Skytran, Inc.

Unimodal Systems, LLC

United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Robert Baertsch

Clark Berg Foster

John Cole

John Lee Wamble, Iii

Christopher Perkins

Lance D Delzeit

Jonathan D Trent

Sherwin J Gormly

Michael T Flynn

Tsegereda N Embaye

Travis A Liggett

Patrick W Buckwalter

Gabriel Hugh Elkaim

John Lee Wamble Iii

A method controlling a vehicle moving along a guideway for magnetic flight is provided. The method includes receiving, at a controller, data generated by one or more sensors. The controller receives data relating to a projected flight path of the vehicle. The controller determines an altitude of the vehicle relative to the guideway for magnetic flight and determines a speed of the vehicle relative to the guideway for magnetic flight. The controller then calculates a deviation of the vehicle from the projected flight path. The controller adjusts the altitude of the vehicle relative to the guideway for magnetic flight by changing certain aspects of a magnetic flight suspension system causing the vehicle to more closely track the projected flight path.

Path correction of a vehicle relative to projected magnetic flight path

Disclosed herein are techniques for guiding a vehicle over a flight path. The techniques include receiving guideway data, such as information corresponding to a track segment, generated by one or more guideway sensors associated with a metallic track, and receiving flight path data, such as a set of 3-D space coordinates for the vehicle. The method further includes determining an amount of deviation between one or more coordinates of the flight path data and a position of the vehicle based on the guideway data, and adjusting the position of the vehicle relative to the track segment to minimize the amount of deviation in at least one dimension in the 3-D space.

Method for controlling altitude of a vehicle moving along a segmented track. The method including receiving, at a controller, data generated by one or more sensors and determining, at the controller, an altitude of the vehicle relative to the segmented track. The method then receives, at the controller, data relating to the length of a track segment between two or more supports and the weight of the vehicle and determining, at the controller, a speed of the vehicle relative to the length of the track segment. The method also calculating, at the controller, the deflection of the segmented track between two supports based on the length of the track segment, the weight of the vehicle, and the speed of the vehicle. The controller adjusts the altitude of the vehicle relative to the segmented track by an offset equivalent to the deflection of the segmented track thereby maintaining a constant altitude.

Altitude control along segmented track

An electric power generation system may be constructed of multiple similar generator modules arranged between a rotor and a stator. The rotor may be coupled to and/or integrated with a turbine that is configured to rotate in the presence of a fluid stream such as wind or water. Each generator module may have a rotor portion configured to generate a magnetic field having at least one characteristic that changes with respect to the rotational speed of the rotor. Each generator module may further have a stator portion configured to generate an alternating electric current responsive to the magnetic field. The generated electric current may be controlled by the stator portion of the generator module in order to magnetically control the rotational speed of the rotor and the turbine. Separation between the rotor and stator portions of the generator module may be magnetically maintained.

Fluid turbine modular electric generator including removable stator modules with integrated power electronics and magnetic bearing system

Modular electric generator for variable speed turbines

Methods for producing hydrocarbons, including oil, by processing algae and/or other micro-organisms in an aquatic environment. Flexible bags (e.g., plastic) with CO/Oexchange membranes, suspended at a controllable depth in a first liquid (e.g., seawater), receive a second liquid (e.g., liquid effluent from a 'dead zone') containing seeds for algae growth. The algae are cultivated and harvested in the bags, after most of the second liquid is removed by forward osmosis through liquid exchange membranes. The algae are removed and processed, and the bags are cleaned and reused.

Algae bioreactor using submerged enclosures with semi-permeable membranes

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Robert Baertsch