Abstract: The present invention relates to an impact excitation measurement system comprising a testing chamber, an impactor, a sensor system and a support system, wherein the impactor is configured to provide an impact to a test piece supported by the support system at said predetermined height, wherein the sensor system is configured to obtain a vibrational response of the test piece to an impact provided to the test piece by the impactor, wherein the support system is configured to support a solid test piece at a predetermined height within the testing chamber, wherein the support system comprises a set of support bars which comprise a thermal expansion coefficient which is essentially equal to the thermal expansion coefficient of the impactor, the set of support bars comprising at least three support bars each having a support end, which three support ends are positioned non-collinearly.

Abstract: A method for acoustically measuring material properties of a test piece at high temperatures, includes the steps of: heating the test piece to within a testing temperature range; performing a background measurement within said testing temperature range by capturing a vibrational signal from the test piece within a calibration period, thereby obtaining a noise signal; performing an acoustic measurement on said test piece within said testing temperature range and within a testing period by: imparting a vibrational excitation onto the test piece; capturing a vibrational signal of the test piece within the testing period, thereby obtaining a vibrational response signal to said vibrational excitation, and obtaining the material properties of the test piece by analyzing the vibrational response signal, thereby taking into account the noise signal. A system is provided for acoustically measuring material properties of a test piece at high temperatures.

Abstract: The invention pertains to an apparatus for analyzing a mechanical vibratory response of a solid material sample, the apparatus comprising: an array of impactors arranged to impart an impact on respective well-defined points on the surface of said solid material sample; a sensor configured to capture said mechanical vibratory response as a time-varying signal, subsequent to an impact of said at least one impactor; and processing means configured to analyze said time-varying signal to determine the frequencies and decay constants of sinusoids making up said time-varying signal. The invention also pertains to a corresponding method of characterizing a solid material sample.

Abstract: The invention pertains to an apparatus for analyzing a mechanical vibratory response of a solid material sample, the apparatus comprising: an array of impactors arranged to impart an impact on respective well-defined points on the surface of said solid material sample; a sensor configured to capture said mechanical vibratory response as a time-varying signal, subsequent to an impact of said at least one impactor; and processing means configured to analyze said time-varying signal to determine the frequencies and decay constants of sinusoids making up said time-varying signal. The invention also pertains to a corresponding method of characterizing a solid material sample.

Abstract: A generator or motor system for converting mechanical power into electrical power or vice versa, comprises: a switched reluctance machine having a rotor and a stator with a number of phase windings, the phase windings being partitioned in groups, each group comprising at least two phase windings connected in series to form a ring structure; a power electronics circuit comprising: for each ring structure, an independently controllable means for generating a circulating current in said ring structure; a number of legs, each of the legs comprising at least two diodes or switches connected in series between a first and a second voltage rail, each leg having an intermediate node located between the two diodes or switches, and connected to a corresponding intermediate node between two phase windings of a ring structure.

Abstract: A generator or motor system for converting mechanical power into electrical power or vice versa, comprises: a switched reluctance machine having a rotor and a stator with a number of phase windings, the phase windings being partitioned in groups, each group comprising at least two phase windings connected in series to form a ring structure; a power electronics circuit comprising: for each ring structure, an independently controllable means for generating a circulating current in said ring structure; a number of legs, each of the legs comprising at least two diodes or switches connected in series between a first and a second voltage rail, each leg having an intermediate node located between the two diodes or switches, and connected to a corresponding intermediate node between two phase windings of a ring structure.

Abstract: Permanent magnet synchronous machines (100) are described having good efficiency, as well as corresponding methods for making a stator (110) or stator teeth (114) for such machines. A method for fabricating a stator (110) for an axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machine is for example described comprising obtaining several sets of substantially identical laminates (302), and stacking the sets of substantially identical laminates (302) so that a subsequent laminate has a part overlapping (304) the previous laminate and a part not overlapping (306) the previous laminate. Alternatively, a method of manufacturing a stator (110) is described wherein the method comprises obtaining a set of laminates (302) connected to each other with a thin strip (402) of material and creating a stack by folding the laminates (302) along the thin strip (402) of material.

