Apparatus and method to attenuate vibration and acoustic noise

• US 8,474,572 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: de Lima, Washington
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin, Edgardo
• Application Number:
  US13/218,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20130048415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 181/207, 181/208, 181/290, 181/284
• US Class Current: 181/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3854 means for active and/or passive vibration damping or acoustical noise suppression in gradient magnet coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches

Abstract

An apparatus and method to attenuate vibration and acoustic noise are provided. One apparatus includes a first layer formed from a non-metal material having a predetermined level of resistance to deformation to define a frequency response based on a vibrating frequency. The non-metal material has a profile defined by at least one sinusoid. The apparatus also includes a second layer defining an absorption layer coupled to the first layer. The second layer adds a body of mass adjacent the first layer.

Claims

1. A vibration and sound attenuator comprising:

a plurality of first layers formed from a non-metal material having a predetermined level of resistance to deformation to define a frequency response based on a vibrating frequency, the non-metal material having a profile defined by at least one sinusoid, wherein the plurality of first layers are configured in a stacked arrangement, and at least two of the plurality of first layers are tuned differently to define different frequency responses; and

a second layer defining an absorption layer coupled to at least one of the first layers, the second layer adding a body of mass adjacent the first layer.

2. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first layers comprises a plurality of adjacent and parallel aligned cylindrical rods.

3. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 2, wherein the cylindrical rods are formed from an elastomer.

4. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, wherein the second layer is coupled to a top of at least one of the plurality of first layers and a bottom of one of the plurality of first layers is coupled to a structure that experiences vibration.

5. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, further comprising a damping layer, wherein one of the, plurality of first layers is positioned between the second layer and the damping layer.

6. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, further comprising a damping layer positioned between one of the plurality of first layers and the second layer.

7. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, wherein the frequency response is based on a vibrating frequency of at least one of a radio-frequency (RF) coil or a gradient coil of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system.

8. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, further comprising a damping layer formed from a viscoelastic material providing vibration absorption.

9. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first layers is formed from a material having a body defined by a profile following a single sinusoidal path.

10. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first layers comprises a stiffness layer.

11. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second layers, wherein the plurality of first lavers and the plurality of second layers are in an alternating arrangement.

12. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of damping layers.

21. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of second layers, wherein at least one of (i) the plurality of first layers or (ii) the plurality of second layers is in an adjacent arrangement having multiple first layers adjacent each other or multiple second layers adjacent each other.

22. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of first layers comprises an electromechanical device.

13. A vibration and sound attenuator comprising:

a plurality of stiffness layers formed from a non-metal material having a surface following a sinusoidal path, wherein the plurality of stiffness layers are configured in a stacked arrangement and at least two of the plurality of stiffness layers are tuned differently to define different frequency responses;

an absorption layer coupled to at least one of the plurality of stiffness layers, the absorption layer adding a body of mass adjacent the stiffness layer for absorbing vibrations; and

a damping layer coupled to at least one of the stiffness layer or the absorption layer to further absorb the vibrations.

14. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 13, wherein the plurality of stiffness layers is formed from a non-metal and the absorption layer is formed from a metal.

15. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 13, wherein the plurality of stiffness layers comprises a plurality of adjacent and parallel aligned cylindrical rods.

16. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 13, wherein the absorption layer is coupled to a top of at least one of the plurality of stiffness layers and a bottom of one of the plurality of stiffness layers is coupled to a structure that creating the vibrations.

17. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of stiffness layers is positioned between the absorption layer and the damping layer.

18. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 13, wherein the damping layer is positioned between one of the plurality of stiffness layers and the absorption layer.

19. The vibration and sound attenuator of claim 13, wherein the plurality of stiffness layers is formed from a non-metal material having a predetermined level of resistance to deformation to define the frequency responses based on a vibrating frequency, wherein the frequency responses are based on a vibrating frequency of at least one of a radio-frequency (RF) coil or a gradient coil of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system.

20. A method for attenuating vibration and sound, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of stiffness layers formed from a non-metal material having a surface following a sinusoidal path, wherein the plurality of stiffness layers are configured in a stacked arrangement and at least two of the plurality of stiffness layers are tuned differently to define different frequency responses;

providing an absorption layer and coupling the absorption layer to at least one of the plurality of stiffness layers, the absorption layer adding a body of mass adjacent the stiffness layer for absorbing vibrations; and

providing a damping layer and coupling the damping layer to at least one of the plurality of stiffness layers or the absorption layer to further absorb the vibrations.