The compliant centrifugal pendulum as the vibration absorber with second-order elasto-kinematic approximation

Centrifugal dampers are used to reduce the vibrations and irregularities of motion of rotating parts subjected to torque perturbations. Compliant mechanisms can be used for building compact and simple embodiments of such devices. On the other hand, the elasto-kinematic behaviour of compliant structures requires a more accurate design with respect to standard solutions. The study discusses a methodology for designing compliant centrifugal dampers based on the arrangement of a collection of leaf flexure hinges connecting peripheral masses. The design is based on the equations of motion written under the approximation of an equivalent pseudo-rigid assembly. To preserve accuracy, the pseudo-rigid surrogate model is deduced taking into account second-order kinematic invariants and Euler-Savary equations, thus providing second-order approximation of the relative motion. This strategy combines accuracy and simplicity. The design can benefit from design equations for choosing the dimensions of the flexible links and the weight of the peripheral masses. An example of application is also discussed and a comparison with a flexible multibody model is also presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed methodology.