The present disclosure relates to noise control in vehicle exhaust systems. Active exhaust noise cancellation systems and methods are provided to control exhaust noise produced by a vehicle engine.
Vehicle engines cause pulsating, high-volume noise which is most noticeably emitted through an exhaust pipe. Such noise is transmitted through the exhaust pipe as a pressure wave. The exhaust noise varies in amplitude and frequency based on the operating characteristics of the vehicle engine. It is possible to actively counteract such exhaust noise with active exhaust noise cancellation systems and methods.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one example of the present disclosure, a controlled noise source for attachment to an exhaust pipe of a vehicle engine is provided. The noise source comprises an axially compliant member that couples to the exhaust pipe such that an enclosed internal volume of the axially compliant member is in fluid communication with the interior of the exhaust pipe. A dynamic driver is coupled to the axially compliant member. The dynamic driver oscillates the axially compliant member so as to vary the internal volume of the axially compliant member and thereby introduce controlled pressure waves to the interior of the exhaust pipe that counteract a sound produced by the engine.
In another example of the present disclosure, a system for active cancellation of noise in an exhaust pipe coupled to a vehicle engine is provided. The system comprises an axially compliant member having a first end coupled to the exhaust pipe at a first location. A dynamic driver is coupled to an opposite, second end of the axially compliant member. A controller actuates the dynamic driver to oscillate the axially compliant member so as to introduce controlled pressure waves to an interior of the exhaust pipe that counteract a sound produced by the engine. An error sensor senses residual pressure waves at a second location along the exhaust pipe. The controller receives from the error sensor an error signal related to the residual pressure waves and controls the dynamic driver to adjust a characteristic of the controlled pressure waves so as to minimize the error signal.
In another example of the present disclosure, a method for actively cancelling noise in an exhaust pipe coupled to a vehicle engine is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a first input related to a sound produced by the engine, and actuating a dynamic driver based on the first input. The method further comprises oscillating an axially compliant member with the dynamic driver so as to vary an internal volume of the axially compliant member and thereby introduce controlled pressure waves to an interior of the exhaust pipe that counteract the sound produced by the engine. The method further comprises receiving a second input related to a residual sound not counteracted by the controlled pressure waves, and adjusting a characteristic of a manner in which the dynamic driver oscillates the axially compliant member so as to minimize the residual sound.
Examples of systems and methods for active exhaust noise cancellation are described with reference to the following Figures. The same numbers are used throughout the Figures to reference like features and like components.
In the present description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed.
The ANC controller 22 receives a signal X(n) from the reference sensor 16 related to the sound S produced by the engine 10. The ANC controller 22 outputs a control signal Y(n) related to an amplitude, frequency, and timing (phase) of controlled pressure waves C that are to be introduced to the interior 24 of the exhaust pipe 12 via the controlled noise source 20. The sound S produced by the engine 10 is counteracted by the controlled pressure waves C produced by the controlled noise source 20 according to known noise cancellation principles. For example, if the controlled pressure waves C produced by the controlled noise source 20 have the same amplitude and frequency as the sound S produced by the engine 10, but are 180 degrees apart in phase, any residual pressure waves R will be equal to zero. However, due to the varying amplitude and frequency of the sound S produced by the engine 10, the residual pressure waves R will in most cases not have an amplitude of zero. Therefore, the error sensor 18 provides an error signal E(n) related to the residual pressure waves R as an input to the ANC controller 22.
The ANC controller 22 accepts both the reference signal X(n) and the error signal E(n) as inputs and produces the control signal Y(n) as an output. The ANC controller 22 performs an algorithm, more fully described herein below, to adjust the control signal Y(n) so as to minimize the error signal E(n). In other words, the ANC controller 22 seeks to output a control signal Y(n) that will result in controlled pressure waves C that more effectively cancel the sound S and thereby minimize the amplitude of the residual pressure waves R.
The control signal Y(n) provided to the controlled noise source 20 is also branched off from the adaptive digital filter 26 and routed through a digital filter 28 along an error path. Meanwhile, an input D(n) related to the residual pressure waves R is sent from the error sensor 18 through an anti-aliasing filter 21 and an analog-to-digital converter 23. The electrical signal D(n) is summed with the filtered control signal from the digital filter 28 to produce the error signal E(n). The error signal E(n) is run through an adaptive algorithm 29 and then provided to the adaptive digital filter 26, which adjusts its representation of the primary path if the error signal E(n) is anything other than zero. In other words, the adaptive digital filter 26 adjusts the control signal Y(n) in an attempt to better approximate the amplitude and frequency of the sound S produced by the engine 10 such that the controlled pressure waves C produced by the controlled noise source 20 more effectively cancel noise in the exhaust pipe 12.
