Abstract: A system may include a flywheel including one or more plates and coupled at a central axis of rotation to a flywheel bearing, the flywheel being adapted to rotate about the central axis. A system may include a flywheel housing providing vertical support to the flywheel bearing. A system may include the flywheel bearing coupling the flywheel to the flywheel housing. A system may include a motor assembly including a motor adapted to convert an input electrical current to rotational momentum by spinning up the flywheel, the motor further being adapted to convert the rotational momentum of the flywheel into an output electrical current. A system may include a flywheel coupling adapted to couple the motor assembly with the flywheel and impart rotational force between the motor and the flywheel.

Abstract: A compressor includes a housing defining a working chamber. The housing further includes a bore and an endplate disposed toward a discharge end. The compressor further includes a rotor having helical threads, the rotor being configured to be housed in the bore, a rotor clearance, a controllable bearing supporting the rotor, and a controller configured to control the controllable bearing such that the controllable bearing moves the rotor in a manner to reduce and/or enlarge the rotor clearance.

Abstract: A permanent-magnet electrical machine is disclosed in which the rotor or stator have at least one movable iron segment. A magnetic field of the electric machine is weakened when the movable iron segment is moved a position away from the rotor or stator, respectively. When the movable iron segment is in a first position, such as in contact with the rotor or stator, the field strength is high. When the movable iron segment is in a second position in which the movable iron segment is displaced away from the rotor or stator, the field strength is low. The ability to weaken the field strength causes the constant-power, speed ratio to be increased and thereby increases the utility of the electric machine for applications in which a wide speed range is desired. The electric machine may be used as both a permanent-magnet motor and generator.

Abstract: The electrical machine includes a movable part and a static part. The movable part rotates in relation to the static part around a dedicated rotary axis. An air-gap is located between the rotating and the static part of the machine. A device is positioned and used to measure the spacing of the air-gap. The static part and/or the movable part is coupled with an actuating-unit, which changes the relative position of the static part in relation to the movable part to adjust the spacing of the air-gap.

Abstract: A permanent-magnet electrical machine is disclosed in which the rotor has a fixed back iron and movable back iron segments. When the movable back iron segments are in a first position, such as in contact with the fixed back iron, the field strength is high. When the movable back iron segments are in a second position in which the movable back iron segments are displaced away from the fixed back iron, the field strength is low. The ability to weaken the field strength causes the constant-power, speed ratio to be increased and thereby increases the utility of the motor for applications in which a wide speed range is desired. The disclosure applies to both permanent-magnet motors and generators. In an alternative embodiment, the stator ring is provided with a fixed portion and at least one movable stator segment.

Abstract: A system for decoupling a rotor from a stator of a permanent magnet motor and a flywheel storage system using the same are provided. The flywheel storage system uses the permanent magnet motor as a magnetic active coupler to minimize magnetic losses in flywheel energy storage system during the motor-generator electric power transfer for enabling a magnetic field weakening method and a way of cancelling the losses during a conservative mode where the stator is totally decoupled from the rotor. Also, the present invention enables the optimal sizing of a permanent motor-generator to be able to supply a constant power over a large range of rotating speeds.

Abstract: A controller is provided for a permanent magnet field motor including two rotors concentrically provided around a rotating shaft and a phase changing device for changing an angle of relative displacement in a circumferential direction between two rotors to serve as a power source for driving driven wheels of an all-wheel drive vehicle having two main driving wheels and at least two driven wheels, the controller including a drive control portion to control driving of the motor according to a drive mode of the all-wheel drive vehicle; and a phase instruction portion to issue an instruction, when the drive mode of the all-wheel drive vehicle is a main-driving-wheel drive mode, to set the angle of relative displacement at an angle at which a magnetic flux generated at each of the two rotors is weakened, as compared with that generated at each of the two rotors in an all-wheel drive mode.

