General Atomics, Inc.

Bourque, Robert F

Richard L Creedon

C Ross Harder

Dilip K Bhadra

A combined wheel/brake apparatus employing an electro-rheological fluid. The apparatus includes a wheel rotatably mounted on an axle and a first array of spaced, electrically conductive vanes extending in a first direction with the vanes non-rotatably held by the axle. The apparatus also includes a second array of spaced, electrically and thermally conductive vanes extending in a direction opposite the first direction, with the second and first arrays interdigitated but not contacting. An electro-rheological fluid is in the spaces between the vanes. At least some of the second vanes have a coolant passageway and the apparatus further includes a secondary coolant supply for these passageways. The coolant passageways are isolated from the electro-rheological fluid so that application of an electrical potential across the two array vanes causes an increase in the viscosity of the electro-rheological fluid to develop a braking force, with heat occasioned by the braking being transmitted to the secondary coolant.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Bourque, Robert F