The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 12, 2014
Filed:
Dec. 30, 2011
Alan L. Browne, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
Nancy L. Johnson, Northville, MI (US);
Nilesh D. Mankame, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Paul W. Alexander, Ypsilanti, MI (US);
John Andrew Shaw, Dexter, MI (US);
Christopher Burton Churchill, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Andrew C. Keefe, Encino, CA (US);
Guillermo A. Herrera, Winnetka, CA (US);
Jeffrey W Brown, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Richard J. Skurkis, Lake Orion, MI (US);
Alan L. Browne, Grosse Pointe, MI (US);
Nancy L. Johnson, Northville, MI (US);
Nilesh D. Mankame, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Paul W. Alexander, Ypsilanti, MI (US);
John Andrew Shaw, Dexter, MI (US);
Christopher Burton Churchill, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Andrew C. Keefe, Encino, CA (US);
Guillermo A. Herrera, Winnetka, CA (US);
Jeffrey W Brown, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Richard J. Skurkis, Lake Orion, MI (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Dynalloy Inc., Tustin, CA (US);
The Regents of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abstract
A shape memory alloy (SMA) heat engine includes a first rotatable pulley, a second rotatable pulley, and an SMA material disposed about the first and second rotatable pulleys and between a hot region and a cold region. A method of starting and operating the SMA heat engine includes detecting a thermal energy gradient between the hot region and the cold region using a controller, decoupling an electrical generator from one of the first and second rotatable pulleys, monitoring a speed of the SMA material about the first and second rotatable pulleys, and re-engaging the driven component if the monitored speed of the SMA material exceeds a threshold. The SMA material may selectively change crystallographic phase between martensite and austenite and between the hot region and the cold region to convert the thermal gradient into mechanical energy.