Abstract: In various embodiments, an enclosure for a charging station is provided having a peripheral casing configured to retain a charging cable on an upward facing surface of the peripheral casing between a front user interface side and a charging station mounting surface.

Abstract: A receiving network node (210) configured to select from received packets differing by time of initial transmission from a sending network node (230), and accepting for transmission, based on initial transmission time, the selected packets to an application layer (740). An internetworked processor node configured to: (a) read a sequence number and an originator identifier of a received packet message (810); (b) compare a stored highest sequence number associated with the originator identifier with the received packet sequence number (820); (c) if the received packet sequence number is less than or equal to the stored highest sequence number associated with the originator identifier, then discard (840) the received packet; and (d) if the received packet sequence number is greater than the stored highest sequence number associated with the originator identifier, then deliver (860) the message of the received packet to an application based on an upper layer protocol.

Abstract: A system comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having wing elements and tail elements configured to roll to angularly orient the UAV by rolling so as to align a longitudinal plane of the UAV, in its late terminal phase, with a target. A method of UAV body re-orientation comprising: (a) determining by a processor a boresight angle error correction value bases on distance between a target point and a boresight point of a body-fixed frame; and (b) effecting a UAV maneuver comprising an angular role rate component translating the target point to a re-oriented target point in the body-fixed frame, to maintain the offset angle via the offset angle correction value.

Abstract: A motor assembly that includes a motor having a motor casing, a rotatable shaft extending from said motor casing to a shaft length and a hub coupled to said rotatable shaft, the hub having a circumferential skid surface disposed immediately proximal to the motor casing and having a channel configured to seat a propeller, when a propeller is present, wherein a bending moment applied to the shaft through the hub results in the circumferential skid surface contacting said motor casing.

Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.

Abstract: A span-loaded, highly flexible flying wing, having horizontal control surfaces mounted aft of the wing on extended beams to form local pitch-control devices. Each of five spanwise wing segments of the wing has one or more motors and photovoltaic arrays, and produces its own lift independent of the other wing segments, to minimize inter-segment loads. Wing dihedral is controlled by separately controlling the local pitch-control devices consisting of a control surface on a boom, such that inboard and outboard wing segment pitch changes relative to each other, and thus relative inboard and outboard lift is varied.

Abstract: A system for managing heat transfer is provided by the present disclosure, which in one form includes a cavity having an inner wall portion, at least one heat-generating component disposed within the cavity, and a plurality of heat conducting members disposed adjacent one another. Each heat conducting member includes a resilient core and an outer shell wrapped around at least a portion of the resilient core. The outer shell is made of a material having a relatively high thermal conductivity, and the plurality of heat conducting members are positioned between the heat-generating component and the inner wall portion of the cavity.

Abstract: A heat transfer system for use within an avionics bay of an aircraft is provided by the present disclosure that includes, in one form, an aircraft panel comprising an upper skin, a lower skin, and a foam core disposed between the upper skin and the lower skin. At least one heat conducting array extends through the foam core and between the upper skin and the lower skin, the heat conducting array defining at least one upper cap, at least one lower cap, and a wall portion extending between the upper cap and the lower cap, the upper cap being disposed proximate avionics within the avionics bay. A heat conducting spreader is disposed between the lower cap of the heat conducting array and the lower skin of the aircraft panel.

Abstract: In one possible implementation, a motor is provided including a rotor and a stator. Front cooling fins are thermally coupled to a front of the stator, and rear cooling fins are thermally coupled to a rear portion of the stator. The winding is between the front and rear cooling fins.

Abstract: A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.

Abstract: A packet-switched, fault-tolerant, vehicle communication internetwork (100, 400, 500) comprising port-based VLANs. Two or more VLANs are embodied where a source node (110, 410, 510,610) comprises two or more network interface circuits (130,140, 415,425, 515,525, 630,640), and where looping is precluded via specific VLAN tagging and switch ports (131-134, 200, 300, 420, 430, 435, 445, 455, 465, 535, 540, 545, 560, 575, 585, associated with at least one specific VLAN. A destination node (120, 440, 450, 460, 570, 580, 590, 620) may feedback packets to the source node via a general VLAN tag along pathways associated with the two or more specific outgoing VLAN tags.

Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.

Abstract: A hydrogen fueled powerplant including an internal combustion engine that drives a motor-generator, and has a two-stage turbocharger, for an aircraft. A control system controls the operation of the motor-generator to maintain the engine at a speed selected based on controlling the engine equivalence ratio. The control system controls an afterburner, an intercooler and an aftercooler to maximize powerplant efficiency. The afterburner also adds power to the turbochargers during high-altitude restarts. The turbochargers also include motor-generators that extract excess power from the exhaust.

Abstract: A system including a remote server connected over a network to a battery charger is configured to track usage of rechargeable batteries. Values of various sensed parameters of a battery, such as temperature, charge, current, and water level are stored with the battery and uploaded to the remote server, either wirelessly or through the network, and either directly from the battery or by way of the battery charger when the battery is coupled to the battery charger. The remote server operates to determine the condition, value and warranty of the battery based on the sensed parameters and on the user history of the battery. Alerts and warnings can be forwarded to the user and/or an enterprise manager or shop manager in the case of enterprise vehicles such as warehouses operating multiple electric forklifts, or rental car agencies, so that multiple rechargeable batteries can be readily tracked, monitored and maintained.

Abstract: In various embodiments, an enclosure for a charging station is provided having a peripheral casing configured to retain a charging cable on an upward facing surface of the peripheral casing between a front user interface side and a charging station mounting surface.

Abstract: A system having a damper with six or more indentations on alternating sides of the damper, where each indentation is open to an outer circumferential surface of the damper and extends over halfway through a width of the damper, and six or more slots, each slot open to an undulating inner circumferential surface of the damper and extending through the width of the damper.

Abstract: Methods of and apparatus for removing heat generated by cells of a battery pack. The methods and apparatus may employ one or more fan modules disposed between or next to cells of the battery pack, or one or more fans directly mounted to the battery pack or battery pack case housing the cells. Further, a motor controller isolation system operates to electrically isolate the motor controller of the electric vehicle when the battery pack is being charged. The motor controller isolation system may be integrated with the integrated battery pack and thermal and ventilation system. The integrated system, or “integrated battery unit (IBU),” is preferably manufactured in a manner that requires no, modifications to the electric vehicle in which the IBU is installed.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for impacting, by a small unmanned aerial vehicle (SUAV), a net having at least three sides; and converting the kinetic energy of the SUAV into at least one of: elastic potential energy of one or more tensioned elastic cords connected to at least one corner of the net, gravitational potential energy of a frame member connected to at least one corner of the net, rotational kinetic energy of the frame member connected to at least one corner of the net, and elastic potential energy of the frame member connected to at least one corner of the net.

Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.

Abstract: A flapping wing driving apparatus includes at least one crank gear capstan rotatably coupled to a crank gear, the at least one crank gear capstan disposed radially offset from a center of rotation of the crank gear; a first wing capstan coupled to a first wing, the first wing capstan having a first variable-radius drive pulley portion; and a first drive linking member configured to drive the first wing capstan, the first drive linking member windably coupled between the first variable-radius drive pulley portion and one of the at least one crank gear capstan; wherein the first wing capstan is configured to non-constantly, angularly rotate responsive to a constant angular rotation of the crank gear.