Active Power, Inc.

Magnetic Bearing Technologies, Inc.

Jupiter Toy Company

David B Clifton

Joseph F Pinkerton

Scott R Little

James A Andrews

James Hunt

Harold E Puthoff

Gail Roberts

Kenneth E Nichols

William D Batton

Philip Keene

George W Church, Jr

James E Dillard

David Lowe

Michael D Forsha

A continuous power system assembly is provided that includes an integrated shaft-driven unit. The unit contains a turbine, an alternator, a flywheel and a feed pump, all of which are coupled to the shaft. During various modes of operation, any of the turbine, alternator or flywheel may provide the torque used to drive the shaft. When the alternator is not providing the necessary torque to drive the shaft, it is operated as a generator that provides back-up power to a load. The present invention also includes a unique nozzle design that improves the ease with the nozzles may be manufactured in comparison to known designs. The nozzle is manufactured as two halves which are mated as part of the manufacturing process. The individual nozzles may, because only half of the nozzle segments exist on either half of the nozzle block, be easily manufactured using conventional machining.

Integrated continuous power system assemblies having multiple nozzle block segments

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system supplies power to computers, medical apparatus or other critical loads when primary power supply falters. The UPS system includes an electrical machine connected to a turbine that can be rotated by a motive fluid from a fluid supply. The electrical machine can be a dual purpose electrical machine (a motor/generator) or a two unit machine (one motor and one generator in a single housing or in separate housings) connected to the turbine. When power is supplied from the primary power supply to the critical load, the electrical machine acts as a motor to rotate the turbine and energy is stored by the turbine rotor in the form of rotational momentum. When power from the primary power supply falters, the rotational momentum of the turbine rotor initially rotates the electrical machine which acts as a generator to provide power to the critical load. If the power loss or failure is extended, the turbine motor is driven by combustion products, steam, compressed gases or other motive fluids to maintain the rotary motion of the turbine and the generator. Numerous methods and apparatus are also described for reducing system losses and improving overall efficiency.

Method and apparatus having a turbine working in different modes for providing an uninterruptible supply of electric power to a critical load

A continuous power system provides a continuous supply of power to a load in the event that primary power fails or is degraded. The continuous power system includes an electrical machine, a turbine and a flywheel coupled to a shaft. When utility power is present, the machine operates as a motor to drive the shaft. During outages, the electrical machine operates as a generator to provide power to the load. Kinetic energy stored in the flywheel drives the shaft during initial power interruptions. During further short-term interruptions, a thermal energy supply (or thermal storage device) is used to provide vaporized liquid to the turbine so that the turbine drives the shaft. If the power loss or failure is extended, the turbine is driven by vapor produced by an evaporator heated from an external fuel supply. Numerous methods and apparatus are also described for reducing system losses and improving overall performance.

Method and apparatus for providing a continuous supply of electric power

An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system supplies electric power to computers, medical apparatus or other critical loads when a primary power supply fails. The UPS system includes an electrical machine drivingly connected to a turbine which can be rotated by a motive fluid from a fluid supply. The electrical machine can be a dual purpose electrical machine (a motor/generator) or a two unit machine (one motor and one generator in a single housing or in separate housings) drivingly connected to a turbine which can be rotated by a motive fluid supply. When power is supplied from the primary power supply to the critical load, the electrical machine acts as a motor to rotate the turbine, and energy is stored by the turbine rotor in the form of rotational momentum. When power from the primary power supply fails, the rotational momentum of the turbine rotor initially rotates the electrical machine which acts as a generator to provide power to the critical load. If the power loss or failure is extended, the turbine motor is driven by combustion products, steam, compressed gases or other motive fluids to maintain the rotary motion of the turbine and the generator.

Method and apparatus for providing an uninterruptible supply of electric power to a critical load

Uninterruptible power supplies are provided that utilize a material to provide a source of thermal energy that may be converted to electrical energy to produce backup electrical power for a load. In some embodiments, a hot tank assembly is utilized to hold a liquid heated to a predetermined temperature. A closed-loop pipe containing, water for example, is immersed in the heated liquid. Upon the loss of primary power, the water flows into the heat exchanger where it is raised above its boiling temperature. The steam is then passed to a heat engine (e.g., a turbine-based system) that converts the heated steam to mechanical energy by causing the heat engine rotor to rotate. A generator is physically coupled to the heat engine so that the rotation of the heat engine rotor drives the generator. The generator produces AC power which is converted to DC and again back to AC before being provided to the load. In other embodiments, a solid mass, such as a block of iron, is heated to a predetermined temperature. The heat from the solid material is then converted to electrical energy for the load.