Abstract: A combined heat power system comprises a Rankine cycle, optionally an organic Rankine cycle, using a fluid both in gaseous phase and liquid phase. The Rankine cycle comprises—an evaporator for evaporating the fluid from liquid phase to gaseous phase, an expander for expanding the fluid in gaseous phase provided by the evaporator. The expander is suitable to transform energy from the expansion of the fluid in gaseous phase into mechanical energy, —a condenser for condensing the fluid from gaseous phase from the expander to liquid phase and—a liquid pump for pumping the fluid in liquid phase provided by the condenser to the evaporator. The system comprises a heat source providing exhaust gas. The exhaust gas provides thermal energy for evaporating the fluid from liquid phase to gaseous phase by the evaporator. The system further comprises a generator unit for converting mechanical energy from expander to electrical energy. The expander is a volumetric expander.

Abstract: The invention describes a method for maximum power point tracking approximation and speed control of a wind turbine using an AC-DC converter consisting of “passive” components only. The proposed system only uses passive electrical components or semiconductors such as inductors, capacitor or diodes. In the proposed concept this is done by designing an electric circuit so that it loads the generator output in such a way as to realize a pre-defined torque-frequency characteristic. By carefully choosing the values of the different components, the circuit can be tuned to fit an ideal torque-frequency curve. This torque characteristic is close to the maximum-power tracking control law up to the rated rotor speed, and steeply rises beyond that speed in order to maintain the rotor speed within a certain range and prevent turbine runaway.

Abstract: Permanent magnet synchronous machines (100) are described having good efficiency, as well as corresponding methods for making a stator (110) or stator teeth (114) for such machines. A method for fabricating a stator (110) for an axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machine is for example described comprising obtaining several sets of substantially identical laminates (302), and stacking the sets of substantially identical laminates (302) so that a subsequent laminate has a part overlapping (304) the previous laminate and a part not overlapping (306) the previous laminate. Alternatively, a method of manufacturing a stator (110) is described wherein the method comprises obtaining a set of laminates (302) connected to each other with a thin strip (402) of material and creating a stack by folding the laminates (302) along the thin strip (402) of material.

Abstract: A combined heat power system comprises a Rankine cycle, optionally an organic Rankine cycle, using a fluid both in gaseous phase and liquid phase. The Rankine cycle comprises —an evaporator for evaporating the fluid from liquid phase to gaseous phase, an expander for expanding the fluid in gaseous phase provided by the evaporator. The expander is suitable to transform energy from the expansion of the fluid in gaseous phase into mechanical energy, —a condenser for condensing the fluid from gaseous phase from the expander to liquid phase and —a liquid pump for pumping the fluid in liquid phase provided by the condenser to the evaporator. The system comprises a heat source providing exhaust gas. The exhaust gas provides thermal energy for evaporating the fluid from liquid phase to gaseous phase by the evaporator. The system further comprises a generator unit for converting mechanical energy from expander to electrical energy. The expander is a volumetric expander.

Abstract: The subject of this invention is a novel mechanical learning system. The system proposed in this invention provides a method to speed up and control the learning process of an arbitrary mechanical movement with arbitrary mechanical loading and specified complexity and accuracy.

Abstract: A method is provided for enlarging the measuring volume of an optical measuring system and, on such a measuring system, at least one camera (2,3,4) to determine the position of at least one object (1) in relation to a base co-ordinate system, whereby, in order to measure the position of a point which is not situated within the field of vision of said camera (2,3,4), this camera (2,3,4) is moved in relation to a reference (7) having a fixed position in relation to said base co-ordinate system towards a measuring position, so that said point is situated within the field of vision of the camera (2,3,4), whereby the movement of the camera (2,3,4) in relation to said reference (7) is determined and the position of said point is perceived with said camera (2,3,4) in order to determine its position in relation to said base co-ordinate system, taking into account the movement of the camera (2,3,4).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for enlarging the measuring volume of an optical measuring system and, on such a measuring system, at least one camera (2, 3, 4) to determine the position of at least one object (1) in relation to a base co-ordinate system, whereby, in order to measure the position of a point which is not situated within the field of vision of said camera (2, 3, 4), this camera (2, 3, 4) is moved in relation to a reference (7) having a fixed position in relation to said base co-ordinate system towards a measuring position, so that said point is situated within the field of vision of the camera (2, 3, 4), whereby the movement of the camera (2, 3, 4) in relation to said reference (7) is determined and the position of said point is perceived with said camera (2, 3, 4) in order to determine its position in relation to said base co-ordinate system, taking into account the movement of the camera (2, 3, 4).

