Patent ID: 6053269
Filing Date: 2000-04-25
Classification: B60G

Abstract:
A vibration mitigation assembly for mitigating vibration of a bridge as a vehicle travels across the bridge, the assembly comprising:a plurality of adjustable actuator assemblies mountable to the vehicle, each actuator assembly comprising:a cylinder having a first end and a second end, the second end of the cylinder adapted to be connected to a portion of the vehicle;a piston slidably disposed in the cylinder, the piston defining a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber in the cylinder with each of the first and second fluid chambers having a fluid disposed therein;a piston rod having one end connected to the piston and another end extending from the first end of the cylinder and adapted to be connected to another portion of the vehicle; anda valve interconnecting the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber so as to provide fluid flow between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber and so as to regulate the flow of the fluid between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber;vehicle sensor means for measuring the vibration of the vehicle and for generating a data signal representing the vibration of the vehicle;piston sensor means for measuring the movement of each piston relative to its corresponding cylinder and for generating a data signal representing the movement of each piston relative to the cylinder;pressure sensor means for measuring the pressure in the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber of each cylinder and for generating a data signal representing the pressure differential between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber of each cylinder; andvehicle control means for generating a control signal in response to the data signals received by the vehicle control means from the vehicle sensor means, the piston sensor means, and the pressure sensor means, and for outputting the control signal to the valve means to regulate the flow of the fluid between the first and second fluid chambers of the cylinders such that the amount of vibration energy dissipated by the vibration mitigation assembly is selectively varied whereby both a stiffness of the adjustable actuator assemblies and the amount of damping are continuously adjusted to prevent resonant coupling between the vehicle and the bridge.