Spring with adjustable elastic constant: Application to vibration damping of an engine

Planar disk springs have been widely used in recent decades due to their compact geometry, long service life, and low cost. They require no maintenance or lubrication, making them highly efficient components for a variety of applications. In this work, a device was designed and characterized to regulate the elastic constant of a disk spring by varying the effective length of its flexure arms. Its mechanical behavior was simulated using the finite element method and experimentally validated using a tensile testing machine. The ability to vary the effective length of the device’s flexure arms enables adequate performance under varying operating conditions without the need to replace the spring. The proposed device covers a broad range of elastic constants ( k) and has been successfully tested as a vibration damper in an engine operating under variable loads. Real-time adjustment of this constant allows for dynamic control of the ratio between the excitation frequency and the system’s natural frequency. Since the elastic constant k is a key variable in determining the resonant frequency, modifying it makes it possible to influence the system’s vibration modes. This capability facilitates the achievement of optimal damping conditions, which are essential for ensuring system stability and preventing structural damage. In addition, two different types of disks were used in the experimental setup, depending on the weight distribution at each support point of the system.