Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for a wireless remotely operable unmanned compact vehicle platform for use in land management comprising a frame and providing a pair of ground engageable endless drive tracks powered by a hydraulic fluid power source. The vehicle supports working attachments on the front end by utilizing a universal working attachment coupling interface carried on a pair of loader boom structures, and the vehicle supports working attachments on the rear end by utilizing a three point hitch apparatus. Working attachments coupled to the vehicle may be powered by the hydraulic fluid power source carried on the frame. A wireless remote control apparatus allows an operator to control the vehicle at a safe distance and a wireless video system allows an operator to control the vehicle accurately. A system of autonomous operation is integrated with the vehicle for travel in complex, unstructured environments.

Abstract: An electrode for a lead-acid battery comprising a current collector and active material carried by said current collector wherein the active material includes a conductive filler or a mixture of conductive and non-conductive fillers such that the utilization of active material is greater than 35% at the one hour rate. In addition, the active material may form multilayers wherein the several layers of the multilayers may contain varying amounts of fillers either conductive or non-conductive.

Abstract: A reliable positive plate for deep cycle lead-acid batteries is provided by dispersing about 2 percent by volume of fine, short, lead-coated reinforcement fibers such as fiberglass in the positive active paste before being applied to the grid of a battery plate and cured. The fibers improve the structural integrity of the plate and also provide electrical paths in a discharged plate. This results in greater utilization of the lead dioxide active material by preventing charged portions of the plate from becoming electrically isolated.

Abstract: A composite battery separator comprises a support element (10) having an open pore structure such as a ribbed lattice and at least one liquid permeable sheet (20,22) to distribute the compressive force evenly onto the surfaces of the layers (24, 26) of negative active material and positive active material. In a non-flooded battery cell the compressible, porous material (18), such as a glass mat which absorbs the electrolyte, is compressed into a major portion of the pores or openings (16) in the support element. The unfilled pores in the material (18) form a gas diffusion path as the channels (41) formed between adjacent ribs in the lattice element (30,36). Facing two lattice elements (30, 31) with acute angled cross-ribs (34, 38) facing each other prevents the elements from interlocking and distorting a porous, separator (42) disposed between the lattice elements.

Abstract: A sealed, low maintenance battery (10, 100) is formed of a casing (14, 102) having a sealed lid (12, 104) enclosing cell compartments (22, 110) formed by walls (24, 132). The cells comprise a stack (26) of horizontally disposed negative active plates (30) and positive active plates (28) interspersed with porous, resilient separator sheets (30). Each plate has a set of evenly spaced tigs (40, 41) disposed on one side thereof; like polarity tigs being disposed on one side and opposite polarity tigs on the other. Columns of tigs are electrically and mechanically joined by vertical bus bars (46). The bus bars contain outwardly projecting arms (56) of opposite polarity which are electrically joined at each partition wall (24) to electrically connect the cells in series. The stack is compressed by biasing means such as resilient pad (58) attached to the lid or by joining the tigs (52) to the post (48) at a distance less than the thickness of the mat (124).

Abstract: A polyphase SCR inverter (10) having N switching poles, each comprised of two SCR switches (1A, 1B; 2A, 2B . . . NA, NB) and two diodes (D1B; D1B; D2A, D2B . . . DNA, DNB) in series opposition with saturable reactors (L1A, L1B; L2A, L2B . . . LNA, LNB) connecting the junctions between the SCR switches and diodes to an output terminal (1, 2 . . . 3) is commutated with only one GTO thyristor (16) connected between the common negative terminal of a dc source and a tap of a series inductor (14) connected to the positive terminal of the dc source. A clamp winding (22) and diode (24) are provided, as is a snubber (18) which may have its capacitance (c) sized for maximum load current divided into a plurality of capacitors (C.sub.1, C.sub.2 . . . C.sub.N), each in series with an SCR switch S.sub.1, S.sub.2 . . . S.sub.N). The total capacitance may be selected by activating selected switches as a function of load current.

Abstract: A shunt switch comprised of a field-effect transistor (Q.sub.1) is employed to commutate a current-fed inverter (10) using thyristors (SCR1, SCR2) or bijunction transistors (Q.sub.2, Q.sub.3) in a full bridge (1, 2, 3, 4) or half bridge (5, 6) and transformer (T.sub.1) configuration. In the case of thyristors, a tapped inverter (12) is employed to couple the inverter to a dc source to back bias the thyristors during commutation. Alternatively, a commutation power supply (20) may be employed for that purpse. Diodes (D.sub.1, D.sub.2) in series with some voltage dropping element (resistor R.sub.12 or resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2 or Zener diodes D.sub.4, D.sub.5) are connected in parallel with the thyristors in the half bridge and transformer configuration to assure sharing the back bias voltage. A clamp circuit comprised of a winding (18) negatively coupled to the inductor and a diode (D.sub.3) return stored energy from the inductor to the power supply for efficient operation with buck or boost mode.

Abstract: A lightweight, battery construction for lead acid batteries in which biplates are formed from a continuous strip of thermoplastic material, one face of the strip being provided with a plurality of electrically isolated lead strip arrays, each having a transverse axis about which the strip is folded or pleated to provide pleated biplate walls. The pleated continuous strip is sealed along edge longitudinal portions to provide chambers for receiving a plurality of non-conductive thermoplastic separator-plates and to contain electrolyte liquid. Separator-plates support resilient yieldable porous glass mats and scrim fabric in which active material is carried. The assembly of pleated biplates and separator-plates is maintained in pressure relation by exterior resilient means. A method of making such a continuous pleated biplate construction and of assembling one or more battery modules which may be connected in series or in parallel.

Abstract: A circuit for commutating a thyristor (21) by shunting its current for a minimum interval, thereby removing sustaining voltage to said thyristor, then subsequently restoring voltage to said thyristor at a predetermined rate, utilizes a series combination of a commutation electronic switch (22) and an isolated dc voltage supply (23) connected in parallel with the thyristor. The voltage supply is arranged with a polarity that permits the current flowing through the thyristor in one direction to be bypassed through the series combination while the commutation switch is turned on and to reverse bias the thyristor when the commutation switch is fully on. A dv/dt control circuit (24) limits the rate of rise of voltage across the commutation switch (22) as it is turned off in response to a command input signal.

Abstract: A lightweight, bipolar battery construction for lead acid batteries in which a plurality of thin, rigid, biplates each comprise a graphite fiber thermoplastic composition in conductive relation to lead stripes plated on opposite flat surfaces of the plates, and wherein a plurality of nonconductive thermoplastic separator plates support resilient yieldable porous glass mats in which active material is carried, the biplates and separator plates with active material being contained and maintained in stacked assembly by axial compression of the stacked assembly. A method of assembling such a bipolar battery construction.