmed to identify a deviation of the current from a baseline current value;

and

wherein the processor is further programmed to;

compare the measured current from the additional feedback to a failure current threshold;

initiate a controlled shut down of the synthetic jet actuator if the measured current is less than the failure current threshold; and

initiate a throttled-down operating mode for the synthetic jet actuator if the measured current is greater than the current threshold, the throttled-down operating mode altering at least one of a voltage or frequency provided to the at least one actuator element so as to operate the synthetic jet actuator within an operating box defined by maximum acceptable power and voltage levels.

16. The control system of claim 13 wherein, in causing the synthetic jet actuator to be operated at an updated voltage and frequency, the processor is further programmed to identify an optimum voltage and frequency to provide to the at least one actuator element to achieve at least one of a desired flow rate and an acoustic noise level by the synthetic jet actuator.

17. The control system of claim 16 wherein the processor is further programmed to select the optimum voltage and frequency from a supplied data set for the desired flow rat, such as a point on a flow rate curve.

18. The control system of claim 13 wherein the at least one operational parameter comprises a temperature of a heat generated component being cooled by the vibrational fluid mover.

19. A method for controlling operation of a synthetic jet actuator, the method comprising:

receiving an initial feedback from a sensing circuit comprising measurements of one or more operational parameters of a synthetic jet actuator, the measurements of the one or more operational parameters resulting from operation of the synthetic jet actuator at a target voltage and frequency, the initial feedback being received during a beginning of life of the synthetic jet actuator;

setting a baseline value for each of the one or more operational parameters based on the received initial feedback;

receiving additional feedback from the sensing circuit comprising measurements of the one or more operational parameters of the synthetic jet actuator, the additional feedback on the one or more operational parameters resulting from operation of the synthetic jet actuator at the target voltage and frequency;

setting an operational box within which to operate the synthetic jet actuator based on a comparison of the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the additional feedback and the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the initial feedback, the operational box being defined by maximum acceptable power and voltage levels at which to operate the synthetic jet actuator; and

determining an optimum voltage and frequency at which to operate the synthetic jet actuator that falls within the operational box.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the one or more operational parameters comprises a current of the synthetic jet acutator, and wherein the method further comprises:

operating the synthetic jet acutator at the same target voltage and frequency if a measured current from the additional feedback is equal to a baseline current value; and

operating the synthetic jet acutator at a modified voltage and frequency if the measured current from the additional feedback deviates from the baseline current value;

wherein operating the synthetic jet acutator at a modified voltage and frequency comprises;

comparing the measured current from the additional feedback to a failure current threshold;

initiating a controlled shut down of the synthetic jet actuator if the measured current is less than the failure current threshold; and

initiating a throttled-down operating mode for the synthetic jet actuator if the measured current is greater than the current threshold, the throttled-down operating mode altering the voltage or so as to operate the synthetic jet actuator within the operating box.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein determining an optimum voltage and frequency at which to operate the synthetic jet actuator comprises selecting an optimum voltage and frequency from a supplied data set for a desired flow rate, such as a point on a flow rate curve.