The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Other

Center for Innovative Technology

Projects Unlimited, Inc.

Robert L Fox

Robert G Bryant

Richard F Hellbaum

John D Buckley

Robert H Coultrip

Samuel D Johnson

David F Johnston

Bruce D Little

Robert J Swaim

W Morris Phillips

Qamar A Shams

Christopher L Fox, Legal Representative

Carl E Copeland

Stanley E Woodard

Russell A Wincheski

Min Namkung

Antony Jalink, Jr

Sidney G Allison

Paul H Mirick

James W High

W Keats Wilkie

Melanie L Fox Chattin, Legal Representative

James R Dinkins

Terry L St Clair

James Paul Fulton

David E Kranbuehl

Donald J Progar

Wayne W Rohrbach

Joycelyn O Simpson

Michael J Logan

Melanie L Fox, Legal Representative

Richard H Couch

Timothy D Schott

John R Gleason

Benjamin M Copeland, Jr

Bland A Stein

Alan W Frizzill

Copeland, Carl E

John C Ingham

Sean A Laughter

Thomas J Hardiman

Theodore R Kuhn, Iii

Rizza Balein

SeGon Jang

Gerald A Denhardt

Raymond C Scholz

Robert H Daugherty

James K Adams

Walter C Babel, Iii

Rosemary Jalink, Legal Representative

Antony Jalink

Paul Mirick

James High

A self-contained avionics sensing and flight control system is provided for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The system includes sensors for sensing flight control parameters and surveillance parameters, and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. Flight control parameters and location signals are processed to generate flight control signals. A Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is configured to provide a look-up table storing sets of values with each set being associated with a servo mechanism mounted on the UAV and with each value in each set indicating a unique duty cycle for the servo mechanism associated therewith. Each value in each set is further indexed to a bit position indicative of a unique percentage of a maximum duty cycle for the servo mechanism associated therewith. The FPGA is further configured to provide a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) generators coupled to the look-up table. Each PWM generator is associated with and adapted to be coupled to one of the servo mechanisms.

Self-contained avionics sensing and flight control system for small unmanned aerial vehicle

A telescoping actuator assembly includes a plurality of cylindrical actuators in a concentric arrangement. Each cylindrical actuator is at least one piezoelectric fiber composite actuator having a plurality of piezoelectric fibers extending parallel to one another and to the concentric arrangement's longitudinal axis. Each cylindrical actuator is coupled to concentrically-adjacent ones of the cylindrical actuators such that the plurality of cylindrical actuators can experience telescopic movement. An electrical energy source coupled to the cylindrical actuators applies actuation energy thereto to generate the telescopic movement.

Telescoping cylindrical piezoelectric fiber composite actuator assemblies

An optical assembly is formed by one or more piezoelectric fiber composite actuators having one or more optical fibers coupled thereto. The optical fiber(s) experiences strain when actuation voltage is applied to the actuator(s). Light passing through the optical fiber(s) is wavelength tuned by adjusting the actuation voltage.

Tunable optical assembly with vibration dampening

A method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises making a piezoelectric fiber sheet by providing a plurality of wafers of piezoelectric material, bonding the wafers together with an adhesive material to form a stack of alternating layers of piezoelectric material and adhesive material, and cutting through the stack in a direction substantially parallel to the thickness of the stack and across the alternating layers of piezoelectric material and adhesive material to provide at least one piezoelectric fiber sheet having two sides comprising a plurality of piezoelectric fibers in juxtaposition to the adhesive material. The method further comprises bonding two electrically conductive films to the two sides of the piezoelectric fiber sheet. At least one conductive film has first and second conductive patterns formed thereon which are electrically isolated from one another and in electrical contact with the piezoelectric fiber sheet.

Method of fabricating a composite apparatus

An electro-active transducer includes a ferroelectric material sandwiched by first and second electrode patterns. When the device is used as an actuator, the first and second electrode patterns are configured to introduce an electric field into the ferroelectric material when voltage is applied to the electrode patterns. When the device is used as a sensor, the first and second electrode patterns are configured to introduce an electric field into the ferroelectric material when the ferroelectric material experiences deflection in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto. In each case, the electrode patterns are designed to cause the electric field to: i) originate at a region of the ferroelectric material between the first and second electrode patterns, and ii) extend radially outward from the region of the ferroelectric material (at which the electric field originates) and substantially parallel to the ferroelectric material's plane.

Electro-active transducer using radial electric field to produce/sense out-of-plane transducer motion

A piezoelectric transducer comprises a piezoelectric component, an acoustic member attached to one of the surfaces of the piezoelectric component and a dampening material of low elastic modulus attached to one or both surfaces of the piezoelectric transducer. The piezoelectric component may comprise either an unimorph or a bimorph structure including a piezoceramic wafer made of lead zirconate titanate and a layer of dampening material sandwiched between the piezoelectric component and the acoustic member. The acoustic member comprises a surrounding wall portion and an end portion which form an acoustic chamber when the member is mounted on a surface of the piezoelectrie component. The end portion has an orifice to form a passageway from the chamber through the end portion to the outside of the member.

