Ricardo UK Limited

Jonathan Charles Wheals

Andrew Farquhar Atkins

Joshua Jonathan Dalby

Lee Sykes

Mark Ramsbotton

Mark Ramsbottom

Pierre Marc Guern

Simon Timothy David Shepherd

A bearing has a circular element normally fixed with respect to ground. The circular element associated with the ground element is permitted to idle in rotation, so as to distribute wear around the circumference thereof. Various means of controlling and causing idle rotation are disclosed. Rolling elements are preferably provided between inner and outer races of a bearing assembly.

Bearing for wind turbine

A bearing assembly () for a rotating element () has one race () adapted to be fixed relative to ground () and to selectively be free for arcuate movement relative to ground. A selective locking device () can be provided for the relatively fixed/movable race ().

A rotary mechanism for incrementally advancing a rotary element () with respect to a ground member () comprises a unidirectional clutch () and a rotary actuator (). Actuation of the actuator is against a resilient bias (), and overcomes friction between the rotary element and the ground member to advance the rotary element with the unidirectional clutch locked. Release of the actuator allows re-setting thereof by the resilient bias, the friction between the rotary element and the ground member resisting further relative movement.

Bearing for a wind turbine

A bearing has a circular element () normally fixed with respect to ground (). The circular element () associated with the ground element is permitted to idle in rotation, so as to distribute wear around the circumference thereof. Various means of controlling and causing idle rotation are disclosed. Rolling elements () are preferably provided between inner and outer races () of a bearing assembly.

A clutch assembly is disclosed having a driving plate arranged in communication with a thermal transfer medium for use in cooling the driving plate. The disclosed thermal transfer medium can include at least one conductive brush that is mounted with the driving plate and arranged between the driving plate and a separate cooled part of the clutch assembly for cooling the driving plate. The brush may also be resiliently biased for contact with the cooled part of the clutch assembly so that it brushes against it.

Clutches

A dual clutch transmission has a driving plate defining concentric engagement surfaces, concentric friction plates, concentric pressure plates, and first and second clutch springs for operation of the pressure plates in clamping the friction plates against their respective engagement surface on the driving plate. The driving plate has a top hat type configuration, whereby the engagement surfaces are axially off set from one another. Cooling passages may be provided in the driving plate. The dct is preferably nested, wherein the outer pressure plate is in axial alignment with the radially inner portion of the driving plate, the inner pressure plate is in axial alignment with the radially outer portion of the driving plate, and the friction plates are arranged in axial alignment with one another.

Various embodiments of a torque biasing device for a rotating transmission are operable to vary the proportion of the output torque transmitted to one or more output shafts. Multiple planetary gear sets are provided for speeding-up or slowing-down of one shaft with respect to another, under the control of a computer.

Variable torque biasing device

A vehicle control system includes at least one driver input, a supervisor and at least one sub-system controlled by the supervisor. The supervisor assesses the driver input to establish actual driver demand and controls the sub-systems accordingly. As a result intuitive driver demand is identified and met.

Vehicle control

A vehicle powertrain modelling system includes a powertrain model (), a vehicle model (), a seat model (), a driver model () and a correlation element () comprising a neural network. As a result vehicle development is enhanced, using the neural network () to correlate modelled shift aspects with previous subjectively obtained ratings.

Vehicle transmission shift quality

A vehicle transmission system includes an input shaft connected to a differential mechanism, which has two output shafts. The two output shafts carry first and second coaxially mounted sun wheels, respectively, of an epicyclic gear system which mesh with first and second sets of planet wheels, respectively, which mesh with first and second annulus wheels, respectively. Each planet wheel is mounted to rotate independently about a respective planet shaft and the planet shafts are connected to a common carrier, which is rotatably mounted coaxially with the first and second sun wheels. The first and second annulus wheels are connected together. The carrier is connected to selectively operable speed changing device arranged to increase or decrease the speed of rotation of the carrier about its axis.

Growing community of inventors

Warwickshire, United Kingdom

Jonathan Charles Wheals