Qortek, Inc.

Other

Ross W Bird

Gareth J Knowles

William M Bradley

William C Knoll

John M Staron

Jonathan M Zook

John J Murray

Safakcan Tuncdemir

Brian Shea

Michael Goehrig

Chad Savitz

Dennis L Eldred, Jr

Jon Zook

A non-contact, current sensor includes a gapped magnetic core configured to circumscribe a current carrying conductor. A magnetostrictive element is mechanically coupled to the gapped magnetic core. Current flowing in the current carrying conductor induces a magnetic field in the magnetic core that flows through the magnetostrictive element. The gapped magnetic core is provided with mounting sections to which the magnetostrictive element is mechanically coupled. The mounting sections have a geometry that increases magnetic flux in the magnetostrictive element. A strain gauge is mechanically coupled to the magnetostrictive element to measure displacement in the element induced by the magnetic flux.

Non-contact magnetostrictive current sensor

The present invention is directed to a piezoelectric transformer based power converter that exhibits efficient operating point tracking ability while providing output regulation by means of simultaneous two-parameter control of the converter power stage. A regulation control stage provides the power stage a regulation control signal indicative of the difference between the measured output parameter and a set-point reference, therefore continuously controlling the gain of the converter to result in a stabilized, regulated output. Additionally, a frequency control stage simultaneously provides the power stage with a frequency control signal correlative to the difference between the current and desired operating points of the piezoelectric transformer. The power stage then translates the frequency control signal into an adjustment to the operational frequency of the input signal to the piezoelectric transformer, as to continuously drive the operating point to the desired position.

Frequency tracking piezoelectric transformer power converter with simultaneous two-parameter control

Multilayered piezoelectric transformers, transformer elements and methods of constructing piezoelectric transformers are disclosed.

Slat-constructed autonomic transformers

An intrinsic piezoelectric transformer circuit a piezoelectric transformer circuit is provided that has a primary side component including first and second electrodes, a secondary side component including first and second electrodes, and at least one tertiary component including first and second electrodes. A power bridge is provided which includes one or more switches, each switch has a gate terminal that is directly connected to the second electrode of the tertiary component of the piezoelectric transformer. The first electrode of the tertiary component of the piezoelectric transformer is connected to a reference for the one or more switches of the power bridge. The first electrode of the primary component of the piezoelectric transformer is electrically connected to a power bridge output and the second electrode of the primary component of the piezoelectric transformer is connected to a ground terminal.

Intrinsic adaptive and autonomic piezotransformer circuits

A system for converting kinetic wave energy from a dynamic fluid into electrical power, the system including a structural housing containing a piezokinetic assembly having a plurality of electromechanical coupled elements, and a dynamic assembly, coupled to the piezokinetic assembly; and charge storage devices or power consumption devices in an electronics module coupled to the piezokinetic assembly. When the exposed to the dynamic fluid medium, the dynamic fluid medium's wave energy couples with the structural housing causing a resulting displacement of the dynamic assembly contained therein. The displacement of the dynamic assembly causes a plurality of the electromechanical coupled elements to simultaneously flex, generating an electrical charge which may be either stored in the charge storage device or which may directly power the power consumption device.

Method and system for fluid wave energy conversion

A power control circuit is presented. The circuit includes a pair of parallel optocoupler/logic stages and a pair of parallel voltage-to-current driver stages electrically coupled to a halfbridge stage in the order described. An input signal is communicated to the optocoupler/logic stage and processed therein to produce two distinctly separate but complimentary waveforms. Complimentary waveforms are communicated to the voltage-to-current driver stage to drive a paired arrangement of JFET switches. Thereafter, the JFET switches communicate with the halfbridge stage to control function of BJT switches. BJT switches are sequenced to produce a high power output. The present invention has immediate applicability to power conditioning, control, and distribution systems, as well as other applications which include or rely on silicon power transistors.

Circuit with high power density applicability

A high-frequency switch circuit is presented. The invention includes a pair of switches, a pair of inductors, and a pair of diodes. Inductors are electrically connected in series between the switches which are thereafter electrically coupled to a power source. Switches are electrically connected to gate drivers so as to control and coordinate the cycling of switches between ON and OFF states. Inductors are also electrically connected to an output thereby communicating a voltage waveform thereto. In some embodiments, it may be desired to electrically connect the inductors to an output circuit to further modify the waveform. Diodes are likewise electrically connected about the switches and inductors. The present invention is applicable to a variety of circuits having a totem pole arrangement of switches sequentially cycled ON and OFF, examples including but not limited to half-bridge, full-bridge, and hybrid configurations.

High frequency switch circuit

A gate drive circuit capable of providing both positive and negative drive from a DC power supply is presented. The circuit includes an isolator stage, a driver stage, an optional tuning stage, an offset stage, a shaping stage, and a switching stage, each electrically coupled in the order described. The isolator stage provides electrical isolation from signal level circuitry. The driver stage boosts the power within the signal from the isolator stage. The tuning stage slows rising and falling edges along the signal from driver. The offset stage shifts the unipolar gate drive signal from the tuning stage into the negative voltage range. The shaping stage modifies the signal from the offset stage so as to ensure squared transitions. The switching stage enables voltage control. The described circuit is applicable to electronics utilizing a variety of voltage controlled switching devices.

Gate drive circuit with negative offset

The present invention is a wing having telescoping segments deployed via an actuator composed of a heat activated material. The actuator is a coiled tube of shape memory alloy (SMA) with large force-displacement characteristics activated thermally by either a fluid or an electrical charge. Actuator motion extends an inner wing segment from an outer wing segment when the coiled tube is compressed. Compression is achieved by heating the coiled tube so as to cause a phase transformation from Martensite to Austenite. The inner wing segment may be retracted by a mechanical device or second SMA coil when the coiled tube is cooled and returned to its Martensite phase.

Growing community of inventors

Canton, PA, United States of America

Ross W Bird