Abstract: An aeronautical apparatus is disclosed that has two pairs of wings: an aft pair and a fore pair. Each wing has a thrust-angle motor. An assembly is coupled to each thrust-angle motor. Assemblies coupled to the wings have a propeller motor with a propeller and a control surface. The control surface provides lift when in forward flight. In vertical flight or hovering, the control surface, if it remains fixed with respect to the fuselage, i.e., in the position which provides lift in forward flight, produces significant drag. However, by rotating the control surfaces with the propeller motor, the drag from the control surfaces is significantly reduced. The control surfaces are outboard the propellers in some embodiments and inboard in others. In the latter case, the control surface is part of the trailing edge of the wing.

Abstract: An aeronautical apparatus is disclosed that has two pairs of wings. Each wing has a thrust-angle motor. A propeller and propeller motor are coupled to each thrust-angle motor. Propeller pitch is controlled by a propeller-pitch motor. The thrust-angle motor allows the propeller axis of rotation to be parallel to the fuselage's longitudinal axis; vertical (perpendicular to longitudinal axis, as in well-known fixed-position, four-propeller drones); and any position between as well as a given range exceeding these bounds which is used for control. An electronic control unit is electronically coupled to the thrust-angle motors, propeller motors, and propeller-pitch motors, which can be independently controlled, to provide the desired thrust and trajectory. Such an apparatus can provide efficient operation in vertical take-off/landing (hovering) and forward (translational) flight modes.

Abstract: An aeronautical apparatus is disclosed that has two pairs of wings. Each wing has a thrust-angle motor. A propeller and propeller motor are coupled to each thrust-angle motor. Propeller pitch is controlled by a propeller-pitch motor. The thrust-angle motor allows the propeller axis of rotation to be parallel to the fuselage's longitudinal axis; vertical (perpendicular to longitudinal axis, as in well-known fixed-position, four-propeller drones); and any position between as well as a given range exceeding these bounds which is used for control. An electronic control unit is electronically coupled to the thrust-angle motors, propeller motors, and propeller-pitch motors, which can be independently controlled, to provide the desired thrust and trajectory. Such an apparatus can provide efficient operation in vertical take-off/landing (hovering) and forward (translational) flight modes.

Abstract: A method and a device for water recovery from exhaust gas is disclosed. The exhaust gas flows into an exhaust gas chamber. Water molecules in the exhaust gas are extracted into a tube system via a molecular sieve. Water molecules in a vapor state are then condensed in a condenser. The exhaust gas flow is controlled by a valve at the end of the exhaust chamber. The method and device allow the greatest possible proportion of water to be recovered from the exhaust gas in a simple way.

Abstract: It is common in electric machines to use the housing as a heat sink to remove energy from the electric machine. In some applications, however, the housing receives energy from a hot element. For example, in an electronically controlled turbocharger, the very hot turbine housing radiates and conducts energy to the electric machine housing exacerbating the heating within the electric machine. To reduce the heat transfer into the electric machine, a gap is provided between the stator and the housing outside the stator. In one alternative, the gap is filled with an insulating material. In another embodiment, the gap is an air gap with the stator located within the housing by circumferential rings or axial rods in corresponding grooves. In yet another embodiment, coolant is provided to the gap at the top and drained away at the bottom under the action of gravity.

Abstract: A security panel apparatus and a method for covering window and door openings in buildings using the security panel apparatus are disclosed. In one embodiment, the security panel has a main panel, a plurality of sides, and flanges. The flanges have apertures for securing the security panel to the outer surface of the building. Because in practice a service provider is likely to carry multiple panels to a building that needs securing, there is a desire to stow the panels with an efficient use of space in mind both in the warehouse and in the service vehicle. For this reason, the sides form an angle with the main panel that is greater than 90 degrees to facilitate nesting multiple panels.

Abstract: In a piston-ported engine, a sealing ring may be placed in a groove in the cylinder. As the groove is of greater diameter than the cylinder, the sealing ring overlaps into a helix allowing it to be enter the cylinder. However, such a helix does not fit into a groove without when in the helix. Alternatively, a shorter sealing ring is placed into the groove. However, the gap is too large. According to one embodiment, a groove of double the width of the ring is provided and the helical ring is installed and caused to unwind in the groove so that the ring sits in a plane. A spacer ring is placed in the groove to fill the extra space in the groove. An elastomeric material or a tension spring in an outer groove in the sealing ring can be used to cause the ring to press against the piston.

Abstract: In some two-stroke engines, a stationary ring is disposed in a groove in the cylinder liner. However, it is a challenge to install such a stationary ring while maintaining a narrow gap to minimize gas flow through the gap. A ring system for an internal combustion engine is disclosed that includes an L-shaped, split ring with a reentrant angle and a nested, split ring with a convex quadrilateral cross section nested with the L-shaped ring proximate the reentrant angle. The two rings are affixed so that the two gaps of the split rings cannot align. Or, in other embodiments, the two are allowed to rotate relative to each other over a predetermined angle.

Abstract: A toroidal combustion chamber shape with side injectors is being developed for an opposed-piston engine. Favorable combustion characteristics of such configuration are transferred to a conventional engine, i.e., one with a combustion chamber delimited by a piston, a cylinder wall, and a cylinder head. At least one injector is disposed in the cylinder head at the periphery. The fuel is injected substantially along the plane of interface between the cylinder head and the cylinder block. The intake system is configured to provide a swirling flow in the combustion chamber. The fuel is injected in an angle that is displaced from the central axis of the cylinder and directed along the swirl. In some embodiments, a substantially torus-shaped volume is formed between the piston and the cylinder head when the piston is at top center. The injector or injectors spray fuel into the toroidally-shaped volume substantially tangent to the torus.

