초록 ▼

A vibrational fluid mover includes a housing having at least one actuator element positioned thereon that vibrates responsive to a wave shape voltage applied thereto, such that a volume of a chamber in the housing increases and decreases to entrain and eject fluid into/out from the chamber. A contro

A vibrational fluid mover includes a housing having at least one actuator element positioned thereon that vibrates responsive to a wave shape voltage applied thereto, such that a volume of a chamber in the housing increases and decreases to entrain and eject fluid into/out from the chamber. A control system is operably connected to the actuator element to cause the voltage to be provided thereto so as to actively control the movement of the actuator element. The control system is programmed to set a baseline value for an operational parameter of the vibrational fluid mover generated responsive to a target voltage and frequency being provided, monitor operation of the vibrational fluid mover during operation at the target voltage and frequency, identify a deviation of the operational parameter from the baseline value, and modify the voltage and frequency provided to the actuator element based on any deviation of the operational parameter.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vibrational fluid mover comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having at least one orifice formed therein;at least one actuator element positioned on the housing that moves in a time harmonic fashion responsive to a form of wave shape voltage applied thereto, such that a volume o

1. A vibrational fluid mover comprising: a housing defining a chamber, the housing having at least one orifice formed therein;at least one actuator element positioned on the housing that moves in a time harmonic fashion responsive to a form of wave shape voltage applied thereto, such that a volume of the chamber increases and decreases to entrain fluid into the chamber and eject a jet of fluid out from the at least one orifice;a control system operably connected to the at least one actuator element to cause the form of wave shape voltage to be provided thereto so as to actively control the time harmonic movement of the at least one actuator element, wherein the control system is programmed to: set a baseline value for a current generated by the vibration of the at least one actuator element responsive to a target voltage and frequency being provided to the at least one actuator element;monitor operation of the vibrational fluid mover during continued operation thereof at the target voltage and frequency;identify a deviation of the current from the baseline value during the continued operation thereof at the target voltage and frequency;assess a health of the vibrational fluid mover and predict a potential failure of the vibrational fluid mover that might occur based on the identified deviation; andmodify the voltage and frequency provided to the at least one actuator element based on the identified deviation of the current from the baseline value; anda sensing circuit configured to: measure the current generated responsive to the target voltage and frequency being provided to the at least one actuator element andprovide feedback on a measured value of the current to the control system, so as to provide for the monitoring of the vibrational fluid mover;wherein, in modifying the voltage and frequency provided to the at least one actuator element, the control system is further programmed to: determine a value of the current measured by the sensing circuit;initiate a controlled shut down of the vibrational fluid mover if the value of the measured current is less than a pre-determined current threshold; andinitiate a throttled-down operating mode for the vibrational fluid mover if the value of the measured current is greater than the current threshold, the throttled-down operating mode altering a value of the voltage provided to the at least one actuator element. 2. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 1 wherein the control system is further programmed to alter the value of the voltage provided to the at least one actuator element so as to operate the at least one actuator element within an operating box defined by maximum acceptable power and differential voltage levels. 3. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 1 wherein the control system is further programmed to set the baseline value of the operational parameter based on measurements thereof received from the sensing circuit during operation of the vibrational fluid mover at a first use thereof. 4. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 1 wherein, in modifying the voltage and frequency provided to the at least one actuator element, the control system is further programmed to identify an optimum voltage and frequency to provide to the at least one actuator element to achieve a desired flow rate and acoustic noise level by the vibrational fluid mover. 5. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 4 wherein the optimum voltage and frequency is selected from a supplied data set for the desired flow rate. 6. The vibrational fluid mover of claim 5 wherein the supplied data set comprises a flow rate curve. 