Space Systems/loral, LLC

The Boeing Company

Webb Wheel Products, Inc.

Other

Loral Space & Communications, Ltd.

John C Hall

Walter S Gelon

D Anthony Galasso

Jon A Magnuson

Stanley Canter

Adam Plesniak

Stephen J Lenhart

Byron E Cornett

Jeremy L Zills

Robert Edward Helmer

Fred J Dietrich

Paul D Levering

Sik-Kan Huang

Erik L Levine

Guy Lawrence Martins

Christian J Goodman

Juan F Leon

Carl R Halbach

Timothy M Yant

Anthony Z Applewhite

Marion M Hall

Bruce Inenaga

Mitchell J Mehlman

Terry Weight

A method of making a solar concentrator may include forming a receiving wall having an elongated wall, a first side wall and a second side wall; attaching the first side wall and the second side wall to a reflecting wall to form a housing having an internal volume with an opening; forming a lip on the receiving wall and the reflecting wall; attaching a cover to the receiving wall and the reflecting wall at the lip to seal the opening into the internal volume, thereby creating a rigid structure; and mounting at least one receiver having at least one photovoltaic cell on the elongated wall to receive solar radiation entering the housing and reflected by the receiving wall, the receiver having an axis parallel with a surface normal of the photovoltaic cell, such that the axis is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the vertical axis of the opening.

Method of making a modular off-axis solar concentrator

A system for producing carbon dioxide including a collection subsystem configured to collect a process gas, the process gas including a hydrocarbon, a combustion subsystem configured to combust the hydrocarbon in the process gas and output a gaseous combustion effluent, wherein the gaseous combustion effluent includes carbon dioxide and water, and a separation subsystem configured to separate the carbon dioxide from the gaseous combustion effluent.

System and method for producing carbon dioxide

A separation system including a source of a gaseous mixture, the gaseous mixture comprising at least a first constituent and a second constituent, and a separation unit in communication with the source to receive the gaseous mixture and at least partially separate the first constituent from the second constituent, wherein the separation unit comprises at least one of a vortex separator and a pressure vessel.

Carbon dioxide separation system and method

A method and apparatus for efficient manufacture, assembly and production of solar energy. In one aspect, the apparatus may include a number of modular solar receiver assemblies that may be separately manufactured, assembled and individually inserted into a solar collector array housing shaped to receive a plurality of solar receivers. The housing may include optical elements for focusing light onto the individual receivers, and a circuit for electrically connecting the solar receivers.

Solar collector array

A solar concentrator including a housing defining a vertical axis and including a receiving wall connected to a reflecting wall to define an internal volume and an opening into the internal volume, wherein the reflecting wall defines at least one primary optical element, and wherein at least a portion of the reflecting wall includes a layer of reflective material, the housing further including a cover connected to the receiving wall and the reflecting wall to seal the opening, and at least one receiver mounted on the receiving wall such that a vertical axis of the receiver is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the vertical axis of the housing, the receiver including at least one photovoltaic cell.

Modular off-axis solar concentrator

One embodiment of a brake drum includes a cylindrical main body portion, a brake drum mounting flange portion, a brake drum transition portion, the brake drum transition portion extending between the cylindrical main body portion and the mounting flange portion, the transition portion having a plurality of vent openings, and one air scoop secured at each of the vent openings, whereby rotation of the brake drum and air scoop induces air movement within a brake drum cavity defined by the main body portion. Each air scoop defines a louver opening which faces the angular direction of drum rotation, an air channel in fluid communication with the louver opening and the brake drum cavity, and a deflection surface located in the air channel. The deflection surface is positioned to re-direct air movement entering the louver opening at an angular direction, to a generally radial and inboard direction.

Brake drum with vent hole and cooling scoop

The present invention provides a drum or rotor wheel hub having a cast hub having a machined pilot in a flange portion and a machined pilot in a cylindrical portion, and a cast portion which separates the cylindrical pilot from the flange pilot, whereby a machined radii is not incorporated in the pilot construction.