Abstract: In an electric machine, there may be lubrication and cooling needs, such as lubricating bearings and cooling coils of the electric machine. When lubricant is used for both, it is desirable to prioritize the lubrication to the bearings. By providing check valves between a pressurized oil manifold and the cooling coils, lubricant is diverted to the coils only when pressure in the system is sufficient to satisfy both lubrication and cooling. In some embodiments, an oil gallery is provided on an outside surface of a back iron of the stator of the electric machine and orifices are provided in the back iron so that oil drips onto the coils of the electric motor. In some embodiments, the current commanded to the electric motor is based on whether or not lubricant (or other coolant) is being provided to the coils.

Abstract: It is common in electric machines to use the housing as a heat sink to remove energy from the electric machine. In some applications, however, the housing receives energy from a hot element. For example, in an electronically controlled turbocharger, the very hot turbine housing radiates and conducts energy to the electric machine housing exacerbating the heating within the electric machine. To reduce the heat transfer into the electric machine, a gap is provided between the stator and the housing outside the stator. In one alternative, the gap is filled with an insulating material. In another embodiment, the gap is an air gap with the stator located within the housing by circumferential rings or axial rods in corresponding grooves. In yet another embodiment, coolant is provided to the gap at the top and drained away at the bottom under the action of gravity.

Abstract: It is important to maintain the temperature in the ring pack area of the piston of an internal combustion engine below about 270° C. to maintain proper ring function and lubrication. Disclosed is a piston with a heat barrier groove between the piston top and the ring pack and a method to construct such a piston. The heat barrier groove extends inwardly toward the center of the piston a greater distance than the compression ring grooves. In one embodiment, a low thermal conductivity material is placed in the inner portion of the heat barrier groove and a split ring is place in the outer portion. In another embodiment, a gas is provided in the inner portion and the split ring is welded to the piston so that the inner portion of the heat barrier groove is sealed, i.e., welding at the upper and lower edges and at the gap.

Abstract: In a piston-ported engine, a sealing ring may be placed in a groove in the cylinder. As the groove is of greater diameter than the cylinder, the sealing ring overlaps into a helix allowing it to be enter the cylinder. However, such a helix does not fit into a groove without when in the helix. Alternatively, a shorter sealing ring is placed into the groove. However, the gap is too large. According to one embodiment, a groove of double the width of the ring is provided and the helical ring is installed and caused to unwind in the groove so that the ring sits in a plane. A spacer ring is placed in the groove to fill the extra space in the groove. An elastomeric material or a tension spring in an outer groove in the sealing ring can be used to cause the ring to press against the piston.

Abstract: In some two-stroke engines, a stationary ring is disposed in a groove in the cylinder liner. However, it is a challenge to install such a stationary ring while maintaining a narrow gap to minimize gas flow through the gap. A ring system for an internal combustion engine is disclosed that includes an L-shaped, split ring with a reentrant angle and a nested, split ring with a convex quadrilateral cross section nested with the L-shaped ring proximate the reentrant angle. The two rings are affixed so that the two gaps of the split rings cannot align. Or, in other embodiments, the two are allowed to rotate relative to each other over a predetermined angle.

Abstract: In an electric machine, there may be lubrication and cooling needs, such as lubricating bearings and cooling coils of the electric machine. When lubricant is used for both, it is desirable to prioritize the lubrication to the bearings. By providing check valves between a pressurized oil manifold and the cooling coils, lubricant is diverted to the coils only when pressure in the system is sufficient to satisfy both lubrication and cooling. In some embodiments, an oil gallery is provided on an outside surface of a back iron of the stator of the electric machine and orifices are provided in the back iron so that oil drips onto the coils of the electric motor. In some embodiments, the current commanded to the electric motor is based on whether or not lubricant (or other coolant) is being provided to the coils.

Abstract: A combustion chamber for an internal combustion engine is disclosed in which the piston has a large squish region at a peripheral location on the piston top and a depression in the center of the piston top. A side injector sprays fuel into the depression in the piston top through a channel defined in the squish region. In some embodiments, two injectors are provided that are diametrically opposed to each other. In some embodiments, the engine is an opposed-piston engine in which each piston has the squish regions and depressions in the piston top.

Abstract: Feedback control of an internal combustion engine is performed based on a signal from a vibration sensor and a crankshaft angle sensor. An energy factor can be computed based on these sensor signals. A vector of energy factor can be computed as a function of crank angle degree over a particular window of engine rotation of interest. Based on the energy factor vector, combustion phasing can be estimated.

Abstract: A method for controlling a first and second injector of an engine, the first injector located in a first cylinder of the engine and the second injector located upstream of, and configured to inject fuel into, the first and a second cylinder of the engine, the method comprising of decreasing total injection from the first and second injectors when decreasing injection from the second injector, and increasing total injection from the first and second injectors when increasing injection of the second injector.

Abstract: A method to control injection timing for an internal combustion engine having a plurality of injectors in at least a cylinder, the method comprising of boosting intake air delivered to the engine, directly injecting a fuel to at least a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, adjusting each of a timing and number of direct injections for a cylinder cycle as an alcohol amount in the fuel varies, where said adjusting includes advancing direct injection timing relative to intake valve timing as said alcohol amount increases.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of performing feedback control of the operation of an internal combustion engine based on a signal from a vibration sensor and a crankshaft angle sensor. An energy factor can be computed based on these sensor signals which provides an estimate of the combustion phasing and combustion intensity. A vector of energy factors can be computed as a function of crank angle degree over a particular window of engine rotation of interest. Based on the energy factor vector, combustion phasing can be estimated.