Abstract: A system of interlocking modules for use with a programmable logic controller. The system utilizes a plurality of modules, e.g. input/output modules, that are mechanically interlinked to obviate the need for a rack or back plane. Each module includes a movable plug portion that selectively may be moved into engagement with a corresponding plug receptacle of the next adjacent module. The mechanical interlocking features and the plug portions are designed to permit insertion and removal of individual modules disposed between adjacent modules, without moving either of the adjacent modules.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention relates to metal oxide sols comprising a liquid and a polycondensation product of about 2 to about 5,000 monomers of a partially hydrolyzed chelated metal oxide precursor. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for making a metal oxide sol comprising contacting a metal oxide precursor with a multifunctional compound in a liquid to provide a chelated metal oxide precursor; contacting the chelated metal oxide precursor with a hydrolyzing agent to provide partially hydrolyzed chelated metal oxide precursor monomers; and permitting the partially hydrolyzed chelated metal oxide precursor monomers to polycondense thereby forming a metal oxide sol.

Abstract: High aspect ratio filaments of magnetic material are randomly dispersed in a non-magnetic matrix such as paper or plastic for part of a critical component of a manufactured product to permit remote sensing of the manufactured product by the application of an external oscillating magnetic field and the detection of the resulting induced magnetization. The material may be incorporated into a wide variety of products that must be remotely sensed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a rotor for use with a rotating machine is provided that employs a superconducting coil on the rotor. An adhesive is applied to an outer surface of the rotor body, which may include a groove disposed within an outer surface of the rotor body. A superconducting coil is then mounted onto the rotor body such that the adhesive bonds the superconducting coil to the rotor body.

Abstract: A programmable controller includes memory for storing a ladder logic control program having a plurality of ladder logic instruction rungs. Each rung begins with a start of rung (SOR) instruction. A processor is coupled to the memory for executing the ladder logic control program. User interrupts are disabled during execution of the rungs. During execution of the SOR instruction, a predetermined register, such as a MCR register, is read causing simultaneous enabling of user interrupts which overrides the previously disabled user interrupts to allow the processor to receive an interrupt request signal. The interrupt request signal is received before the read function of the predetermined register has completed.

Abstract: A system software solution for controlling an enterprise having one or more components for controlling one or more aspects of an industrial environment. The software includes one or more components for controlling one or more aspects of an industrial environment with code that creates a database of components from existing schematics and timing diagrams. Each of the components have control, diagnostic and resource information pertaining to enterprise resources utilized in the industrial environment. The system also generates code that controls resources comprising cognitive and timing information that synchronizes events throughout the enterprise. The database of components including code that updates the database to reflect changes in the enterprise that manages the design, simulation, implementation and maintenance of a manufacturing enterprise utilizing the database of components.

Abstract: A multi-motor drive in which the resonance existing between one or more output filter capacitors of a current source inverter and an a.c. induction motor is reduced. The inverter features a switching pattern generator which controls the power switches of the inverter based on a reference current. A control loop, connected to the switching pattern generator, measures the load current or voltage and generates a nominal reference current based on an error therein; determines a damping current based on the voltage at the terminal; and determines the reference current supplied to the switching pattern generator by subtracting the damping current from the nominal reference current. The invention essentially simulates the use of a physical damping resistor connected in parallel with each output filter capacitor, but without the corresponding energy loss.

Abstract: A mobile human machine interface for a monitoring operation of a spatially distributed control system in a factory or the like provides a location signal to a central processor holding the control program and relevant I/O data. Based on that location signal, the mobile HMI receives data relevant to the machines near its location. As the user moves through the factory, its location signal changes and the data and program which it executes changes accordingly. The user may identify him or herself to the mobile HMI providing for a second degree of discrimination in the type of data provided to the mobile HMI.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a substrate for an electrical device including a coating, wherein the coating comprises an oxygen plasma resistant polymer prepared from a mixture containing a polymerization material and a polycondensation product of a partially hydrolyzed chelated metal oxide precursor. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a component for an electrical device comprising an oxygen plasma resistant polymer prepared from a mixture containing a polymerization material and a polycondensation product of a partially hydrolyzed chelated metal oxide precursor. In yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to a microelectronic device comprising an oxygen plasma resistant polymer prepared from a mixture containing a polymerization material and a polycondensation product of a partially hydrolyzed chelated metal oxide precursor.

Abstract: A system software solution for controlling an enterprise which defines and illustrates the electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, logic, diagnostics, external behavior, controlled resources and safety elements of an enterprise control system. The elements of the control system are encapsulated in objects of an object-oriented framework within a control assembly. The control assembly is the fundamental building block for providing object-oriented control of the enterprise. A control assembly component is a deployable control subsystem that provides an interface using a common object model that is configurable. The enterprise control system includes facilities for retrieving external models utilizing a predefined interface. The retrieved model includes support for external resources such as an external resource tree in which the leaf nodes correspond to resources to be controlled, resource and process information and a computer aided design model.

Abstract: A dynamoelectric machine such as a motor or generator has an end winding ring of ferromagnetic material in an area of the end winding portions of the stator and/or rotor winding. The end winding ring improves the overall power density of the motor by reducing the stator and/or rotor flux leakage (the magnetic flux that is produced by the windings that is not utilized to produce torque in the rotor). By operatively coupling end winding portions of the stator winding with ferromagnetic material, the end winding portion is employed to produce torque in the rotor. The end winding ring may be a ring of ferromagnetic material attached to the stator core or the frame or the rotor, or may be a coating of ferromagnetic material applied indirectly to the end winding portions. The end winding ring also may support the end winding portions to reduce movement thereof.

