Abstract: A porous surface on an aircraft structure driven with oscillating positive and negative pressures is used as an active control device for attenuating negative aerodynamic interactions. The porous surfaces can be driven with positive and negative pressures either continuously or when predetermined flight conditions are present. The porous surfaces can be used on rotor blades to reduce BVI noise in descent flight conditions. The porous surfaces can be configured on rotor blades for affecting blade variable twist in accordance with various flight conditions, and can further be incorporated for reducing rotor hub vibrations as well. Porous surfaces placed on aerodynamic surfaces below the rotor blades of a tiltrotor aircraft can attenuate or eliminate download and fountain flow conditions.

Abstract: A magnetostrictive rod subject to a magnetic field generated by an electrical activating coil within a pocket of a propeller blade is held in abutment with the body of the blade to effect its deflection causing change in shape involving a variation in blade camber in accordance with electrically powered adjustment control.

Abstract: An electrical machine, such as a generator or motor, is incorporated in a gas turbine engine. The engine has compressor blades which are shrouded at. Beyond the shroud, an electrical machine is provided by rotor projections which run in a channel in flux cores, with which excitor coils are associated. The result is an electrical machine which is external to the combustion gas paths of the engine, for ready access, and can have optimised magnetic flux paths for efficiency. High relative speeds within the electrical machine provide further advantages.

Abstract: A pump impeller having a central hub and circumferentially-spaced bottom vanes extending in a direction outwardly of the hub. An annular shroud surrounds the hub in outwardly-spaced relationship thereto and provides an impeller liquid inlet passage around the hub leading to the vanes. A permanent magnet motor rotor is mounted on the annular shroud. The rotor is used in a sump pump having an upper cylindrical filter that encloses a float switch for operating the pump motor.

Abstract: A pump assembly 1, 33, 200 adapted for continuous flow pumping of blood. In a particular form the pump 1, 200 is a centrifugal pump wherein the impeller 100, 204 is entirely sealed within the pump housing 2, 201 and is exclusively hydrodynamically suspended therein as the impeller rotates within the fluid 105 urged by electromagnetic means external to the pump cavity 106, 203.

Abstract: A system for fluid processing is provided to control shear, point velocity and pressure in either a Newtonian or non-Newtonian fluid, which includes creation of three fields, namely a dynamic microshear field, a dynamic velocity field and a dynamic pressure field, with the fields being created by the injection of energy between 1 KHz and 10 MHz into the fluid. Control is achieved by control of the angle at which mechanical energy is delivered, steering and/or focusing of the energy, control of the amplitude of the energy waveform, of the energy, and control of the frequency of the energy in one embodiment to eliminate standing waves. By controlling the three fields, the system is able to control overall fluid behavior. In one embodiment, energy is injected into a fluid at any angle to the direction of flow assuming the fluid is flowing, with the injected energy providing a predetermined controllable zone of energy in the fluid at the region of energy injection.

Abstract: A pump assembly 1, 33, 200 adapted for continuous flow pumping of blood. In a particular form the pump 1, 200 is a centrifugal pump wherein the impeller 100, 204 is entirely sealed within the pump housing 2, 201 and is exclusively hydrodynamically suspended therein as the impeller rotates within the fluid 105 urged by electromagnetic means external to the pump cavity 106, 203. Hydrodynamic suspension is assisted by the impeller 100, 204 having deformities therein such as blades 8 with surfaces tapered from the leading edges 102, 223 to the trailing edges 103, 224 of bottom and top edges 221, 222 thereof.

Abstract: Porous surfaces on an aerodynamic structure driven with positive and negative pressures are used in an active control system for attenuating shock waves responsible for high-speed impulsive (HSI) noise. The control system includes an array of apertures in the outer skin of the structure providing fluid communication between the exterior flow stream and an interior volume of the structure. A movable diaphragm within the structure pushes air out of and pulls air in through the apertures under the action of a drive mechanism within the structure, thus creating oscillating air jets. The drive mechanism may be actuated by a controller based on information supplied by a sensor in the leading edge of the aerodynamic structure. The array of apertures may be spaced apart along the outer skin of the aerodynamic structure so as to span a distance of about 15% of the chord length. The oscillating airjets may be provided on multiple surfaces of the aerodynamic structure, including the upper and lower surfaces.

Abstract: This invention relates to rotary pumps adapted, but not exclusively, for use as artificial hearts or ventricular assist devices and, in particular, discloses in preferred forms a seal-less shaft-less pump featuring open or closed (shrouded) impeller blades with the edges of the blades used as hydrodynamic thrust bearing and with electromagnetic torque provided by the interaction between magnets embedded in the blades and a rotating current pattern generated in coils fixed relative to the pump housing.