Uninterruptible power supply utilizing thermal energy source

Electrical machine cycloconverter devices are provided that produce output signals in which the frequency, amplitude and phase are independent of rotor speed. The cycloconverters produce highly efficient increased output by providing multi-tap armatures that include multiple armature coils arranged such that at least two coils may be connected in series to an electrical load. Such configurations produce output signals that include multiple distinct voltage amplitude steps. In preferred embodiments, either rotating permanent magnets or field coils in conjunction with rotating steel teeth induce a voltage in the armature coils. The level of induced voltage is determined by the switching sequence of one or more armature coils that are switched ON and OFF in series, parallel, or series and parallel by semiconductor switches. The cycloconverters may be combined with additional components, such as a reciprocating engine and a connection to utility power, to provide a continuous power system, or they may be coupled to an external source of AC power instead of an electrical load and operated as a motor.

Step switch cycloconverter utilizing multi-tap armature

A magnetically levitated transport device provides levitation and propulsion of a vacuum carriage. An air carriage is moved by conventional means through both linear and angular displacements. Non-magnetic coils mounted on the air carriage interact with permanent magnets mounted on the vacuum carriage to magnetically link the carriages together using Lorentz forces. The non-magnetic coils, which are exposed to the fields generated by the permanent magnets, produce the Lorentz forces when driven by drive currents in response to inputs received from position sensors. In one embodiment, power requirements are reduced by adding permanent magnets to the air carriage that interact with some of the permanent magnets on the vacuum carriage to provide forces that substantially levitate all of the static load.

Magnetically levitated robot and method of increasing levitation force

A flywheel energy conversion device provides highly efficient conversion between kinetic and electrical energy. The flywheel produces increased output by providing armature coils in an air gap formed about the flywheel (both radial and axial embodiments are described). In preferred embodiments, field coils of a magnetic circuit are energized with DC drive current that creates homopolar flux within a rotating solid rotor having teeth cut from a flat disk. The total reluctance of the magnetic circuit and total flux remain substantially constant as the rotor rotates. The flux may travel radially outward and exit the flat disk through the teeth passing across an armature air gap. Airgap armature coils are preferably utilized in which the changing flux density (due to the rotating teeth) induces an output voltage in the coils. The flux is diffused before returning to the rotor in one of several ways such that core losses are effectively reduced, thereby enabling the flywheel to operate efficiently at high frequencies.

Energy storage flywheel apparatus and methods

Energy storage flywheel emergency power source and methods

A high inertia inductor-alternator energy storage device provides backup energy in a simple, compact device. The inductor-alternator stores an acceptable level of energy via an improved rotor that provides a high level of rotational inertia. The improved rotor can be manufactured at a reduced cost due to reduced milling requirements. Moreover, the inductor-alternators of the present invention have reduced complexity and increased reliability as a result of the geometry of the improved rotor.

High inertia inductor-alternator

Motor/generator and axial magnetic bearing utilizing common magnetic

Integrated motor/generator/flywheel utilizing a solid steel rotor

A magnetic bearing system has a magnetic bearing and an electric generator for activating the magnetic bearing. The various components of the system are mounted respectively on a rotor and a stator. The magnetic bearing is of the magnetic attraction type or of the Lorentz force type. It has first and second subassemblies, one of which is on the rotor and the other of which is on the stator. The generator has at least one magnet subassembly and at least one loop subassembly, one of which is on the rotor and the other of which is on the stator. The magnet subassembly has field magnets for creating magnetic fields. The loop subassembly has loops which travel through the magnetic fields. The magnetic fields are positioned where (a) they subject the interior of a loop moving therethrough to magnetic flux which produces equal and opposed electromotive forces in the loop when the loop is on a prescribed circular path, and (b) they subject the loop's interior to flux which produces unequal and opposed electromotive forces in the loop when the loop deviates from its prescribed circular path. The latter induces, in the generator loop, an electric current which is proportional to the displacement of the loop from its prescribed path. The generator loop is electrically connected to a coil in the bearing so that the generator activates the bearing whenever the generator loop deviates from its prescribed circular path.

Growing community of inventors

Leander, TX, United States of America

David B Clifton