Project description
Quieter home appliances and electric cars
Studies show a direct negative impact of high-level noise on stress hormone levels or even our cardiovascular health. The reduction of noise (thus also vibrations, which comprise its main cause) in a machine’s elements is crucial for potential users. Reducing vibrations is currently achieved by modal testing of the machines’ dynamic properties with the use of accurate broadband excitation. But exciters in use cannot be applied for moving parts. The EU-funded ProExcer project aims to experiment with the prototype application of an innovative ball shooter that will be tested to be accurately tuneable to excite spindles of machining centres by ball impacts. Positive results will be welcomed from manufacturers of home appliances or electric/self-driving cars.
Objective
Noise is not just a nuisance; it affects our health. No accepted financial data exist for the treatment costs of noise-related health problems, but several studies prove its direct relation to stress hormone levels or cardiovascular deceases, and many public organizations promote low-noise environment to protect health and comfort. Noise reduction has become major field of manufacturers’ competition: noise level data appear on domestic machines from mixers to dishwashers, brand names with ‘whisper’ or ‘silence’ are popular, aircrafts are successful due to their low noise levels. The efficient way to reduce noise is the elimination of its source that is usually vibration of some machine elements. Vibration elimination is relevant in the development of electric and self-driving cars where control panels and MEMS devices are sensitive for high-frequency excitations in the same way as high-performance machine tools are with aims at (sub)micron cutting precision.
Methods of vibration reduction are based on the so-called modal testing that identifies the machines’ dynamic properties like natural frequencies. The test requires accurate broadband excitation. Commercial exciters have several drawbacks; one of these is the limited applicability for moving targets, rotating shafts. In the ERC Advanced Grant “SIREN”, a patent application was submitted and the pre-prototype of a ball shooter was constructed to excite spindles of machining centres by ball impacts. Experiments with the pre-prototype proved that the contact time is one order of magnitude shorter than that of standard impulse tests, while the force signal is near ideal: prall-free impulses with 30 kHz bandwidth were generated. Potential industrial end-users and distributors expressed interest in case a prototype is developed with accurately tuneable impact time/location together with precise online detection of impact direction for moving objects. These tasks form the work packages and deliverables of the proposal.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringautomotive engineeringautonomous vehicles
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraft
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringsubtractive manufacturing
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotHost institution
1111 Budapest
Hungary