By using an adaptive digital filter 26, rather than a traditional digital filter, to produce the control signal Y(n), the ANC controller 22 is able to better reduce the error signal E(n). The filter coefficients of the adaptive digital filter 26 change over time based on the error signal E(n). In other words, an adaptive algorithm carried out by the adaptive digital filter 26 adjusts the coefficients of the adaptive digital filter 26 iteratively to minimize the power of E(n).
The present inventors have recognized that locating a controlled noise source 20 in proximity to an exhaust pipe 12 requires that the controlled noise source 20 be able to withstand very high temperatures and corrosion inherent in an exhaust system environment. Specifically, the present inventors have recognized difficulties with providing durable hardware capable of withstanding such temperatures and such a corrosive environment. In order to solve this problem, the present inventors have developed the controlled noise source 20 of
The axially compliant member 30 is coupled to the exhaust pipe 12 such that an enclosed internal volume (not shown) of the axially compliant member 30 is in fluid communication with the interior 24 of the exhaust pipe 12. In the example shown, a first end 32 of the axially compliant member 30 is coupled to the exhaust pipe 12 via a conical fitting 34. The conical fitting 34, for example, has a larger diameter where it connects to the first end 32 of the axially compliant member 30 and tapers to a smaller diameter where it couples to a cylindrical fitting 36 that is more suited to the size of the exhaust pipe 12. The first end 32 of the axially compliant member 30 can be connected to the conical fitting 34 with a v-band 38. The conical fitting 34 can be connected to the cylindrical fitting 36 with a smaller v-band 40. In an alternative embodiment, the first end 32 of the axially compliant member 30 is connected to the conical fitting 34 via welding or any other type of fluid-tight connection. The conical fitting 34 can also be connected to the cylindrical fitting 36 by welding or by any other type of fluid-tight connection. The axially compliant member 30 is ultimately coupled to the exhaust pipe 12 at a first location 42 along the exhaust pipe 12. In the example shown, the first end 32 of the axially compliant member 30 is coupled to the exhaust pipe 12 such that the axially compliant member 30 is perpendicular to the exhaust pipe 12.
The controlled noise source 20 further comprises dynamic driver 44 coupled to the axially compliant member 30. In the example of
The dynamic driver 44 is coupled to a second end 46 of the axially compliant member 30. In the example shown, a rigid membrane 48 is coupled to the second end 46 of the axially compliant member 30. The rigid membrane 48 acts as an end cap to the axially compliant member and is coupled between the dynamic driver 44 and the second end 46 of the axially compliant member 30. The rigid membrane 48 is light weight, and in one example comprises 1.0 millimeter thick steel. The example shown further includes a rod 50 that connects the dynamic driver 44 to the rigid membrane 48. In the example where the dynamic driver is an electrodynamic shaker, the rod 50 connects an internal armature (not shown) of the electrodynamic shaker to the rigid membrane 48. The rigid membrane 48 may be connected to the axially compliant member 30 via a fluid-tight connector, such as a v-band 52. However, any other fluid-tight connection, such as a weld, could be used.
The dynamic driver 44 oscillates the axially compliant member 30 so as to vary the internal volume of the axially compliant member 30 and thereby introduce controlled pressure waves C to the interior 24 of the exhaust pipe 12 that counteract the sound S produced by the engine 10. Because the internal armature of the dynamic driver 44 is connected to the rigid membrane 48, as the dynamic driver 44 is actuated, the rod 50 moves in an oscillatory manner toward and away from the stationary exhaust pipe 12, causing the rigid membrane 48 to oscillate towards and away from the stationary exhaust pipe 12. As the rigid membrane 48 oscillates, it pushes and pulls on the axially compliant member 30. In the example shown, because the axially compliant member 30 is a bellows, it can be moved in such an oscillatory manner due to ribbing 54 provided in its walls. As the axially compliant member 30 oscillates, its internal volume expands and contracts. As the internal volume of the axially compliant member 30 varies, air is forced into and out of the axially compliant member 30. Because the connection, such as the v-band connection 52, between the rigid membrane 48 and the second end 46 of the axially compliant member 30 is a fluid-tight connection, air can only exit the first end 32 of the axially compliant member 30. The air therefore travels through the conical fitting 34 and the cylindrical fitting 36 and into the exhaust pipe 12 at the first location 42. The air enters the exhaust pipe 12 in the form of controlled pressure waves C that correspond to the oscillatory motions of the axially compliant member 30. This connection provides efficient transfer of energy into the exhaust flow as well as broadband performance.
