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D3 Balance Detection Machine

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D3 Balance Detection Machine

 

Description

 The D3 Balance Detection Machine design has evolved into the form shown in Figure below.  It remains largely the same as the original D3 Balance Detection Machine concept, however, several modifications have been made in its development.  80/20 extruded stock is used throughout the assembly as a framing system, with components bolting onto the frame using L-brackets (not pictured).  The machine may be bolted down to a table for stability while in use.

 

Figure – Balance Detection Machine, pictured with 1.2m long shaft segment

 

Regarding the left side of the machine (see Figure below), the mounting block provides support for sensor positioning and bearing housing.  The rotary sensor (an optical encoder) provides data for rpm.  The accelerometer (not shown, mounting hole shown on top surface of plate) detects radial acceleration, which will be used to derive radial displacement, of the shaft under rotation.  Both sensors are bolted to brackets connected to the mounting block.

 

Figure – Left side of the D3 Balance Detection Machine

 

The center of the mounting block has a bushing to allow for the ball bearing to fit inside it (see Figure below).  The flange and bearing (parts (a) and (h) from Figure of the side view of ceramic shaft ) will remain connected to the ceramic shaft and used to mount the segment on the machine.  For shorter length shafts, the motor and bearing-plate subassembly may be translated down and marked on the base frame for consistent repositioning in the future.  The left side of the machine will remain fixed, making calibrations for both configurations easier.

 

Figure  – See-through view of left side of Balance Detection Machine

 

Regarding the right side of the machine (see Figure below), the bearing-plate houses the open-race bearing and provides a mounting surface for the accelerometer.  The open-race bearing is press-fit in the plate, and the sensor is screwed into the top surface of the plate.  A split-collar is positioned over the shaft, slid into the bearing, and is used as a pulley, ultimately connecting to the motor.  The motor itself will be regulated by a motor controller, which has a live readout on the Lab View program developed by the Romanian team.

 

figure – Right side of Balance Detection Machine

 

The split collar (which also acts as a pulley) connects to the motor by a pulley system (shown in Figure below).  Pulleys are mounted on the motor drive-shaft and the ceramic shaft, transmitting power from the motor to rotate the shaft segment. 

 

Figure – Right side of Balance Detection Machine showing pulley system

  

Components

 The following is a description of the reasoning used to select components used in the Balance Detection Machine.  The Romanian team is exploring sensor selection at time of writing, hence only descriptions of required specifications are included here.

 

Mechanical

Coupling

 The split collar is one of the most sophisticated mechanical components of the whole assembly. It is specifically designed for this application. The inner surface matches the cross-section of the shaft. The outer surface is designed to have a slip fit with the bearing. The split collar is also machined to act as the pulley that connects the shaft to the motor. Once attached on the shaft the two halves are bolted together. The inner surface is also machined to go around and not touch the inner components of the shaft.

 

 

 Figure - Split Collar

Bearing

The bearing is an open ball bearing designed for high speed applications. It has an 85 mm outer diameter and it fits 45 mm diameter shafts. The bearing can handle up to 8800 Maximum RPM. As shown in the picture the bearing was press-fit into the bearing plate.

 

Figure - Bearing Plate

 

Pulleys and Drive Belt

Pulleys

The pulley that is mounted on the Motor shaft is a standard V-belt drive Pulley purchased through McMaster-Carr, with a 10.16 cm outer diameter. The other pulley is enclosed in the split collar and it has a 6.0 cm outer diameter. The diameters of both pulleys were specifically designed to be different so the motor vibrations can distinguished from the mass imbalances of the shaft when doing the FFT.

Drive Belt

The belt is made out of thermo-plastic and it can be welded together for the desired length. It is 0.95 cm in diameter and 65.56 cm long. 

 

Figure - Pulleys and drive belt

Machine Frame

The supporting frame is relatively simple. It consists of 80/20 railings cut to precision and Aluminum plates that the shaft and electric motor rest on (see picture). The frame is assembled together with L and T brackets. Since most of the material is Aluminum the frame is light which allows for extra mobility, but it will need to be bolted down to a much heavier platform so no extra vibration is induced.

 

Electronics

Motor

The motor is very robust, total power being rated up to 1 Hp. At full load it draws up to 41 Amps of DC current and a potential of 24 Volts. However it will never reach these specs because it is limited by the power supply (see below). One of the advantages of this motor is the weight, being the heaviest component of the whole assembly, which helps with damping the system. Also very little vibration comes from the motor, even when operated at high frequencies. But to minimize the motor vibration even more a damping material is places in between the motor and motor plate. One little disadvantage is that it is a little noisy when operated at low frequencies.

 

Figure – One horsepower motor

 

Motor Controller

The motor controller was bought as a kit and put together by soldering all the components to the PC board. Originally the controller was rated 12-32 Volts DC at 5 Amps, but some modifications were made by adding 16 Gauge wire through to the mosfets channels (see picture). With this modification the controller can handle motors rated up to 47 Amps. Motor speed control is done by manually rotating the potentiometer. Also a nice feature although not required about this controller is that it allows bi-directional rotation.

 

Figure – Motor controller configuration

 

Motor Power Supply

The motor power supply was bought directly from Radioshack store. It outputs up to 15 Amps at 13.8 Volts DC. The nice feature about this Power Supply is that it plugs directly into the wall outlet, eliminating the need of a battery source. Also the On/Off switch can be used as an emergency power cutoff.

 

Figure – AC/DC Power supply

 

 *The following electronic equipment was borrowed from Dr. Patrick Hollis for running the experiment. Once shipped to CERN, similar Equipment will be purchased for the machine.

Accelerometers

The accelerometers are Bruel & Kjaer brand, type 4381. It is a high sensitivity piezoelectronic charge accelerometer (98 pC/g) that can be used for low frequency measurements. It is being powered be the Sensor power Supply that connects through the Charge Amplifier.

Figure - Accelerometer

Tachometer

The Photoelectric Tachometer is Bruel & Kjaer brand as well, Probe MM-0012. It can be powered up by simply connecting it to a 9 Volts battery. The BNT cable that connects to the tachometer was modified so it can be connected to the battery and the DAQ. The tachometer emits a infrared light that is reflected back by a reflective strip attached on the shaft. Also the distance between the tachometer and reflective strip was minimized to about 4 mm for better feedback.

Figure - Tachometer

 

Sensor Amplifiers

The Sensor Amplifier is also Bruel & Kjaer brand, model 2651. It enables a charge amplification of up to 10x. That way the sensitivity of the accelerometer can be increased up to 980 pC/g. It also connects the accelerometers to the DAQ and Sensor Power Supply.

 

Sensor Power Supply

The sensor power supply powers up the accelerometer and Charge amplifier, by simply plugging it into the wall. It caries a Bruel & Kjaer name brand as well.

 

Figure – Power supply and Charged Amplifier

 

Data Acquisition Board

The Data Acquisition Board (DAQ) transmits the accelerometer signal to the computer where it can be further analyzed. It is Computing Measurements brand model USB-1208FS. It connects to computer through USB cable and has an up to 12 bit resolution.  The scan rate is 50,000 scans/second.

 

Machine Frame

 

80/20 manufactures industrial erector sets, t-slot extruded stock that may be used for quick assembly of machinery.  The stock is made from 6105-T5 Aluminum, and is readily available through industrial suppliers such as McMaster-Carr or Reid Supply.  A whole line of accessories are sold for the stock as well, including T-nuts and L-brackets, necessary for bolting frame pieces together.  At $3.35 per ft from McMaster-Carr, it is ideally suited for this application.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

Copyright 2007 CERN Team USA Group 13 Inc. All rights reserved.