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a reference object for the verification and identification of a measuring device for measuring the spatial position of one or several points situated in the measuring volume (9) of the measuring device, whereby the measuring device is calibrated, according to which calibration a mathematical model is calculated which makes it possible to determine the spatial position of a point perceived by the measuring device, whereby a reference object (1) with predetermined dimensions is provided in the measuring volume (9), and, next, the position of several points of this reference object (1) is determined by means of the measuring device, whereby the mutual situation of the thus determined position of the points of the reference object (1) is calculated and compared to the actual dimensions of the reference object (1) and, on the basis of the thus established deviations between the measured mutual position of the points of the reference object (1) and the actual dimensions of the re

Abstract: The invention concerns a device and a method for measuring the position and/or orientation of a first element (3) with respect toga second element (2) of a vehicle, on which this first element (3) is mounted in a movable manner, with the aid of an optical measuring system with at least one camera unit (1), whereby at least three references (4,5,6), not laying on a strait line, are provided on one of these elements (3) such that these references (4,5,6), can be perceived by the camera unit (1). Said camera unit (1) is mounted fixed with respect to the other element (4) and the position of said references (4,5,6) is measured with said optical measuring system for successive positions and/or orientations of the element (3) on which these references (4,5,6) are provided.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for enlarging the measuring volume of an optical measuring system and, on such a measuring system, at least one camera (2,3,4) to determine the position of at least one object (1) in relation to a base co-ordinate system, whereby, in order to measure the position of a point which is not situated within the field of vision of said camera (2,3,4), this camera (2,3,4) is moved in relation to a reference (7) having a fixed position in relation to said base co-ordinate system towards a measuring position, so that said point is situated within the field of vision of the camera (2,3,4), whereby the movement of the camera (2,3,4) in relation to said reference (7) is determined and the position of said point is perceived with said camera (2,3,4) in order to determine its position in relation to said base co-ordinate system, taking into account the movement of the camera (2,3,4).

Abstract: Use of an optical element (1) in an optical measuring system, and such a measurement system, with a camera, whereby this optical element (1) contains a light source (2) with an active side (4) which lights up when an electric tension is applied via electric contacts (9,13) provided to this end, whereby this light source is mounted against a translucent wall (3), such that the light of the active side (4) can be seen through this wall (3), and whereby this translucent wall (3) is formed of transparent fibers (5) placed side by side in a parallel manner.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a reference object for the verification and identification of a measuring device for measuring the spatial position of one or several points situated in the measuring volume (9) of the measuring device, whereby the measuring device is calibrated, according to which calibration a mathematical model is calculated which makes it possible to determine the spatial position of a point perceived by the measuring device, whereby a reference object (1) with predetermined dimensions is provided in the measuring volume (9), and, next, the position of several points of this reference object (1) is determined by means of the measuring device, whereby the mutual situation of the thus determined position of the points of the reference object (1) is calculated and compared to the actual dimensions of the reference object (1) and, on the basis of the thus established deviations between the measured mutual position of the points of the reference object (1) and the actual dimensions of the re

Abstract: A method for measuring the displacement of a vehicle wheel relative to the frame thereof or relative to a fixed point of reference. The vehicle is located on a test stand in which the wheel is loaded, statically or dynamically. In a first step, a measuring system including cameras measures the position of at least three points of reference on the wheel, these three points of reference not being in a straight line. In a second step, the relative displacement of the wheel is calculated.