The radial stiffness of the axially compliant member 30 also provides the axially compliant member 30 with the ability to withstand the driving force of the dynamic driver 44. As described above, the internal armature of the dynamic driver 44 pushes and pulls on the second end 46 of the axially compliant member 30 via the rod 50. In order to do so, the dynamic driver 44 should be stationary. For example, the external stator 56 of the dynamic driver 44 can be fixed to the exhaust pipe 12. Alternatively, the external stator 56 can be fixed to a different stationary portion of the vehicle.
Because the controlled noise source 20 is located in an exhaust environment, the dynamic driver 44 will last longer if it is not subjected to increased temperatures and/or corrosive exhaust gas. Therefore, the dynamic driver 44 is isolated from the interior 24 of the exhaust pipe 12. In one example, the rigid membrane 48 that is coupled between the dynamic driver 44 and the second end 46 of the axially compliant member 30 isolates the dynamic driver 44 from the interior 24 of the exhaust pipe 12. This is due to the fact that the fluid-tight connector, such as the v-band 52, couples the rigid membrane 48 to the second end 46 of the axially compliant member 30.
Actuation of the dynamic driver 44 can be, for example, controlled according to the control algorithm described herein above with reference to
In the example shown in
The sensors 16, 18 are both capable of withstanding high temperature and high intensity signals. For example, the sensors 16, 18 can be probe microphones, such as model number 4182 available from Bruel & Kjaer Sound & Vibration Measurement A/S of Naerum, Denmark. The sensor 16, 18 could also be ultrahigh temperature piezoelectric electric microphones, such as model number M/02/TI-1, available from DJB Instruments of Suffolk, UK. Other suitable sensors include model number 938 from Columbia Research Laboratories, Inc. of Woodlyn, PN; model number 2180C from Dytran Instruments, Inc. of Chatworth, Calif.; or series 171 or 176 pressure sensors from IMI Sensors of Depew, N.Y.
The reference sensor 16 senses the sound S produced by the engine 10 and sends a signal X(n) to the ANC controller 22. The ANC controller 22 actuates the dynamic driver 44 based on this reference signal X(n) and the dynamic driver 44 oscillates the axially compliant member 30 so as to vary the internal volume of the axially compliant member 30. Because the internal volume of the axially compliant member 30 is in fluid communication with the interior 24 of the exhaust pipe 12, such volume variation produces controlled pressure waves C that are introduced to the interior 24 of the exhaust pipe 12 through, for example, the conical fitting 34 and the cylindrical fitting 36. The controlled pressure waves C counteract the sound S produced by the engine 10, as described herein above. In other words, the controlled pressure waves C, if they are equal in amplitude and frequency but opposite in phase to the sound S of the engine 10, will cancel the sound S of the engine 10. The error sensor 18 senses residual pressure waves R at the second location 58 along the exhaust pipe 12 and sends a signal E(n) related to the residual pressure waves R to the ANC controller 22. The ANC controller 22 receives from the error sensor 18 the error signal E(n) related to the residual pressure waves R and controls the dynamic driver 44 to adjust a characteristic of the controlled pressure waves C so as to minimize the error signal E(n). The characteristic can include one or more of the amplitude, frequency, and timing (phase) of the controlled pressure waves. The characteristics of the controlled pressure waves C are adjusted according to the adaptive algorithm described herein above with reference to
Various other control algorithms are possible for cancelling noise in the exhaust pipe 12. For example, in
With reference to
Now with reference to
In the above description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes only and are intended to be broadly construed. The different systems and methods described herein above may be used in alone or in combination with other systems and methods. Various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Each limitation in the appended claims is intended to invoke interpretation under 35 USC §112, sixth paragraph only the terms “means for” or “step for” are explicitly recited in the respective limitation. While each of the method claims includes a specific series of steps for accomplishing certain control system functions, the scope of this disclosure is not intended to be bound by the literal order or literal content of steps described herein, and non-substantial differences or changes still fall within the scope of the disclosure.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/607,983, filed on Mar. 7, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in entirety.
This invention was made with government support under Contract Number W56HZV-12-C-0391 awarded by the U.S. Army. The government has certain rights in the invention.
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