Abstract: A delivery unit for motor fuel includes a side channel pump and an electric motor that drives the side channel pump. The electric motor has an armature winding, a permanent magnet (37), and a rotor (29). The rotor (29) and the impeller (16) of the side channel pump are a single component, and the permanent magnet (37) is inserted with positive engagement into a circumference (35) of this component. This allows the production of an especially low-height, low-leakage side channel pump.

Abstract: An electronic self-powered propeller governor driven off the aircraft engine includes a drive shaft which drives a hydraulic pump to produce pressurized oil to move a hydraulically controlled piston connected to the propeller blade for changing the blade pitch. A hydraulic control valve which controls the position of the piston includes a spool which is positioned within the drive shaft and supplies pressure to the piston for changing the pitch of the propeller blade. The drive shaft also drives an AC generator producing an electrical RPM signal which is supplied to a linear control circuit. A manually operated RPM control produces an electrical signal supplied to said linear control circuit which is compared with the RPM signal produced by the generator and in turn the linear control circuit signals an actuator.

Abstract: A feed unit for fuel, has a pump chamber (14) and an impeller (16) disposed in the pump chamber, an electric motor (12) driving the impeller (16), the electric motor (13) with a rotor formed as the impeller (16) of the feed pump (11), in order to achieve an extremely flat design in the axial direction.

Abstract: An active control system for reducing blade-vortex-interaction (BVI) noise generated by a rotor blade. The active control system includes a pressure sensor assembly, a device for changing a lift generated by the rotor blade, and a controller for activating the device upon a detected change in air pressure by the sensor assembly. The sensor assembly is disposed in close proximity to the rotor blade, and is adapted to detect a change in air pressure on a surface of the rotor blade near a leading edge of the rotor blade. The device is adapted to be activated by the controller, to thereby change a lift of the rotor blade. The controller activates the device to change a lift of the rotor blade in order to introduce a compensating pressure onto the surface of the rotor blade. This compensating pressure attenuates the magnitude of the change of air pressure.

Abstract: In the particular embodiments described in the specification, a controllable pitch propellor arrangement includes a plurality of propellor blades supported from a central hub which is rotatably mounted on a shaft in which each blade is pivotally supported from the central hub. Two radial pins extending from the outer ends of each of the blades are received in corresponding rims having peripherally disposed permanent magnet arrays. The rims are rotated to drive the propellor by energization of coils in a stator assembly surrounding the rims and the pitch of the blades is changed by changing the phase relationship of the current supplied to the stator coils to change the angular relation of the rims.

Abstract: An active control device for use on an aerodynamic structure is provided. The aerodynamic structure includes an outer aerodynamic skin and an interior volume, wherein the outer aerodynamic skin surrounds the interior volume. The active control device includes at least one aperture disposed on the outer aerodynamic skin and a diaphragm disposed in the interior volume of the aerodynamic structure. The at least one aperture connects the outer aerodynamic skin to the interior volume, and the diaphragm in the interior volume is movable between a first position and a second position. Movement of the diaphragm from the first position to the second position pushes air through the at least one aperture and out of the interior volume. Movement of the diaphragm from the second position to the first position draws air through the at least one aperture and into the interior volume. The diaphragm may be circular, or may be oval-shaped.

Abstract: A stirring apparatus has a stirring shaft, a drive, a stirring tool, and a contactlessly operating coupling for transmitting a driving moment from the drive through the stirring apparatus shaft to the stirring tool. The contactlessly operating coupling is arranged between the stirring shaft and the stirring tool, and a pipe is provided inside which the stirring shaft is arranged.

Abstract: A cooling fan for dissipating heat requiring relatively little electrical power to operate. The fan includes a fan blade, constructed from flexible metal or plastic, anchored at one end and having a permanent magnet mounted at the other end. An external drive mechanism, such as a position sensor or an oscillator, provides a drive pulse to the coil. The fan blade is placed in motion by energizing a coil which is disposed about a core constructed of magnetically permeable material and positioned adjacent the magnet. Upon energization of the coil, the magnet mounted on the blade reacts to the magnetic field generated by the coil, causing the blade to move away from the coil. When the magnet, due to the flexibility of the fan blade, moves back towards the coil, a voltage is induced in the coil by the magnet, thus causing current to flow through the coil to apply a kick or power pulse of magnetic energy to the magnet. This process continues as the blade moves from side to side.

Abstract: A centrifugal blood pump, used for heart-lung machines or the like, comprises an impeller, a casing having a suction inlet and a delivery outlet and being equipped with a space for rotatably accommodating the impeller, and a magnetic drive means disposed outside the casing. The impeller is of a rotationally symmetric shape and has a rotary vane section and a cylindrical section equipped with a magnet means. The magnet drive means for generating a rotating magnetic field coaxially encloses the magnet means of the above-mentioned cylindrical section and rotates the impeller in cooperation with the magnet means. At least the end section of the impeller's rotation center on the rotary vane section side is supported preferably by a pivot bearing. The pivot and the bearing thereof are preferably made of ceramics.

