Other

University of Virginia Patent Foundation

David W Lewis

Paul E Allaire

Eric H Maslen

Robert R Humphris, Jr

Ronald D Williams

James Wilson Moore

James J Kauzlarich

Robert K Greenlaw

Julien LeBleu, Jr

Steven W Yates

A stationary flywheel energy storage system mounted to rotate in a horizontal orientation. The system includes a motor/generator wherein the rotor is positioned externally of the stator. Magnetic bearings suspend the rotor at each end thereof. Each magnetic bearing comprises a single principal actuator which supports 80% to 99% of the gravity load at that end of the rotor. Additional minor actuators, are provided to suspend the remaining portion of the load, and to compensate for dynamic unbalances.

Flywheel storage system with improved magnetic bearings

A rotating machine having a rotor comprising a flexible shaft with a plurality of masses distributed along the shaft. Included within these masses are magnetic disks. Magnetic bearings are attached to the housing and coact to support the rotor in only a radial direction or in both radial and axial directions. Bearing sensors are used to measure the shaft position local to each bearing relative to a face of each bearing. Variable magnetic bearing parameters are controlled so as to change values of stiffness and damping of the magnetic bearings in response to the measurements from the bearing sensors. These controls can be direct analog circuitry, or digital components, or a combination of digital and analog components.

Magnetic bearings for pumps, compressors and other rotating machinery

A magnetic bearing system includes a rotor with a plurality of masses distributed along the shaft including a portion having a circular peripheral surface suspended radially from pole pieces of permanent and electromagnets. A fault tolerant adaptive system responds to detected parameters of the rotor for varying the stiffness and damping the rotor. Position and speed of rotor are sampled at a rapid rate for each of a plurality of control axes and are processed independently during each sampling period. Malfunction of any of the processors causes supervisory controller to reconfigure the processing of the samples.

Magnetic bearing systems

Unwanted vibrations in rotating machinery are controlled from an 'active' point of view, meaning, that certain parameters, and thereby vibrations, can be controlled while the machine is operating. This is accomplished from the theoretical knowledge known about rotor dynamics, mechanical vibrations, automatic controls, fluid dynamics, and bearing design theory to produce an active remedy to fundamental vibration problems. From the known information about the critical speeds of a machine and while the speed transients are occuring, active controls cause these critical speeds to be made variable and always away from the actual running speed. By this means, the machine does not have to 'run through' the critical speeds but rather, the critical speeds are jumped over by control of certain parameters. This approach is novel but may be accomplished by several different techniques, of which a variety are presented herein. It is recognized that this invention is not obvious are therefore may be, at first glance, thought to circumvent certain laws of physics. This is not the case, rather, it makes use of the subtleties of the laws of physics that generally go unnoticed.

Vibration limiting of rotating machinery through active control means

A cargo carrier adapted to fit a wide range of models, makes and styles, including pickup trucks. A pair of side rails, preferably channels, are supported on legs which are to be bolted to the truck side panel. At the tops of the legs are angle mounting brackets, each with a horizontal portion which hooks over the lower flange of the channel member and an upright portion which is bolted to the web of the channel member. The front legs are bolted through a selected one of a series of bolt holes in the channel to adapt to the particular truck bed length. Load-carrying cross bars are of tubular construction and have threaded nuts welded in the ends thereof so that they may be bolted to the channel members. The channel members are in at least two sections with an intermediate, extender section being optional for long truck beds. The all-bolted construction facilitates packing and shipping for on-site assembly.

Cargo carrier

This invention pertains to catheters used with human beings for drainage of any cavity and of a variety of configurations. In particular, the invention is for using a microporous material with interconnected pores of 0.5 to 5 microns diameter such as polyethylene, polypropylene, fluorocarbon or other material that will release a controlled flow or oozing for several days of a liquid from the catheter by differential thermal expansion produced by contact with the patient. The microporous structure of the catheter may be charged with or recharged with liquids such as distilled water, antiseptics, antibiotics, enzymes, etc. which are contained and retained in the interstices so that the catheter may be described as being 'self-sterilizing'. Also, the catheter has other desirable features including being self-lubricating for ease of insertion and removal, and offering the opportunity for the administration of medication.

Porous catheters

These spinal column prostheses/orthoses are for the correction of problems involving scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal instability from a variety of causes, rotational and other mal-alignments by compression and/or distraction (tension) or a combination of these forces which are exerted at the inter spaces between two adjacent vertebrae. The force carried by each segment of these multi-segmented spinal column prostheses/orthoses may be adjusted at the time of insertion and re-adjusted at appropriate intervals as required. This implanted hardware may be used for children and/or adults, it will be constructed from the acceptable and medically approved implantable high quality metals, and may be left in place permanently or temporarily as may be required. Once the spinal correction has been made, the inserted hardware or a portion of it may be removed. These spinal column prostheses/orthoses afford the opportunity to apply forces initially small and later increased in magnitude; they provide the means for applying a given force and, as the device is accommodated and the spine shape corrected, to be readjusted, by certain elements external or internal to the body and thereby reestablish the prescribed force level. As implied by the title 'Spinal Column Prostheses/Orthoses' this invention may be viewed as a prosthesis for one physiologic condition; may be used as an orthosis for another condition; and may be employed as a combination prosthesis/orthosis for another condition by the removal of a portion of the device upon partial physiologic correction.

Growing community of inventors

Charlottesville, VA, United States of America

David W Lewis