Method and apparatus for analyzing a drivetrain assembly
First Claim
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1. An assembly for analyzing an apparatus, said assembly comprising:
- a controller which is operable under stored program control and which selectively communicates a signal which is indicative of at least one pseudo-random wave form to a signal generator;
an excitor assembly which is coupled to said apparatus;
a signal generator which receives said signal from said controller and generates at least one pseudo-random wave form based upon said received controller signal, wherein said signal generator communicates said pseudo-random wave form to said excitor assembly;
a selectively programmable torque generator which selectively emits a signal having a constant frequency and amplitude, said signal representing a mode of operation, wherein said selectively programmable torque generator communicates said signal to said excitor assembly and in response to said communicated signal and said communicated pseudo-random wave form, said excitor assembly creates a vibration signal and applies said vibration signal to said apparatus; and
a plurality of sensors which sense at least one attribute of said applied vibration signal and communicate said at least one attribute to said controller, wherein said controller determines a first and a second error based upon said received at least one attribute, said controller creating at least one frequency response signal and a response curve which fits said at least one frequency response signal, said created curve being effective to identify at least one torsional mode of said apparatus, thereby analyzing said apparatus.
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus 10 for discerning the torsional mode response of a portion of a vehicle 12, such as but not limited to a drivetrain assembly, comprising a driveshaft 52, transmission assembly 50, and shaft 14, by the use of signals generated from a dynamometer 72 and pseudo-randomly varying signals which are specified by a pseudorandom waveform generator 94 and which are modified by a previously calculated error signal.
8 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An assembly for analyzing an apparatus, said assembly comprising:
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a controller which is operable under stored program control and which selectively communicates a signal which is indicative of at least one pseudo-random wave form to a signal generator;
an excitor assembly which is coupled to said apparatus;
a signal generator which receives said signal from said controller and generates at least one pseudo-random wave form based upon said received controller signal, wherein said signal generator communicates said pseudo-random wave form to said excitor assembly;
a selectively programmable torque generator which selectively emits a signal having a constant frequency and amplitude, said signal representing a mode of operation, wherein said selectively programmable torque generator communicates said signal to said excitor assembly and in response to said communicated signal and said communicated pseudo-random wave form, said excitor assembly creates a vibration signal and applies said vibration signal to said apparatus; and
a plurality of sensors which sense at least one attribute of said applied vibration signal and communicate said at least one attribute to said controller, wherein said controller determines a first and a second error based upon said received at least one attribute, said controller creating at least one frequency response signal and a response curve which fits said at least one frequency response signal, said created curve being effective to identify at least one torsional mode of said apparatus, thereby analyzing said apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An assembly for conducting a torsional mode analysis upon a portion of a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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a generator assembly which selectively and pseudo-randomly generates a first and a second signal;
an excitor assembly which is coupled to said portion of said vehicle, which receives said first signal and, based upon said received first signal, said excitor generates a third signal, said excitor assembly communicating said third signal to said portion of said vehicle to vibrate said portion of said vehicle, wherein said excitor assembly further creates an error measurement based upon said first and said third signals, said excitor assembly further receiving said second signal, comparing said second signal to said error measurement to produce a fourth signal, and communicating said fourth signal to said portion of said vehicle to vibrate said portion of said vehicle; and
a torsional mode analysis apparatus which is coupled to said portion of said vehicle and which creates a frequency response signal and a response curve which fits said at least one frequency response signal, said created curve being effective to identify at least one torsional mode of said portion of said vehicle as said portion of said vehicle is vibrated by said third and fourth signals. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining behavior of a portion of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating a first signal;
generating a second signal based upon said first signal;
vibrating a portion of a vehicle with said second signal;
measuring an attribute of said portion of said vehicle as said portion of said vehicle is vibrated by said second signal;
creating an error value by comparing said first and second signals;
generating a third signal based upon said error value;
generating a fourth signal based upon said third signal;
vibrating said portion of said vehicle with said fourth signal;
measuring said attribute of said portion of said vehicle as said portion of said vehicle is vibrated by said fourth signal; and
creating a frequency response signal and a response curve which fits said at least one frequency response signal, said created curve being effective to identify at least one torsional mode of said portion of said vehicle as said portion of said vehicle is vibrated by said fourth signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification