Abstract: A Nitinol ice blade includes a blade body having attachment structure by which it is held in a blade holder of an ice travel device, such as an ice skate or ice boat. The processes and products made by the processes. The processes include selecting a Type 60 Nitinol sheet or bar that has been hot-worked at a temperature of above about 900° C. to a reduction of at least 2% in the dimension of said hot-working. Blade blanks are cut from the sheet, and the blade blanks are heated to between 600° C. to about 800° C. and immediately quenched to ambient temperature to produce blanks having a hardness of about 48-53 RC. The running edge of the blade blanks a ground to a desired profile and sharpness. The ground blades may then be heated to an elevated temperature of about 850-1000° C. and immediately quenched to produce a hardness at the edge of above 56 RC.

Abstract: A building frame resistant to earthquakes, gale-force wind loads, fire, insects and rot includes a peripheral frame wall constructed of rectangular steel tubing. Side wall frame modules and end wall modules bolted together along adjacent edges form the peripheral frame wall. Diagonal bracing is built into selected side and end wall modules as required for the desired degree of wind resistance. Trusses made of various size tube such as 2×3 inch rectangular steel tubing for supporting a roof, including a hip roof, on the peripheral wall, are assembled and welded in a welding shop and the prefabricated trusses and wall modules are trucked to the building site. Multiple stories may be erected and fastened together by anchor brackets arranged bottom-to-bottom above and below the second and higher floors. The building frame is secured to a foundation by attaching the anchor brackets to anchor bolts set in the foundation.

Abstract: A system for detection and control of deposition on pendant tubes in recovery and power boilers includes one or more deposit monitoring sensors operating in infrared regions of about 4 or 8.7 microns and directly producing images of the interior of the boiler, or producing feeding signals to a data processing system for information to enable a distributed control system by which the boilers are operated to operate said boilers more efficiently. The data processing system includes an image pre-processing circuit in which a 2-D image formed by the video data input is captured, and includes a low pass filter for performing noise filtering of said video input. It also includes an image compensation system for array compensation to correct for pixel variation and dead cells, etc., and for correcting geometric distortion. An image segmentation module receives a cleaned image from the image pre-processing circuit for separating the image of the recovery boiler interior into background, pendant tubes, and deposition.

Abstract: A sensing system simultaneously obtains images and surface temperatures of processing tubes inside process heaters using an imaging sensor operating in the visible or infrared regions of the spectrum and capable of detecting visible or infrared radiation emitted or reflected from surfaces within the process heater, and of providing an image signal to a display or to an image processor. One or more single element infrared detectors viewing specific regions within the aforesaid image accurately measure the intensity of radiation emitted by surfaces within those specific regions so as to allow the temperature of the surfaces within those specific regions to be inferred.

Abstract: A brushless permanent magnet motor has a rotor supported to rotate about an axis of rotation, and a stator that is stationary and magnetically exerts torque upon the rotor. The rotor has a ferromagnetic backiron and a circumferential array of alternating polarity magnetic poles that drive magnetic flux back and forth across an armature airgap. The stator includes an air core armature with windings made of bundled multiple individually insulated strand conductor wire. The windings are assembled together in a non-ferromagnetic structure that is located in the armature airgap, so alternating magnetic flux from the alternating polarity magnetic poles passes through the windings as the rotor rotates. A thin electrically conducting shield is located inside the armature airgap to increase the efficiency of the motor by reducing eddy current losses in the surfaces of the rotor magnets.

Abstract: A motor-generator includes a rotor that rotates about an axis of rotation, and a stator that is stationary and magnetically interacts with the rotor. The rotor is constructed of two spaced apart rotor portions having magnetic poles that drive magnetic flux across an armature airgap formed therebetween. An armature, located in the armature airgap, has a substantially nonmagnetic and low electrical conductivity form onto which wire windings are wound. The form has a free end that extends inside the rotor, and a support end that attaches to the stationary portion of the motor-generator. The form is constructed with a thin backing portion and thicker raised portions extending from the backing portion in the direction of the magnetic flux. The wire windings have multiple individually insulated conductor wire. The conductors of a single wire are electrically connected together in parallel and electrically insulated between each other along their length inside the armature airgap.

Abstract: A non-ventilated motor-generator includes a rotor supported for rotation on bearings inside a closed metal housing. The rotor is constructed of two spaced apart rotor sections having permanent magnets that drive magnetic flux across an air gap between the rotor sections. An air core armature in the air gap has windings in a non-magnetic structure that is structurally coupled to the housing. The armature is thinner than the armature air gap and is positioned such that there is a physical air gap on each side of the armature. The rotor has air flow passages through which air is induced to flow, in operation, in a polloidal loop that includes a portion that passes through the armature air gap, picking up heat from the armature, and a portion that is in contact with the inside of the motor-generator housing where the heat is transferred to the housing and dissipated to the atmosphere.

Abstract: Respirable particles with diameters on the order of 0.05 to 10 microns entrained in an air stream, are concentrated in an aerodynamic lens (FIG. 2) for separation from the air steam. The entire structure is made by microfabrication techniques, such as silicon micro-machining which enables arrays of precisely aligned slit lenses to be made on a silicon chip. At a Reynolds number of 800, a slit 25 microns wide by 1 mm tall will pass a flow of only 0.28 liters per minute, but arrays of lenses (FIG. 4), stacked in parallel banks, multiplies the available flow rate. Placing a skimmer (27) at the exit of each silicon micro-machined lens in the assembly and connecting the skimmer channels in chimneys (55), allows the bulk of the gas flow to be stripped off while allowing the concentrated particle stream to pass into a region of much lower flow rate, thereby producing a highly concentrated aerosol in the low velocity stream.

Abstract: A universal mounting mechanism for holding objects, such as electrical, medical, optical or audio/visual components needing secure physical connection to another surface in such a way that the mounted object can be easily and quickly installed and removed. It locks the object by providing surfaces on three planes that firmly engage the object so it does not move during transportation or when mounted on a fixed surface. It is low in profile so it does not obstruct the use of the items being held. The mount has no loose parts that can be lost during installation or removal of the mounted objects. Furthermore, the mount has the added feature of locking into either the open or closed position. Because the range of motion is limited, the top of the mount will not move into a position where it could be damaged or obstruct the use of adjacently mounted items.

Abstract: A brushless motor-generator includes a rotor having a ferromagnetic tube with radially polarized, alternating polarity permanent magnet poles, and an air core armature that magnetically exerts torque upon the rotor. The magnetic poles drive magnetic flux across a radial magnetic air gap inside of the tube and through windings of the armature that are located in the air gap. The windings utilize wire that is comprised of multiple individually insulated strands that are bundled together and sheathed in an outer electrically insulating serve that separates adjacent windings and provides a higher dielectric breakdown strength than the insulation on the individually insulated strands.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing wings includes a fixture that holds wing panels for drilling and edge trimming by accurate numerically controlled machine tools using original numerical part definition records, utilizing spatial relationships between key features of detail parts or subassemblies as represented by coordination features machined into the parts and subassemblies, thereby making the parts and subassemblies intrinsically determinant of the dimensions and contour of the wing. Spars are attached to the wing panel using the coordination holes to locate the spars accurately on the panel in accordance with the original engineering design, and in-spar ribs are attached to rib posts on the spar using accurately drilled coordination holes in the ends of the rib and in the rib post. The wing contour is determined by the configuration of the spars and ribs rather than by any conventional hard tooling which determines the wing contour in conventional processes.

Abstract: A motor system includes an air core motor having a rotor with opposed permanent magnet poles defining therebetween a magnetic airgap and driving magnetic flux across the magnetic airgap. A stationary armature with air core windings is located within the magnetic airgap. The permanent magnet poles produce a magnetic flux density through the air core windings to produce a back emf in the windings comparable to the voltage of the line power when the rotation of the permanent magnet poles is synchronous with the line power. A electronic variable speed drive coupled by a switch to the air core windings ramps up the frequency of power to the air core windings for accelerating the rotor to near line synchronous speed. When the frequency of the back emf approaches the frequency of the line power, the switch decouples the electronic variable speed drive and couples the air core windings to the line power for synchronous operation.

Abstract: An acoustic pyrometer measures the average gas temperature across a space of known distance, especially turbulent, high temperature gas loaded with caustic particulates. It includes an acoustic signal generator that generates a high amplitude acoustic signal with a short rise time The acoustic signal generator includes an outer tank closed at top and bottom ends by top and bottom end walls and enclosing an outer chamber. A cylinder is supported within the tank and has top and bottom opposed ends. A mid-plate extends across the cylinder and defines the bottom end, and an axial opening in the mid-plate receives a shaft of a piston assembly having an upper piston and a lower piston at ends of the shaft. A throat is attached to the bottom end, and receives the lower piston. The lower piston seals the throat when received in the throat. The upper piston is slidable in the cylinder under influence of air pressure.

Abstract: A brushless permanent magnet motor has a rotor constructed of spaced ferromagnetic backirons and a circumferential array of alternating polarity magnetic poles that drive magnetic flux back and forth across an armature air gap between the backirons. A stator includes an air core armature in the air gap with three-phase windings. An inverter includes a pulse-modulated semiconductor H-bridge that switches and regulates power to the three-phase windings to drive the rotor. Harmonic losses in the motor caused by ripple currents generated by the higher pulse switching frequency in electronic variable speed drives, due to the inherently lower inductance of air core motors, are substantially reduced by adding serial inductance between the motor and drive. The H-bridge is serially electrically connected to the three-phase armature windings through three inductors that employ a low cost powder core.

Abstract: A motor-generator for converting between electrical and rotational energy includes a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation relative to a stationary a stator that magnetically interacts with the rotor. The rotor has two spaced apart rotor portions that define therebetween an armature airgap. Magnetic poles on the rotor portions drive magnetic flux across the airgap. An air core armature is located in the airgap, such that opposite sides of the air core armature face the two opposed rotating surfaces of the rotor. The air core armature has windings in which AC voltage is induced as the rotor rotates. The windings are wound with multiple individually insulated strand conductor wire wrapped with a wrapping of a thin dielectric tape film over the multiple individually insulated strand conductor wire.

Abstract: A small wind-powered electricity generation system, providing regulated AC electric power from wind energy to a power system grid, has a wind turbine that produces less than 10 kW of peak electric power in a permanent magnet generator that produces generator power with a frequency that varies with the wind speed. The wind turbine utilizes a cross-wind type rotor having a power coefficient that varies with the operating tip speed ratio and has an optimal tip speed ratio wherein the power coefficient is maximum. A power converter, for converting generator power to regulated electric power by applying a controlled load to the generator controls the operation of the wind turbine rotor such that the operating tip speed ratio is greater than the optimal tip speed ratio in a low wind speed region, is approximately equal to the optimal tip speed ratio in a medium wind speed region, and is greater than the optimal tip speed ratio in a high wind speed region.

Abstract: A high-speed steel flywheel for a flywheel uninterruptible power is constructed by stacking several unpierced steel discs together. Each disc is heat treated prior to assembly. Thin axial thickness of each disc enables complete rapid quenching to attain a fully hardened condition and development of high tensile strength. The individual discs are machined or ground to shape and assembled to form an axially thicker flywheel capable of storing several kilowatts of energy or more. The discs are attached together by welding, brazing, soldiering, bonding or an interference assembly. The stacked disc configuration minimizes chances of catastrophic failure of the flywheel due to initiation of a crack in a single disc by restricting axial crack propagation to that single disc, and supporting the cracked disc by one or more adjacent discs until the flywheel can be safely decelerated.

Abstract: A brushless hybrid electrical machine for converting between electrical and mechanical energy has a rotor supported for rotation about an axis of rotation relative to a juxtaposed stator that is stationary and magnetically interacts with the rotor. The rotor includes a ferromagnetic rotor structure having two portions spaced apart, but rotating together, and defining therebetween an armature air gap. Magnetic poles are arranged in a circumferentially alternating array of ferromagnetic and permanent magnet poles, bordering the air gap. A stationary air core armature having multiple phase windings is located in the armature air gap, and a field coil is also positioned between the two portions of the rotor for generating field coil flux that flows in a flux path through the ferromagnetic poles, the armature air gap and through the ferromagnetic rotor structure.

Abstract: A high speed brushless axial gap air core electrical machine includes a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis, and a stationary stator that magnetically interacts with the rotor. The rotor has two discs that are axially spaced apart to form an armature airgap. A stationary air core armature, with windings made of multiple individually insulated strand conductor wire for providing energy conversion, is located in the armature airgap. At least one of the discs carries a circumferential array of multiple alternating axial polarity permanent magnet poles facing the armature airgap. The magnets drive magnetic flux circumferentially through ferromagnetic portions of the discs and axially through the armature airgap. The discs have an integral axially extending circumferentially continuous lip outside of the array of magnet poles.

Abstract: A flywheel energy storage system for preventing power interruptions to a load from interruptions of primary power includes a flywheel supported for rotation about an axis on a bearing system, and a motor-generator having a rotor coupled with the flywheel, and having a stator with multiple armature windings and a field coil. The field coil generates flux that passes through the armature windings as the rotor rotates to produce torque for accelerating the flywheel during charging, and produces electrical power from the flywheel during discharge. The armature windings are energized by a DC buss that is supplied by a rectifier connected to primary power. The flywheel system provides instantaneous full power capability along with output control for extracting more energy from the flywheel. The field coil is oversized and is powered in standby operation to produce an armature back emf that is at least 75% of the DC buss voltage.