Abstract: A mobile human interface robot that includes a base defining a vertical center axis and a forward drive direction and a holonomic drive system supported by the base. The drive system has first, second, and third driven drive wheels, each trilaterally spaced about the vertical center axis and having a drive direction perpendicular to a radial axis with respect to the vertical center axis. The robot further includes a controller in communication with the holonomic drive system, a torso supported above the base, and a touch sensor system in communication with the controller. The touch sensor system is responsive to human contact. The controller issues drive commands to the holonomic drive system based on a touch signal received from the touch sensor system.

Abstract: A drive system for each arm of a mobile robot, each drive system including a drive motor and an adjustable clutch system interconnected between its associated arm and the drive motor and having a high friction locked position for enabling direct drive of the arm by the drive motor and a reduced friction slip position for enabling manual movement of the associated arm without back-driving the drive motor.

Abstract: A mobile human interface robot that includes a base defining a vertical center axis and a forward drive direction and a holonomic drive system supported by the base. The drive system has first, second, and third driven drive wheels, each trilaterally spaced about the vertical center axis and having a drive direction perpendicular to a radial axis with respect to the vertical center axis. The robot further includes a controller in communication with the holonomic drive system, a torso supported above the base, and a touch sensor system in communication with the controller. The touch sensor system is responsive to human contact. The controller issues drive commands to the holonomic drive system based on a touch signal received from the touch sensor system.

Abstract: A drive system for each arm of a mobile robot, each drive system including a drive motor and an adjustable clutch system interconnected between its associated arm and the drive motor and having a high friction locked position for enabling direct drive of the arm by the drive motor and a reduced friction slip position for enabling manual movement of the associated arm without back-driving the drive motor.

Abstract: A fractional boost system including a boost converter, responsive to the base level voltage of a power supply, for providing a boost level voltage to a load and a control system for sensing the current to the boost converter and limiting the boost function of the boost converter when the current to the boost converter exceeds a predetermined level, while applying the power supply base level voltage and supplying current exceeding the predetermined level to the load.

Abstract: A mobile operator control unit for remotely controlling a robot includes a housing with a reconfigurable user interface with multiple sockets. A plurality of control modules are each removably received in a socket and include one or more switches. A module interface is connected to the one or more switches. A baseboard processing unit is connected to each module interface for receiving and processing signals received from the module interfaces. A transmitter is responsive to the baseboard processing unit for transmitting signals to the robot based on the activation of the module switches.

Abstract: A grid-linked power supply is described. An inverter, at least one distributed energy source to meet normal, non-peak power demand, a connection to a public utility grid to meet peak power demand requirements, and a converter for regulating delivery of power from the distributed energy source or the public utility grid are connected by bus lines. A topology for the grid-linked power supply has an inverter and a DC/DC converter that is connected to the distributed energy source. The inverter and converter are connected by bus lines, and a bias voltage is provided to select drawing power from the distributed energy source or the public utility grid.

Abstract: A power supply device for providing uninterrupted power for a period of time is disclosed. The power supply device has a controller and a flywheel device. The flywheel device has a housing that contains a flywheel rotor and a motor/generator rotor. The flywheel rotor and the motor/generator rotor are mounted on a common shaft. An active axial magnetic bearing is located to support the shaft for frictionless rotation. The bearing provides support for the shaft, the flywheel rotor and motor/generator rotor. The axial magnetic bearing is attached to the housing and provides, in combination with the motor/generator rotor, a flux path and magnetic field to exert a magnetic force to lift the motor/generator rotor and the shaft on which it is mounted.

Abstract: An alternator system having a single voltage sensor and a half-wave controlled rectifier bridge for increasing/decreasing alternator output power is disclosed. The half-wave controlled rectifier bridge includes three diodes and three active switches. The alternator system further includes a controlled field winding coupled to a three-phase stator winding; a battery; and, a controller for controlling the active switches and the field winding for increasing/decreasing the alternator output power. The controller uses edges sensed by the single voltage sensor for determining optimum activation and deactivation times for the three active switches in the bridge, and then controlling the switches in accordance with the determined optimum switching times.

Abstract: In an induction generator, an additional set of stator windings is provided, separate from and secondary to the main stator windings upon which the generator's output voltage is generated and supplied to the load. This separate stator winding is provided for the purpose of supplying the generator with the reactive electrical power it needs to maintain the rotating stator field and supplying any reactive power needed by the load. Thus, there is no need to use a capacitor assembly, for supplying the reactive power needed by the generator. Currents are injected into this separate winding in such a way that only reactive power is supplied to the generator. Specifically, a power measuring circuit measures the power in the additional set of stator windings, and a power error signal is formed by algebraically adding the outputs of the power measuring circuit.

