Abstract: An apparatus (100) for transporting a wind turbine blade (10) on at least two railcars over a railway is provided. The apparatus includes a root end support (22) for supporting the root end (12) of the blade, a mid span support (28) for supporting the mid span (14) of the blade, and a tip displacement limiter (24) for restricting a tip end (16) of the blade from extending beyond a lateral transportation limit (30) imposed by the railroad. The tip displacement limiter exerts a force on the blade which is counter to a force exerted on the blade by the mid span support only when the railcars navigate a design basis curve (32) in the railway to cause a bending of the blade in order to avoid exceeding the lateral transportation limit. The apparatus is particularly useful for the transportation of extra-long or curved wind turbine blades.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) for transporting a wind turbine blade (10) on at least two railcars over a railway is provided. The apparatus includes a root end support (22) for supporting the root end (12) of the blade, a mid span support (28) for supporting the mid span (14) of the blade, and a tip displacement limiter (24) for restricting a tip end (16) of the blade from extending beyond a lateral transportation limit (30) imposed by the railroad. The tip displacement limiter exerts a force on the blade which is counter to a force exerted on the blade by the mid span support only when the railcars navigate a design basis curve (32) in the railway to cause a bending of the blade in order to avoid exceeding the lateral transportation limit. The apparatus is particularly useful for the transportation of extra-long or curved wind turbine blades.

Abstract: A concrete casting method uses a vacuum to remove air from the concrete material, and further involves pouring the cement material over three-dimensional interlocking inclusions before curing. The inclusions may be generally polyhedral structures formed by an annular or disc-shaped central structure that defines a parting plane for an injection mold, and various structures extending transversely to the central annular or disc-shaped structure to form the generally polyhedral shape. Alternatively, the inclusions may be formed by a hub and radial structures, from which extend circumferential structures that define the polyhedral shape. Other inclusion structures take the form of wires or tubes with multiple coils. The inclusions may be used in a variety of concrete structures, including earthquake or tornado proof housing structures, cylindrical supports structures, and armored structure including ships and submarines.

Abstract: A high efficiency magnetic core electrical machine includes magnet and coil assemblies that may be axially stacked to form modules. The magnet sub-assemblies include magnet locators on which multiple permanent magnets are arranged, and the coil sub-assembly includes a pair of bobbin holders supporting multiple bobbins and magnetic cores that extend through the bobbins and through openings in the bobbin holders to form magnetic poles that face the permanent magnets. The permanent magnets and magnetic poles may be arranged in various zero-cogging configurations, including one in which the permanent magnets on opposite sides of the coil assembly are skewed relative to each other to cause cogging force cancellation. In addition, a power matching circuit may be used to optimize the output power of the electrical machine to rotor speed when the electrical machine is used as a generator.

Abstract: A magnetic core electrical machine includes a plurality of “U”-shaped stator yokes arranged circumferentially with respect to a rotor and either staggered to form a continuous flux return path or displaced relative to permanent magnets of the rotor in order to reduce cogging. Various mechanisms and/or circuits are provided to limit an output of the electrical machine at high speeds, and boost the voltage output at low speeds.

Abstract: An improved wind energy generator is described. This invention is a wind turbine that utilizes airfoils in unique designs that are made of lightweight materials. The turbine is manufactured by low cost production methods as portable units that are stacked in series to provide for significant power harvesting. The use of three dimensional twisted airfoils enable high efficiency and easy start up.

Abstract: A venturi muffler is made of a plurality of metallic tubular stepped members which are stacked together and define at least one sound-reflective chamber which opens through an annular venturi passage into an axial flow passage of the venturi muffler thereby creating a partial vacuum in the annular chamber. The annular chambers include aligned openings through which exhaust gasses flow but are also reflected by walls of the sound-reflective chambers. Therefore, the exhaust sound or noise is dampened by the cancellation of sound waves 180 degrees out of phase with each other, the creation of a partial vacuum through which sound cannot propagate or propagates minimally, and by the heat removed by all of the metallic heat-conductive venturi-forming segments of the venturi muffler.

Abstract: A wind turbine electrical generating device is described where the blades that comprise the airfoil are retractable during operation. This feature allows for a number of improvements over the current state of the art including damage protection and the ability to remain operational during high wind conditions. Further described is a computer feedback loop that controls the degree of retraction. In addition, lightweight airfoil turbine blades are described that are assembled from discrete segments.

Abstract: Instruments or gauges arranged to provide feedback detectable by the peripheral vision of a driver when vehicle operating parameters, such as engine speed, temperature, pressure, and voltage, are in a critical range, include one or more of the following types of instruments or gauges and/or features: (a) a tachometer that not only includes a primary numeric display, but also a secondary display made up of a plurality of discrete lights of different colors, the colors indicating whether the engine speed of a vehicle is within a relatively narrow range of engine speeds acceptable for the roadway leading from a race track to service areas, known as “pit road,” the high and low limits of the range being adjustable to meet pit road requirements at different tracks; (b) an instrument or gauge having a background that illuminates to indicate critical sensor readings; (c) an instrument or gauge having improved handling of sensor abnormalities to prevent false readings; (d) a non-linear analog gauge for a motor vehicl

Abstract: A venturi muffler is made of a plurality of metallic tubular stepped members which are stacked together and define at least one sound-reflective chamber which opens through an annular venturi passage into an axial flow passage of the venturi muffler thereby creating a partial vacuum in the annular chamber. The annular chambers include aligned openings through which exhaust gasses flow but are also reflected by walls of the sound-reflective chambers. Therefore, the exhaust sound or noise is dampened by the cancellation of sound waves 180 degrees out of phase with each other, the creation of a partial vacuum through which sound cannot propagate or propagates minimally, and by the heat removed by all of the metallic heat-conductive venturi-forming segments of the venturi muffler.