Methods and apparatus to increase sound quality of piezoelectric devices

An electro-active transducer for sonic applications includes a ferroelectric material sandwiched by first and second electrode patterns to form a piezo-diaphragm coupled to a mounting frame. When the device is used as a sonic actuator, the first and second electrode patterns are configured to introduce an electric field into the ferroelectric material when voltage is applied to the electrode patterns. When the device is used as a sonic sensor, the first and second electrode patterns are configured to introduce an electric field into the ferroelectric material when the ferroelectric material experiences deflection in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto. In each case, the electrode patterns are designed to cause the electric field to: i) originate at a region of the ferroelectric material between the first and second electrode patterns, and ii) extend radially outward from the region of the ferroelectric material (at which the electric field originates) and substantially parallel to the plane of the ferroelectric material. The mounting frame perimetrically surrounds the peizo-diaphragm and enables attachment of the piezo-diaphragm to a housing.

Electro-active device using radial electric field piezo-diaphragm for sonic applications

An automated process of making a medical test implement, such as a LEAP Testing Implement, includes the steps of providing a handle element, providing a deformable test element, and mechanically mating the deformable test element to the handle element so that at least a portion of the deformable test element extends from the handle element. The deformable test element deforms when a predetermined load is applied thereto.

Method of manufacturing a leap-type testing implement

A method for forming ferroelectric wafers is provided. A prestress layer is placed on the desired mold. A ferroelectric wafer is placed on top of the prestress layer. The layers are heated and then cooled, causing the ferroelectric wafer to become prestressed. The prestress layer may include reinforcing material and the ferroelectric wafer may include electrodes or electrode layers may be placed on either side of the ferroelectric layer. Wafers produced using this method have greatly improved output motion.

Thin layer composite unimorph ferroelectric driver and sensor

A method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises providing a piezoelectric material that has two sides and attaching one side upon an adhesive backing sheet. The method further comprises slicing the piezoelectric material to provide a plurality of piezoelectric fibers in juxtaposition. A conductive film is then adhesively bonded to the other side of the piezoelectric material, and the adhesive backing sheet is removed. The conductive film has first and second conductive patterns formed thereon which are electrically isolated from one another and in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material. The first and second conductive patterns of the conductive film each have a plurality of electrodes to form a pattern of interdigitated electrodes. A second film is then bonded to the other side of the piezoelectric material. The second film may have a pair of conductive patterns similar to the conductive patterns of the first film.

Method of fabricating a piezoelectric composite apparatus

An alert apparatus for a personal communication device includes a mechanically prestressed piezoelectric wafer positioned within the personal communication device and an alternating voltage input line coupled at two points of the wafer where polarity is recognized. The alert apparatus also includes a variable frequency device coupled to the alternating voltage input line, operative to switch the alternating voltage on the alternating voltage input line at least between an alternating voltage having a first frequency and an alternating voltage having a second frequency. The first frequency is preferably sufficiently high so as to cause the wafer to vibrate at a resulting frequency that produces a sound perceptible by a human ear, and the second frequency is preferably sufficiently low so as to cause the wafer to vibrate at a resulting frequency that produces a vibration readily felt by a holder of the personal communication device.

Piezoelectric vibrational and acoustic alert for a personal communication device

A molded magnetic article and fabrication method are provided. Particles of ferromagnetic material embedded in a polymer binder are molded under heat and pressure into a geometric shape. Each particle is an oblate spheroid having a radius-to-thickness aspect ratio approximately in the range of 15-30. Each oblate spheroid has flattened poles that are substantially in perpendicular alignment to a direction of the molding pressure throughout the geometric shape.

Fabrication of molded magnetic article

The present invention relates to the mounting of pre-stressed electroactive material in such a manner that large displacement actuators or sensors result. The invention comprises mounting the pre-stressed electroactive material to a support layer. This combination of a pre-stressed electroactive material and support layer may in turn be attached to a mounting surface. The pre-stressed electroactive material may be a ferroelectric, pyroelectric, piezoelectric, or magnetostrictive material. The size, stiffness, mass, and material of the support layer is selected to result in the electroactive device having dynamic response properties, environmental capability characteristics, and the required resilience optimized for a given application. The capacity to connect the support layer to a surface expands the arenas in which the pre-stressed electroactive device may be used. Application for which the invention may be used include actuators, sensors, or as a component in a pumps, switches, relays, pressure transducers and acoustic devices.

Advanced layered composite polylaminate electroactive actuator and sensor

Molded magnetic article

A method for bonding or joining plastic or metallic pipe using induced energy is provided. A susceptor is placed between the two pipes to be joined and a magnetic flux is induced onto the susceptor. The second pipe may be a coupling device. The magnetic flux may be induced by a tank circuit or an induction heating gun. The induction heating gun may be formed with a hinged heating head. The susceptor may be a perforated metal ring or a wire coil. The susceptor is coated with a material compatible with the pipes, for example, a plastic adhesive material, magnetic flux is an induction heating gun having a hinged heating head.

Inductive systems for bonding and joining pipes

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Hayes, VA, United States of America

Robert L Fox