Abstract: A tip brake is described for use on the blade of a wind generator so that the tip will be rotated relative to the remainder of the blade to slow the rotation of the rotor. The tip of the blade is rotatable, about its longitudinal axis, with respect to the remainder of the blade. A brake mechanism interconnects the blade tip with the remainder of the blade to cause the blade tip to be rotated when the blade is subjected to a predetermined amount of centrifugal force. Once the blade tip has been deployed to slow rotation of the rotor, it will remain deployed until the wind becomes very low or the rotor is manually slowed so that the spring can cause the tip to be reset.

Abstract: Pitch of a blade (12) on an aircraft engine propulsor (14) is determined by employing a shaft (22) and a bevel gear (23) to alter relative circumferential distance between a first set of teeth (25) and a second set of teeth (26). Said teeth (25,26) creates fluctuations in a magnetic field generated by a magnetic poll piece (28a) wherein said fluctuations are converted to a signal (30) by a coil (28) located on a subsequent engine section (8). The time between pulses of the signal (30) is a function of said relative circumferential distance whereby the time between pulses is a function of the pitch of the blade (12).

Abstract: A multiple magnet drive pump is disclosed, which includes a driving magnet having opposite polarities circumferentially spaced apart from each other, a plurality of driven magnets on a circumference of the driving magnet for rotation in a non-contact state therewith, and a plurality of pump sections each having the driven magnet incorporated into a rotor for a pumping operation.

Abstract: In order to damp blade vibrations, the shroud plates of the blades are equipped with magnet inserts.

Abstract: A windmill construction embodying an improved arrangement for driving a load through a centrifugal clutch and for adjusting the pitch angle of the blades. The adjusting mechanism is responsive to speed so as to increase the pitch angle as the speed increases and further incorporates a latch mechanism for latching the blades in a maximum feathering pitch angle and for introducing a hysteresis effect into the mechanism.

Abstract: A plurality of blades extend radially from a hub which is rotated by a motor about a drive axis. Each blade has a root which is rotatably connected to the hub so that it can be independently twisted to vary the pitch thereof relative to the drive axis. A plurality of electromagnets are annularly positioned adjacent the hub so that permanent magnets connected to the roots of corresponding blades can be attracted and/or repelled to induce twisting motion in the blades as the hub rotates about its drive axis. A control circuit receives input commands for a manual control device and causes predetermined electrical signals to be applied to the electromagnets for simultaneously varying the pitch of the blades. The pitch of the blades can be varied cyclically and collectively in accordance with any real continuous function, and not just sinusoidally as in the case of prior mechanical linkages employing swash plates.

Abstract: A fluid pump including a double-entry impeller whose outer boundary is defined by a dissected spherical surface. The spherical surface includes an equatorial region which may be a groove or a cylindrical surface. The impeller is polarized magnetically and forms a dipole whose axis is normal to the plane of the equatorial region. The rotating magnetic field of a polyphase stator winding spins the impeller, and aligns the impeller spin axis along the stator axis.

Abstract: An apparatus for converting radiant energy directly into a turning force includes a rotor, a stator, a photoelectric converters on one of the rotor and stator for convering a radiant energy such as light or heat into an electric energy, coils on the one of the rotor and stator and which is adapted to produce a magnetic field when it receives the electric energy due to the radiant energy without need of any brush, and magnets on the other of the rotor and stator for providing a turning force in response to the magnetic fields in the coils.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus for producing an aerosol having an atomising chamber having an inlet for material to be atomised, means for atomising the said material, outlet means for the aerosol produced and, inlet means for air, air supply means comprising an air inlet, blower means and an air outlet, means connecting the air outlet of the air supply means to the air inlet of the atomising means and a filter for removing bacteria from the air supplied by the air supply means and drive means connected by a magnetic coupling to the blower means.The blower means is preferably a fan wheel which is arranged to suck air through the filter, the fan wheel being arranged in a separate chamber which is in the form of a replaceable cassette which can be inserted into the housing of the apparatus, the magnetic coupling acting through a closed wall of the cassette.

Abstract: Separating apparatus comprises a rotor having a plurality of impeller blades rotatably mounted in a support housing. In the normal course of apparatus use, fluid flow occurs through opposed rotor open ends. Drive motor elements for rotating the rotor are mounted partly in the rotor and partly in the surrounding casing whereby the rotor may be driven without the necessity of a drive shaft attached to the rotor, and the opposed rotor ends remain unobstructed.In one rotor embodiment, fluid enters the opposed rotor ends and is discharged radially by the rotor blades. In a second embodiment the fluid enters one rotor end and is discharged along an axial path from the opposite end.