Patents by Inventor Clinton W. Moulds, III

Clinton W. Moulds, III has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5164647
    Abstract: A system for minimizing periodically induced vibration in a mechanical structure, particularly rotary shaft apparatus that is not limited to the use of any particular number or type of forcers or sensors and requires no knowledge of the mechanical structure's transfer function. In accordance with a preferred embodiment the system senses periodically induced vibration utilizing a plurality of sensors and produces a complex output representative of the algebraic sum of the vibrations sensed for each harmonic and counteracting the vibration with a plurality of actuators operatively coupled to the structure by producing a counteracting vibration therein in response to a complex input signal for each actuator in the form of a matrix of system responses to vibrational inputs at selected harmonics of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Clinton W. Moulds, III
  • Patent number: 5049795
    Abstract: The total periodically induced vibratory disturbance in a structure having unique structural characteristics is minimized. Actuators are operated in response to complex input signals to produce counteractive forces in the structure. Sensors responsive to the vibrational disturbance and the counteractive forces produce outputs indicative thereof. A processor having an electrical characteristic related to the structural characteristic produces complex outputs for each actuator in response to the sensor inputs. The complex outputs are adjusted by the processor to result in a convergence of the structural response to the minimum vibration in response to the disturbance and the actuator inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Clinton W. Moulds, III
  • Patent number: 4950966
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for cancelling vibrations caused by periodic pulsating forces acting on a rotating shaft which are synchronous with the shaft rotation. An adaptive algorithm is implemented which utilizes the sensed velocity or acceleration of the difference between the pulsting forces acting on the shaft and an applied control force to generate an estimate of the phase shift existing therebetween to adjust a pair of adaptive weighting coefficients for sine and cosine force components which are adjusted by a least mean square (LMS) algorithm. Actuating signals for the reaction mass actuator are generated from the weighted force components which applies a controlled force to the shaft to oppose the shaft pulsation force and thus cancel the vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Clinton W. Moulds, III
  • Patent number: 4912387
    Abstract: A separate adaptive noise canceller receiving a reference input of a rotor speed synchronization pulse is connected in the X and Y axis positional control loops of a magnetic bearing utilized to position a rotor suspended thereby. The output of the noise canceller is self-adjusting by the inclusion of an adaptive filter implementing a least mean square algorithm to force the gain of the control loop to zero at not only the fundamental of the rotational speed, but all harmonic frequencies thereof, thereby reducing the vibration and control system power dissipation of the magnetic bearing at the rotational fundamental as well as at the rotational harmonics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Clinton W. Moulds, III
  • Patent number: 4663703
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for controlling the output of a dynamic system which is susceptible to changing dynamic characteristics. The desired present and future outputs of the system are applied to a predictor which determines the inputs to a model reference adaptive control subsystem from which the actual outputs are produced. The predictor uses an impulse model of the subsystem to simulate and predict future outputs. The adaptive control subsystem includes adjustable gain feedback or controlloops which are adjusted to make the dynamic system appear to have constant characteristics even when its dynamic characteristics are changing. A reference model of the dynamic system is used as the basis for the gain adjustments. The equation weights for the mathematical impulse model used by the input predictor are derived from the reference model of the adaptive control subsystem, and remain constant throughout the operation of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: George S. Axelby, Vedat Geldiay, Clinton W. Moulds, III
  • Patent number: 4634946
    Abstract: Predictive control of a controlled dynamic system having conventional feedback. The input predictor processes the assumed inputs to the controlled system to determine an error output or value corresponding to the outputs only at the prediction horizon interval. The error output is processed by scalar mathematical operations to adjust the assumed inputs and form actual inputs to the controlled system. This method of predicting the inputs can be accomplished in less time than required by previous systems, and the stability of the controlled system, particularly non-minimum phase systems, is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Clinton W. Moulds, III, George S. Axelby