Abstract: A system software solution for controlling an enterprise which defines and illustrates the electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, logic, diagnostics, external behavior, controlled resources and safety elements of an enterprise control system. The elements of the control system are encapsulated in objects of an object-oriented framework within a control assembly. The control assembly is the fundamental building block for providing object-oriented control of the enterprise. A control assembly component is a deployable control subsystem that provides an interface using a common object model that is configurable. The enterprise control system is used to define user interfaces including sequence charts that are updated in a substantially realtime manner utilizing the control assemblies associated with the generated code for the enterprise control system.

Abstract: A multi-phase vacuum contactor occupying a minimal space envelope. The contactor features a housing; a carriage; an electromagnetic actuator fixed to the housing and having a reciprocating armature connected to the carriage; and a plurality of vacuum interrupters each having a reciprocating stem for the actuation thereof, wherein the vacuum interrupters are fixed to the housing and circumferencially arranged about the electromagnetic actuating mechanism such that longitudinal axes of the vacuum interrupters are substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the electromagnetic actuating mechanism, and wherein the stem of each vacuum interrupter is connected to the carriage.

Abstract: Low voltage logic circuitry is used to permit an entire subsystem of an industrial controller to be placed within a hazardous environment to receive a high speed serial link and undertake the control of multiple control points without expensive and awkward long cable runs and electrically isolating circuits for each cable run. Energy and bandwidth limiting on the high speed link allows power levels commensurate with high data rates yet intrinsic safety of the media allowing it to freely pass in and out of the hazardous area. A mixture of intrinsically safe and non-intrinsically safe equipment on the same logical rack is allowed through a bus isolator providing isolated data communication in backplane fashion between modules while wholly isolating power transmission along the backplane.

Abstract: A programming language for programming industrial controllers in relay ladder logic language, the programming language including both extensions to standard RLL rung form itself and extensions wholly independent of the standard form. The language uses a plurality of templates, each template including truly reusable relay ladder language sections. Most templates also include specifications identifying other templates which provide additional language logic required to define job-specific aspects of the referencing template. Using the templates a machine tree can be provided which mirrors an industrial process. By compiling all of the templates, a relay ladder language program can be provided.

Abstract: Low voltage logic circuitry is used to permit an entire subsystem of an industrial controller to be placed within a hazardous environment to receive a high speed serial link and undertake the control of multiple control points without expensive and awkward long cable runs and electrically isolating circuits for each cable run. Energy and bandwidth limiting on the high speed link allows power levels commensurate with high data rates yet intrinsic safety of the media allowing it to freely pass in and out of the hazardous area. A mixture of intrinsically safe and non-intrinsically safe equipment on the same logical rack is allowed through a bus isolator providing isolated data communication in backplane fashion between modules while wholly isolating power transmission along the backplane.

Abstract: An instrumented dead shaft is provided for a rotating machine system, such as a drum pulley. The shaft includes bearing support regions for receiving bearings for supporting a rotating element. The shaft also includes at least one sensor assembly, and preferably a number of sensor assemblies for sensing operating parameter of the shaft system. In a preferred configuration, the system includes a rotational speed sensor, temperature sensors, load sensors, and an accelerometer. The speed sensor detects rotational speed of the rotating element and applies an output signal representative thereof to an interface circuit. The temperature sensors provide an indication of the bearing temperatures. The load sensors provide an indication of the strain of the shaft during loading. Output signals from all sensors are transmitted to a control and monitoring circuit via network interfaces. The data links between network interface circuitrys and the sensors are embedded in the shaft.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant bearing includes a bearing insert and a housing supporting the bearing insert. The bearing insert includes an outer ring, an inner ring and a plurality of rolling bearing elements disposed between the rings. At least one of the bearing components includes a multi-layer corrosion resistant system for inhibiting or delaying corrosion of the substrate of the component. The substrate may be made of high carbon or alloy steel. The corrosion resistant system includes a galvanic or sacrificial metallic plating layer disposed directly on the component substrate. One or more mechanical protection layers is formed or disposed over the plating layer. A first mechanical protection layer includes a clear chromate coating formed on the plating layer. Additional mechanical protection layers include non-metallic layers, such as acetate or polytetrafluoroethylene coatings.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for an induction motor has cast end rings located at each axial end of a magnetically permeable core. The end rings electrically connect conductor bars extending through conductor channels in the core to provide a squirrel cage arrangement. The end rings are configured to define an annular peak along which a plurality of mounting sprews are located. Preferably, the mounting sprews are positioned between adjacent pairs of radial fan blades. The annular peak may be formed by a tapered structure which advantageously provides a narrower end ring width near the rotor's outer diameter surface. The reduced width at this location presents a higher resistance in the lock rotor condition, thus yielding an improved lock rotor specification in many cases. Due to the "deep bar effect," current will flow through the thicker portion of the end rings at higher operating speeds (i.e., lower slip frequency). As a result, a lower resistance will be realized as the motor is brought up to speed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing resonant oscillations in a dual inertia system characterized by minimally stable poles and both a resonant frequency and an anti-resonant frequency, the apparatus including a notch filter which is tuned so that notch filter zeros essentially cancel the minimally stable poles and so that at least one notch pole is located at the intersection of a real axis and an system anti-resonant zero radius on a root-loci plot, thereby rendering an exceptionally stable system, the method for tuning the notch filter as described.