The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Kenneth Fertig

Marc Steven Weinberg

Michele S Sapuppo

George A Oberbeck

David B Eisenhaure

Raymond Carroll

Byong-Ho Ahn

William E Stanton

Howard L Watson

A single vibration sensor having the capability of sensing vibration along three rotational axes as well as three translational axes and exhibiting consistent dynamics over a wide frequency range. The sensor includes an elongated mass formed of a generally rigid material suspended in a fluid within a housing. The exterior surface of the mass is spaced from the interior surface of the housing to permit limited freedom of motion of the mass within the housing. The mass is provided with multiaxial radial and axial electromagnetic suspensions, and is typically supported by a fluid within the housing. Rotational positioning is provided by a signal generator, torque generator combination. Vibration is sensed by additive or differential measurements of current changes in the coils of different axes of the suspensions or electromagnetic signal and torque generator combinations. The sensor is conveniently implemented as a single degree of freedom inertial gyroscope without the gyroscope wheel and adapted to permit sensing of current changes in coils provided to achieve suspension or suspension and signal and torque generation functions.

Multiaxial vibration sensor

A power conversion system for converting between electrical power at different frequencies, including a rotary electrical machine including a rotor, a stator, first and second independently controllable field windings, and at least one armature winding for each phase; a switching circuit including a plurality of switching devices and having first terminal means interconnected with the armature winding which carries a high frequency signal established by the machine, and a second terminal for interconnection with an impedance establishing a lower frequency signal; the first field control circuit for monitoring the machine to sense phase difference between the optimum zero crossings and actual zero crossings of the higher frequency signal for driving the first field winding to adjust the phase of the higher frequency signal to minimize the phase difference; a second field control circuit for modulating the higher frequency signal carried by the armature winding with the lower frequency signal and for monitoring the second terminal means to sense amplitude difference between a selected one of the voltage and current parameters of the lower frequency signal and a reference level for driving the second field winding to adjust that parameter towards the reference level; and a switch firing circuit responsive to the machine voltage and one of the voltage and current parameters of the lower frequency signal at the second terminal means for selectively triggering to the on state and self-commutating to the off state the switching devices synchronously with the zero crossings of the higher frequency signal for transferring power between the higher and lower frequency signals through the switching circuit.

Rotary electric machine and power conversion system using same

Growing community of inventors

Sudbury, MA, United States of America

Kenneth Fertig