Abstract: A power unit which makes it possible to reduce power transmitted from a prime mover to a driven part via an electrical path, to thereby increase the efficiency of driving the driven part. A first rotating machine of the power unit inputs and outputs energy between a stator and first and second rotors thereof, via magnetic circuits formed by generation of a rotating magnetic field, and the rotating magnetic field, and the rotors rotate while maintaining a linear relation in which respective differences in rotational speed between the rotating magnetic field and the second rotor, and between the second and first rotors are equal. The rotors are mechanically connected to a prime mover and a transmission, respectively. A second rotating machine of the power unit is mechanically connected to a drive part without via the transmission, and electrically connected to the stator.

Abstract: The electrical machine includes a movable part and a static part. The movable part rotates in relation to the static part around a dedicated rotary axis. An air-gap is located between the rotating and the static part of the machine. A device is positioned and used to measure the spacing of the air-gap. The static part and/or the movable part is coupled with an actuating-unit, which changes the relative position of the static part in relation to the movable part to adjust the spacing of the air-gap.

Abstract: An electric rotary machine is disclosed which can adjust relative angles of sub-rotors continuously and regardless of torque direction without generating an attractive force between the field magnets of the sub-rotors. The electric rotary machine includes: a stator having a winding; a dual rotor which is rotatably disposed with a gap from the stator and divided axially along a shaft into a first rotor and a second rotor each having field magnets with different polarities arranged alternately in a rotation direction; a mechanism for varying the axial position of the second rotor relative to the first rotor continuously; and a non-magnetic member located between the first rotor and the second rotor.

Abstract: A dynamoelectric machine that has at least one rotor component proximate a stator that is axially displaceable from the stator in response to pressure of lubrication oil delivered to its lubrication system has a system for changing axial displacement of each axially displaceable rotor component from the stator to cause a corresponding change in rotor-stator magnetic flux interaction, comprising: a hydraulic pump for generating a flow of lubrication oil; and means for regulating the flow of lubrication oil to the machine to develop a corresponding lubrication oil pressure that controls axial displacement of each axially displaceable rotor component.

Abstract: An interface system is presented, which prevents operational interference between a vehicle power door and a ramp of an access system by interrupting power to the motors and actuators responsible for operating the door. The interface system includes a relay system that does not interrupt, read, signal, or otherwise interfere with the communication lines between a body control unit, door control unit, or remote control transmitter or receiver. Thus, the interface system functions without the need to receive and transmit signals on the vehicle's communication bus. The interface system enables the ramp controller of the access system to be a separate module, which controls the ramp and kneel functions, because the only input the ramp controller provides to the power door system is to a ground signal that mimics that of a switch included in the vehicle.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a fan comprises measuring power usage of the fan, determining a derivative of the measured fan power usage, tracking the derivative over time, and predicting impending fan failure based on the tracked fan power usage derivative.

Abstract: The invention relates to a procedure for setting the magnitudes of the axial air gaps and/or the mutual positions of the rotors and stators defining the axial air gaps in a gearless elevator drive machine comprising an electromechanical apparatus having two axial air gaps. In the procedure, the size of the axial air gap and/or the positions of the rotors and stators is/are adjusted based on a selected property, e.g. a current or voltage property.

Abstract: A mail piece handler defines a paper path having a downstream direction. A first motor is mechanically coupled with the mail piece handler, and an encoder is operatively coupled with the mail piece handler. A mail piece sensor is positioned at the paper path, and a print rotor is positioned at the paper path downstream of the mail piece sensor, the print rotor having a print surface. A second motor is mechanically coupled with the print rotor, and an electronic controller is communicatively coupled with the encoder, with the mail piece sensor, and with the second motor, the controller disposed in the event of sensing of a mail piece by the mail piece sensor to control said second motor so as to cause the print surface of the print rotor to move at substantially a speed measured via the encoder.

Abstract: In a magnetic bearing system, the longitudinal shaft position is shifted relative to the bearing position so that a force can be applied by the bearings away from a node at critical shaft speeds. In one embodiment, the shaft is shifted by end thrust bearings back and forth on an integral cycle basis. Alternatively, closely-spaced bearing pairs may be used and energized alternately on an integral cycle basis in order to shift back-and-forth the region at which the combined effective force of the bearing is applied.