Trajectory Control for Vibrating Screen with Magnetorheological Dampers

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Control Systems Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Vibrating screens are crucial in material processing, but trajectory control is challenging.
• Existing methods often require complex mechanical setups.
• Magnetorheological (MR) dampers offer adaptable damping properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for controlling vibrating screen trajectories using MR dampers.
• To convert a circular vibration trajectory to a linear one using semi-active suspension control.
• To investigate the effectiveness of MR dampers in emulating virtual exciters for trajectory modification.

Main Methods:

• Derivation of a dynamic screen model and parameter estimation from experimental data.
• Implementation of MR dampers modeled using the Bouc-Wen model, identified via harmonic excitation tests.
• Development of a control algorithm where MR damper forces emulate a virtual exciter.
• Simulation and experimental validation of trajectory conversion from circular to linear.

Main Results:

• Successful conversion of a circular vibration trajectory to a near-linear one using MR dampers.
• Validation of the control algorithm's ability to emulate a virtual exciter.
• Demonstration that the effectiveness of linear trajectory generation depends on its orientation.
• Confirmation of MR damper constraints through simulation by limiting control force within the dissipative domain.

Conclusions:

• The proposed semi-active control method effectively achieves linear trajectories with a single exciter.
• MR dampers offer a viable solution for advanced trajectory control in vibrating screens.
• Findings suggest potential for designing new vibrating screen constructions with improved disturbance attenuation.