Abstract: Instruments or gauges arranged to provide feedback detectable by the peripheral vision of a driver when vehicle operating parameters, such as engine speed, temperature, pressure, and voltage, are in a critical range, include one or more of the following types of instruments or gauges and/or features: (a) a tachometer that not only includes a primary numeric display, but also a secondary display made up of a plurality of discrete lights of different colors, the colors indicating whether the engine speed of a vehicle is within a relatively narrow range of engine speeds acceptable for the roadway leading from a race track to service areas, known as “pit road,” the high and low limits of the range being adjustable to meet pit road requirements at different tracks; (b) an instrument or gauge having a background that illuminates to indicate critical sensor readings; (c) an instrument or gauge having improved handling of sensor abnormalities to prevent false readings; (d) a non-linear analog gauge for a motor vehicl

Abstract: Instruments or gauges arranged to provide feedback detectable by the peripheral vision of a driver when vehicle operating parameters, such as engine speed, temperature, pressure, and voltage, are in a critical range, include one or more of the following types of instruments or gauges and/or features: (a) a tachometer that not only includes a primary numeric display, but also a secondary display made up of a plurality of discrete lights of different colors, the colors indicating whether the engine speed of a vehicle is within a relatively narrow range of engine speeds acceptable for the roadway leading from a race track to service areas, known as “pit road,” the high and low limits of the range being adjustable to meet pit road requirements at different tracks; (b) an instrument or gauge having a background that illuminates to indicate critical sensor readings; (c) an instrument or gauge having improved handling of sensor abnormalities to prevent false readings; (d) a non-linear analog gauge for a motor vehicl

Abstract: Instruments or gauges arranged to provide feedback detectable by the peripheral vision of a driver when vehicle operating parameters, such as engine speed, temperature, pressure, and voltage, are in a critical range, include one or more of the following types of instruments or gauges and/or features: (a) a tachometer that not only includes a primary numeric display, but also a secondary display made up of a plurality of discrete lights of different colors, the colors indicating whether the engine speed of a vehicle is within a relatively narrow range of engine speeds acceptable for the roadway leading from a race track to service areas, known as “pit road,” the high and low limits of the range being adjustable to meet pit road requirements at different tracks; (b) an instrument or gauge having a background that illuminates to indicate critical sensor readings; (c) an instrument or gauge having improved handling of sensor abnormalities to prevent false readings; (d) a non-linear analog gauge for a motor vehicl

Abstract: A light diffusion device for uniformly dispersing light across a gauge dial plate having indicia associated therewith includes an annular member of transparent or translucent material having front and rear annular surfaces each merging with an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface. The inner peripheral surface is a frusto-conical widening in a direction from the rear surface toward the front surface to reflect light rays toward the outer peripheral and front surfaces thereby effecting uniform illumination across the front surface, and the outer peripheral surface and frusto-conical inner peripheral surface share a coincident axis of generation.

Abstract: An instrument gauge for motor vehicles which includes a large front face lens, an annular spacer ring, a dial plate and a light-diffuser plate, all of which have relatively large diameter/circumferences and each being preferably made from transparent/translucent plastic material. An outermost circumferential edge portion of the light-diffuser plate rests upon a radially outwardly directed flange which unites a large outer chamber of an inner gauge housing with a smaller chamber thereof. The inner housing is also preferably made of transparent/translucent material. Light rays emitted from behind the light-diffuser board are transmitted to outermost circumferential edge portions of the dial plate to fully illuminate the same beyond that heretofore provided which prevents the utilization of larger indica and renders the same more readily viewable.

Abstract: A computer implemented invention provides a system and method for receiving at a server computer system first signals containing a conditional acceptance of an offer in association with an identification of a first entity conditionally accepting said offer, said offer containing a price; checking signals received by said server computer system during a period from said date of conditional acceptance of said offer to determine if said signals contain an identification of said offer in association with an identification of a second entity and a contribution by said second entity to said price; and debiting accounts for the entity or the entities contributing to said price, thereby enabling a group on entities to contribute to satisfying the conditions of an offer.

Abstract: An electrolysis conversion system for converting liquid to gas, such as water into hydrogen and oxygen, includes a housing in which are housed encapsulated and non-encapsulated electrodes in any one of side-by-side, rolled or folded relationship. The electrodes are immersed in an electrolyte, water or the like and are appropriately electrically connected to positive and negative sides of an energy source. The encapsulation material of the encapsulated electrodes can be substantially conductive or non-conductive to either ion flow or electron flow and either substantially non-porous or porous to gas bubbles with the option of utilizing spacers to prevent arcing and thereby generate hydrogen and oxygen from the water/electrolyte.

Abstract: An electrolysis conversion system for converting liquid to gas, such as water into hydrogen and oxygen, includes a housing in which are housed encapsulated and non-encapsulated electrodes in any one of side-by-side, rolled or folded relationship. The electrodes are immersed in an electrolyte, water or the like and are appropriately electrically connected to positive and negative sides of an energy source. The encapsulation material of the encapsulated electrodes can be substantially conductive or non-conductive to either ion flow or electron flow and either substantially non-porous or porous to gas bubbles with the option of utilizing spacers to prevent arcing and thereby generate hydrogen and oxygen from the water/electrolyte.