Wheel hub with improved pilot construction and a method for manufacturing

A method for reconditioning lithium ion batteries in-situ to restore their capacity. The battery capacity is reduced by a reversible mechanism. The process for reconditioning a battery includes providing a power source and connecting the power source to a lithium ion battery. The lithium ion battery is slowly discharged at a predetermined voltage sufficiently high so as not to damage the battery cells and sufficiently low so to completely extract all lithium from the negative electrode and fully reincorporate it in the positive electrode, while the battery is being completely discharged. After the battery has been completely discharged, power is provided to the battery from the power source to recharge the lithium ion battery so as to uniformly redistribute the lithium in the negative electrode. The discharge cycle is repeated a plurality of times. Upon completion of recharging, the capacity of the battery is restored.

Method for prolonging the life of lithium ion batteries

An electrical system has a battery circuit that includes a plurality of battery blocks. Each of the battery blocks has a plurality of parallel strings of battery cells connected thereto. A plurality of virtual cells is formed during charging by parallel coupling one cell from each string in parallel using diode.

Charge control circuit and method for charging multiple battery cells

An electrochemical cell includes an active element having an anode including carbon, a cathode including a metal oxide, a separator between the anode and the cathode, and an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode. The anode, cathode, and separator are preferably in planar form rolled into a spiral. There is a sealed housing having an interior in which the active element is received, and a gas filling a gas space of the sealed housing. The gas has from about 10 to about 100 percent by volume of the conductive gas hydrogen, helium, and/or neon, or mixtures thereof.

Metal oxide electrochemical cell filled with a highly conductive gas

A battery cell sleeve assembly includes a continuous cylindrical thermal sleeve extending between proximal and distal ends and has a plurality of substantially unidirectional longitudinally extending elongated heat conduction fibers having a thermal conductivity no less than that of aluminum embedded in an adhesive matrix. The thermal sleeve is received on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical battery cell and in a contiguous relationship with the battery cell. A cylindrical base member having an annular flange is attached to the thermal sleeve such that the distal ends of the heat conduction fibers are contiguous with the annular flange. With this construction, the annular flange operates as a heat shunt for drawing heat away from the thermal sleeve by conduction between the heat conduction fibers and the annular flange. In one embodiment, the heat conduction fibers are graphite and the thermal sleeve is between about 0.010 and 0.10 inches thick and composed of about 60% fiber and 40% adhesive by volume. An electrically insulative adhesive such as an epoxy with a defined bond line of no less than about 0.005 inches is applied to the interface between the thermal sleeve and the cylindrical base member. After integrating the battery cell and the thermal sleeve, the battery cell is charged. This causes the battery cell to become pressurized which, in turn, radially expands the battery cell such that it becomes more firmly engaged with the thermal sleeve.

Method for producing a battery cell structure

Battery system

According to the present invention, a battery cell sleeve assembly includes a continuous tubular sleeve extending between proximal and distal ends and has a plurality of substantially unidirectional longitudinally extending elongated heat conduction fibers having a thermal conductivity no less than that of aluminum embedded in a suitable matrix. The sleeve is received on the outer peripheral surface of a tubular battery cell which is typically, but not necessarily cylindrical and in a contiguous relationship with the battery cell. A tubular base member having a peripheral flange is attached to the continuous tubular sleeve such that the distal ends of the heat conduction fibers are contiguous with the peripheral flange. With this construction, the peripheral flange operates as a heat shunt for drawing heat away from the continuous tubular sleeve by conduction between the heat conduction fibers and the peripheral flange. In one embodiment, the heat conduction fibers are graphite and the continuous tubular sleeve is between about 0.010 and 0.25 inches thick and composed of about 60% fiber and 40% adhesive by volume. An electrically insulative adhesive such as an epoxy with a defined bond line of about 0.005 inches is applied to the interface between the continuous tubular sleeve and the tubular base member. After integrating the battery cell and the continuous tubular sleeve, the battery cell is charged. This causes the battery cell to become pressurized which, in turn, enlarges its outer periphery such that it becomes more firmly engaged with the continuous tubular sleeve.

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

John C Hall