Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

C-motive Technologies Inc.

Kevin Frankforter

Daniel Colin Ludois

Baoyun Ge

Graham T Reitz

Justin Kyle Reed

Aditya N Ghule

William D Butrymowicz

Ryan Knippel

Serge Kuro

Matthew Maroon

Paul J Reckwerdt

Daniel J Klingenberg

An example electrostatic machine includes a rotor plate and an adjacent stator plate, where the rotor plate or the stator plate includes a coupled bearing. The other one of the rotor plate or the adjacent stator plate includes a race radially aligned with the coupled bearing. The coupled bearing has a width with a first contact point on the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate and a second contact point on the race on the other one of the rotor plate or stator plate, where the coupled bearing is sized to maintain a minimum separation distance between the rotor plate and the stator plate.

Method of producing an electrostatic motor

An example electrostatic machine includes a number of stator plates, each having a stator electrode and rotationally fixed to a housing, a shaft at least partially defined within the housing and configured to rotate about an axis, and a number of rotor plates, each having a rotor electrode and rotational fixed to the shaft. The electrostatic machine includes a dielectric fluid disposed in the housing, and that fills a gap between the stator plates and the rotor plates. The electrostatic machine includes a seal associated with the shaft, where the seal includes a material compatible with the dielectric fluid.

Electrostatic motor having fluid management features

A capacitive coupler provides high coupling capacitance through the use of an electrical double layer formed on opposite plates of the coupler. The coupler can be independent or provide a hydrodynamic or hydrostatic bearing as well as capacitive coupling and the circulated dielectric can provide for cooling of associated machinery.

Double layer capacitive coupler for transmitting electrical power between moving mechanical element

A capacitive coupler provides high coupling capacitance through the use of an electrolyte and insulator formed as an oxide layer on at least one plate of the coupler. The coupler can be independent or provide a hydrodynamic or hydrostatic bearing as well as capacitive coupling, and the circulated dielectric can provide for cooling of associated machinery.

Electrolytic capacitive coupler for transmitting electrical power between moving mechanical elements

An electrostatic machine employs a high dielectric fluid comprised of a dielectric liquid with suspended dielectric particles. Electrorheological effects are minimized through small particle sizes and steric coatings on those particles limiting the minimum particle-to-particle distance. Low particle volume densities provide greater torque density with managed reduced viscosity.

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

Kevin Frankforter