7. A control system for providing active control of a synthetic jet actuator, the control system comprising a processor programmed to: receive an initial feedback from a sensing circuit comprising measurements of one or more operational parameters of the synthetic jet actuator, the measurements of the one or more operational parameters resulting from operation of the synthetic jet actuator at a target voltage and frequency, the initial feedback being received during a first use thereof of the synthetic jet actuator;set a baseline value for each of the one or more operational parameters based on the received initial feedback;receive additional feedback from the sensing circuit comprising measurements of the one or more operational parameters of the synthetic jet actuator, the additional feedback on the one or more operational parameters resulting from operation of the synthetic jet actuator at the target voltage and frequency;set an operational box within which to operate the synthetic jet actuator based on a comparison of the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the additional feedback and the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the initial feedback, the operational box being defined by maximum acceptable power and voltage levels at which to operate the synthetic jet actuator; andcause the synthetic jet actuator to be operated at an updated voltage and frequency based on a comparison of the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the additional feedback and the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the initial feedback, the updated voltage and frequency falling within the operational box;wherein, in causing the synthetic jet actuator to be operated at an updated voltage and frequency, the processor is further programmed to: identify a degraded operating performance of the synthetic jet actuator based on the comparison of the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the additional feedback and the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the initial feedback, with the processor being programmed to identify a deviation of the one or more operational parameters from the baseline value from the additional feedback; andpredict a potential failure of the vibrational fluid mover that might occur based on the identified deviation. 8. The control system of claim 7 wherein the one or more operational parameters comprises a current generated by vibration of the synthetic jet actuator, with the processor being programmed to identify a deviation of the current from a baseline current value; and wherein the processor is further programmed to: compare the measured current from the additional feedback to a failure current threshold;initiate a controlled shut down of the synthetic jet actuator if the measured current is less than the failure current threshold; andinitiate a throttled-down operating mode for the synthetic jet actuator if the measured current is greater than the current threshold, the throttled-down operating mode altering at least one of a voltage or frequency provided to the at least one actuator element so as to operate the synthetic jet actuator within the operating box. 9. The control system of claim 7 wherein, in causing the synthetic jet actuator to be operated at an updated voltage and frequency, the processor is further programmed to identify an optimum voltage and frequency to provide to the at least one actuator element to achieve at least one of a desired flow rate and an acoustic noise level by the synthetic jet actuator. 10. The control system of claim 9 wherein the processor is further programmed to select the optimum voltage and frequency from a supplied data set for the desired flow rate. 11. The control system of claim 7 wherein the one or more operational parameters comprises a temperature of a heat generated component being cooled by the vibrational fluid mover. 12. A method for controlling operation of a synthetic jet actuator, the method comprising: receiving, via a control system operably connected to the synthetic jet actuator, an initial feedback from a sensing circuit comprising measurements of one or more operational parameters of a synthetic jet actuator, the measurements of the one or more operational parameters resulting from operation of the synthetic jet actuator at a target voltage and frequency, the initial feedback being received during a first use thereof of the synthetic jet actuator;setting, via the control system, a baseline value for each of the one or more operational parameters based on the received initial feedback;receiving, via the control system, additional feedback from the sensing circuit comprising measurements of the one or more operational parameters of the synthetic jet actuator, the additional feedback on the one or more operational parameters resulting from operation of the synthetic jet actuator at the target voltage and frequency;setting, via the control system, an operational box within which to operate the synthetic jet actuator based on a comparison of the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the additional feedback and the measurements of the one or more operational parameters in the initial feedback, the operational box being defined by maximum acceptable power and voltage levels at which to operate the synthetic jet actuator; anddetermining, via the control system, an optimum voltage and frequency at which to operate the synthetic jet actuator that falls within the operational box. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more operational parameters comprises a current of the synthetic jet actuator, and wherein the method further comprises: operating the synthetic jet actuator at the same target voltage and frequency if a measured current from the additional feedback is equal to a baseline current value; andoperating the synthetic jet actuator at a modified voltage and frequency if the measured current from the additional feedback deviates from the baseline current value;wherein operating the synthetic jet actuator at a modified voltage and frequency comprises: comparing the measured current from the additional feedback to a failure current threshold;initiating a controlled shut down of the synthetic jet actuator if the measured current is less than the failure current threshold; andinitiating a throttled-down operating mode for the synthetic jet actuator if the measured current is greater than the current threshold, the throttled-down operating mode altering the voltage or so as to operate the synthetic jet actuator within the operating box. 14. The method of claim 12 wherein determining an optimum voltage and frequency at which to operate the synthetic jet actuator comprises selecting an optimum voltage and frequency from a supplied data set for a desired flow rate.