Abstract: A hybrid powertrain assembly includes a voltage bus which is operable using a predetermined voltage level within a predetermined voltage range, a generator operatively connected to the voltage bus for generating power and bilaterally transferring the power with the voltage bus independently of the voltage level, a traction motor operatively connected with the voltage bus, the traction motor bilaterally transferring power with the voltage bus independently of the voltage level, and a flywheel assembly operatively connected with the voltage bus, the flywheel assembly bilaterally transferring power with the voltage bus based on the voltage level.

Abstract: An electric vehicle propulsion system having a motor with first and second electrically isolated windings and a system control unit for controlling the motor, wherein the system control unit includes a first power bridge for driving the first windings and a second power bridge for driving the second windings.

Abstract: A flywheel controller for commutating a stator of a flywheel is disclosed wherein the flywheel controller includes a sensing unit to sense the position of a rotor and for creating a rotational signal, a control unit operatively connecting to the sensing unit for creating a command signal, and a commutator operatively connected to the controller for receiving the command signal to commutate the stator, wherein the commutator includes a pulse width modulator for controlling power from the flywheel over a first predetermined power range and a step generator for controlling power from the flywheel over a second predetermined power range.

Abstract: A method for accurately estimating the rotational speed of a machine includes the steps of initializing a counter, measuring a position of the machine, incrementing the counter, waiting for a position update, measuring a next position of the machine, calculating a difference between the position measurement, measuring the amount of time elapse between positions, returning to the step of incrementing to the counter if the difference is less than a predetermined amount, returning to the step of incrementing the counter if the amount of time is less than a predetermined time, dividing the difference by the amount of time to determine the estimated rotational speed of the machine, and outputing the estimated rotational speed of the machine.

Abstract: A speed controller for a generator having a rotor includes a speed control input port for receiving a speed command signal, a proportional gain stage electrically connected to said speed control input port for amplifying the speed command signal to create an amplified signal, a turbine speed integrator operatively connected to the speed control input port for integrating the speed control signal to create an integrated signal, an adder for adding the amplified signal and the integrated signal to create a torque signal, a speed estimator for estimating the rotational speed of the rotor of the generator whereafter the speed estimator generates a rotational speed signal and a multiplier electrically connected to the adder and the speed estimator to multiply the rotational speed signal and the torque signal to create a power signal to be output by the speed controller.

Abstract: A time delay compensated synchronous reference frame controller for a drive motor having a rotor and using an alternating current having a phase angle includes a low pass filter electrically connected to the drive motor for eliminating high frequency components of the alternating current, a coordinate transformer electrically connected to the low pass filter for receiving the alternating current and for defining a moving reference frame based on the phase of the alternating current, a controller electrically connected to the coordinate transformer for driving the alternating current to a proper phase relative to a flux of the rotor of the motor, an inverse coordinate transformer electrically connected to the compensator for receiving the alternating current and for transforming the moving reference frame to a stationary reference frame, and a reference frame shifter operatively connected to this coordinate transformer and the inverse coordinate transformer wherein the reference frame shifter defines a shift i

Abstract: A vector control board for an electric vehicle propulsion system motor controller comprising a microcontroller for generating torque requests, a digital signal processor for receiving the torque requests from the microcontroller and for generating phase voltage signals in accordance with the torque requests, and a digital gate array for receiving the phase voltage signals from the digital signal processor and for generating gate drive signals from the phase voltage signals.

Abstract: A method for testing a power bridge for an electric vehicle propulsion system, the power bridge including a switching circuit having first and second switching elements operable between "on" and "off" states. The method comprises the steps of selectively switching the first and second switching elements between the "on" and "off" states, monitoring the first and second switching elements to determine whether the first and second switching elements operate between the "on" and "off" states when selectively switched, and indicating a failure o#the switching circuit when at least one of the first and second switching elements does not operate between the "on" and "off" states when selectively switched.

Abstract: A pulse width modulator (PWM) circuit for generating pulses to enable a driver control unit to drive a pair of switching circuits for an electric motor including an input section for receiving an N bit digitized input signal to be modulated and a PWM counter for continuously counting up from zero to a predetermined number and back down to zero, the PWM counter generating a digitized triangular waveform having N bits of resolution corresponding to the predetermined number. A compare unit receives and compares the digitized input signal and the digitized triangular waveform to produce an output pulse and a dead-time generator unit produces a first pulse and a second pulse from the output pulse produced from the compare unit. The first and second pulses each drives a corresponding one of the switching circuits and the first and second pulses have different transition times relative to each other.

Abstract: A waveform flat-topping unit includes a signal generator for producing first, second and third reference signals and a normalizing unit for normalizing the first reference signal. A waveform generator produces a third harmonic waveform of the normalized first reference signal. A comparator compares a vector value, which is produced according to the first, second and third reference signals, to a predetermined threshold value, the predetermined threshold value being the largest realizable pure signal value. An adder in response to the comparison, adds zero to each of the first, second and third reference signals when the vector value is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value. The adder adds the third harmonic signal to each of the first, second and third reference signals when the vector value is greater than the predetermined threshold value.