POWERTRAIN

Basic viscous dampers

incorporate a free-floating
inertia ring surrounded by a
viscous fluid within a sealed
housing. As torsional vibrations
resonate the inertia ring, it moves
independently from the outer housing and the resulting shearing action
transforms the vibration into heat.

Maintaining
Good Vibrations
Viscous damper technology adapting to new diesel engine,
driveline challenges

By Brian LeBarron
ince the beginning of the diesel
emissions era, design engineers at engine, vehicle and
equipment manufacturers have been
challenged to deliver emissions-compliant, quieter and more fuel-efficient
powertrains without sacrificing performance and reliability. Viscous torsional dampers have continued to be a key
technology employed to protect engine
internals and improve efficiency.
Developers of high-power diesel
engines have generally migrated
toward viscous damper technology
over more basic tuned elastomer
components when looking to reduce
internal wear and achieve longer
engine life. The broadband damping
capability inherent in viscous damper

technology has been demonstrated

capable of protecting across multiple
frequencies and orders and in contrast to basic elastomeric designs, can
become more effective as vibration

Brian LeBarron is a marketing representative at Vibratech TVD, a global supplier of

viscous dampers in Springville, N.Y.
36

DIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION March 2013

amplitude increases. Incorporating a

sealed housing to prevent contamination and engineered for enhanced
heat dispersion properties, viscous
dampers can be capable of very long
life cycles in high-power applications.
Basic viscous damper design, which
originally dates back to the mid-1940s,
incorporates a free-rotating inertia ring
surrounded by viscous fluid inside a
sealed housing. As torsional vibrations
resonate the inertia ring, it moves independently in and out of phase with the
outer housing. The resulting shearing
action of the inertia ring through the
fluid transforms the vibration into heat,
which is dissipated rapidly through
the housing.
The increasing use of sophisticated turbocharging technology, highpressure fuel injection systems and
microprocessor optimized combustion
strategies to rigorously reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter
(PM) by raising cylinder mean effective
pressures generates greater torsional
vibration amplitude at the crankshaft.
Elevated mean effective pressures
put a tougher demand on the viscous damper to provide the necessary
damping control. The inertia ring inside
a viscous damper must compensate
quickly and predictably to keep amplitude within a range the crankshaft will
tolerate and prevent frequency orders
from stacking and causing damage.
continued on page 38

Modern viscous dampers are generally designed

specifically for each application using technologies such as finite element analysis, which can
identify specific stress points generated by factors such as load and speed.

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POWERTRAIN

Manufacturing technology has been a key factor in the continuing development of viscous dampers. Laser cutting and welding systems are used
to ensure the precision and integrity of damper housing seal, while robotic production processes are used to ensure consistent quality.
To meet these ongoing demands, yet
keep a simple and cost-effective solution, much research and development
has been placed on the internal components of the damper. In todays dampers, the fluid used between the inertia
ring and the outer housing has been
formulated to hold viscosity tolerances
through extreme temperature ranges.
In addition, improvements in nonmetallic bearings have been employed
to reduce internal damper friction and

38

minimize wear particles often seen in

traditional metallic ones. Both advances
have also contributed to a longer damper service and replacement lifecycles.
While new advances in performance have put more responsibility on the viscous damper to protect
the crankshaft, overall engine size
constraints, improved fuel economy,
noise reduction and longer service
interval requirements have led some
engine manufacturers to also consid-

er employing viscous damper technology on camshafts. The addition of a

small viscous damper mounted to the
camshaft system can help improve
valve timing efficiency, reduce chain
slap and gear chatter and quiet down
the overall valvetrain system.
Similarly, continuing efforts to
improve the reliability of the drivetrain
and reduce noise emissions have also
furthered the development of driveline
viscous dampers. Determining drive-

DIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION March 2013

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Powertrain
line vibration frequencies requires a
comprehensive analysis of the system.
Once optimum operating parameters
are determined, a viscous damper is
constructed to reduce individual shaft
noise before a resonance point is
reached. This can yield reduced noise
and component wear.
Achieving precise functional parameters with the amplitude flexibility and
long life of a traditional viscous damper
is accomplished with todays precision
machining technology. Multiaxis CNC
lathes and mills are also capable of
incorporating complex features into
the outer housing for pulley features
and system assembly configurations,
such as provisions for power takeoffs. Finally, through advancements in
machining technology, complex internal
configurations can be used to provide
for higher speed requirements.
The manufacturing of viscous dampers has been transformed into a near
fully automated process created by a
workforce of CNC machinists and programmers. Robotic automated production utilizing various laser capabilities
improves productivity and focuses the
attention on delivering consistent high
quality across scalable quantity.
For OEM powertrain teams to maintain reliability and performance more
importance is being placed on the viscous torsional damper. As such, collaborating with specialists in torsional vibration analysis and damper development
is the surest method to finding the best
solution for each specific application.
The way organizations collaborate
today to develop a viscous damper
has changed significantly. Standardized
computer simulation software and telecommunications provide design teams
the flexibility to work together effectively
regardless of location. Complex computer simulation testing and predicted
modeling of a damper design now takes
place before any prototypes are made.
Combined with the advent of rapid
prototyping to confirm envelope specifications, the time involved during the
development phase is reduced, allowing manufacturers to bring new engines
and technologies to market at a much

faster pace than even 10 years ago.

While viscous dampers have long
been a key component on larger, higher-horsepower diesel engines, increasingly manufacturers of smaller engines
have sought to take advantage of their
benefits as well. And even hybrid drivelines and other alternative powertrain
configurations have employed the flexibility and capabilities of viscous torsion-

al dampers to reduce vibrations, noise

emissions and enhance service life.
On the engine or in the driveline, viscous damper technology will continue
to develop and play a key role in the
performance and reliability of over-theroad and off-highway equipment. dp

www.vibratechtvd.com

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March 2013 DIESEL PROGRESS NORTH AMERICAN EDITION

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