Abstract: A split circumference wheel assembly is provided for an aircraft landing gear wheel configured to maximize the space available within a landing gear wheel well to support a motor driver assembly with drive means that drives the aircraft wheel on the ground. The split circumference wheel assembly includes separable inboard and outboard support walls that are spaced axially apart a maximized distance so that the motor driver assembly is completely contained within the maximized space defined. A preferred wheel assembly employs a demountable flange and a locking ring to integrally and removably support the motor driver assembly within the maximized wheel volume to drive one or more aircraft wheels and move the aircraft independently on the ground. The wheel and motor driver assembly described herein are designed to be retrofitted in an existing aircraft wheel.

Abstract: A method for extending the useful and economic life of an aircraft and improving aircraft efficiency is provided. This method produces significant fuel savings on the ground and in flight as well as cost-effective and efficient operation of and reduced maintenance requirements for older aircraft. The increased economic viability of the continued use of older aircraft is achieved by equipping an aircraft with at least one onboard drive wheel assembly controllably powered to drive the aircraft during ground travel independently of aircraft engines or external tow vehicles. The substantial elimination of damage to an aircraft's airframe, brakes, landing gear, and engine components resulting from tow vehicle attachment, brake application during ground travel with operating aircraft engines, or by FOD produces cleaner, more efficient engine operation during flight. Significant and substantial potential cost savings realized by the present method makes the continued use of older aircraft a viable option.

Abstract: In broad terms the present invention is a semiconductor junction comprising a first material (102) and a second material (104), in which a surface of one or both of the junction materials has a periodically repeating structure that causes electron wave interference resulting in a change in the way electron energy levels within the junction are distributed.

Abstract: A high phase order induction machine wound and permitted by coil symmetry to operate at fewer than the magnetically optimal number of poles is constrained by symmetry to be a two pole machine and be capable of operating on odd harmonics only, but with back-iron, end rings, and rotor core optimized for 10 pole operation, might be used normally in ‘5th harmonic’ mode, with ‘7th harmonic’ utilized to engage the ‘mesh effect’. Such a machine thus appears to be operating in the ‘1.4 harmonic’. A high phase order induction machine driven by a second harmonic drive, in which a symmetry imposed by full span windings is broken. This may be most simply accomplished through the use of short pitch windings. Other possible approaches include using non-wound slot drive, and using toroidal windings which localize coils to individual slots.

Abstract: The present invention is an electrical rotating apparatus comprising stator coils wound around the inside and outside of the stator. In a further embodiment, the machine contains a high number of phases, greater than three. In a further embodiment, the phases are connected in a mesh connection. In a further embodiment, each half-phase is independently driven to enable second harmonic drive for an impedance effect. Improvements are apparent in efficiency and packing density.

Abstract: A thermionic or thermotunneling generator or heat pump is disclosed, comprising electrodes substantially facing one another and separated by spacers disposed between the electrodes, wherein the substrate material for the cathode is preferably a single crystalline silicon wafer while the substrate for the anode is an organic wafer, and preferably a polished polyimide (PI) wafer. On the cathode side, standard silicon wafer processes create the 10-1000 nm thin spacers and edge seals from thermally grown oxide. Either wafer is partially covered with a thin film of material that is characterized by high electrical conductivity and low work function. In one embodiment, the cathode is partially covered with a thin film of Ag—Cs—O. In another embodiment, the anode is additionally covered with a thin film of Ag—Cs—O, in which case the work function of the cathode coating material is reduced further utilizing an Avto Metal structure of nanoscale patterned indents.

Abstract: A failsafe system and method for ensuring the safe operation of an aircraft with a ground movement system to drive the aircraft independently on the ground is provided. The system includes at least one aircraft nose or main drive wheel powered by an onboard wheel driver responsive to sensed aircraft and ground movement system operating parameters to continue operation in response to parameters within normal limits or to prevent continued operation if sensed parameters are outside normal limits and indicate continued operation to be unsafe. The onboard wheel driver includes a locking assembly responsive automatically or manually to signals indicating sensed parameters to lock the onboard wheel driver in an activated or an inactivated condition, depending on whether operation of the ground movement system can be continued safely.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the movement of an aircraft having a self-propelled nosewheel, on the ground, is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a control arm; a control unit; means for transmitting information to said self-propelled nosewheel; means for receiving information at said self-propelled nosewheel; and means for controlling at least one of the speed and direction of said nosewheel; whereby airport ground staff can intuitively control the movements of said aircraft by holding said arm and moving it in the direction of required movement of said aircraft.

Abstract: A selective light absorbing semiconductor surface is disclosed. Said semiconductor surface is characterized by the presence of indentations or protrusions comprising a grating of dimensions such as to enhance the absorption of selected frequencies of radiation. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said grating is formed on the surface of a doped semiconductor for the purposes of optical frequency down conversion. The semiconductor is doped so as to create energy levels within the forbidden zone between the conduction and valence bands. Incident radiation excites electrons from the valence to conduction band from where they decay to the meta-stable newly created energy level in the forbidden zone. From there, electrons return to the valence band, accompanied by the emission of radiation of lower frequency than that of the incident radiation. Optical frequency down-conversion is thus efficiently and rapidly accomplished.

Abstract: The invention disclosed is a self-propelled aircraft undercarriage for driving an aircraft on the ground, comprising: an axle; a strut supporting said axle; at least one wheel rotatably mounted on said axle; and drive means for driving said at least one wheel; characterized in that said drive means is disk shaped and is external to said wheel. In one embodiment of the invention, said drive means is mounted on said axle between said strut and said wheel. In a second embodiment, said drive means is mounted on said axle, on the side of said wheel furthest from said strut.

Abstract: An aircraft ground control system that moves an aircraft on the ground between landing and take off without external mechanical assistance from airport tugs or tow vehicles or reliance on thrust produced by the aircraft's engines is provided. The aircraft ground control system interfaces only with an aircraft auxiliary power unit or other aircraft power supply, but otherwise operates independently of aircraft systems. A system integrator and controller links cockpit controls designed to actuate the transmission of power to system components and to activate system components only under predetermined conditions with selectively activatable drivers in driving connection with one or more aircraft wheels to move the aircraft on the ground at selected torques and speeds.

Abstract: The present invention is a ring generator with a rotor internal diameter equal to the turbine outside diameter, and having the turbine mounted on the inside of the rotor.

Abstract: A method for building a component for an electrical rotating machine is provided. The method includes providing a powdered magnetic material and an electrically conductive material, positioning these materials within a mold selected to produce the required dimensions in the materials after the application of a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) procedure, and applying at least one HIP procedure to the materials in the mold. Temperatures and pressures of the process are chosen to ensure that the electrically conducting and magnetic portions of the component are bonded without the materials seeping into each other. The method may be employed to build small compact motor systems using motor components formed as described to produce uniform grain structure and consistent magnetic and structural properties in the motor components that are useful in vehicle drive wheels.

Abstract: A self-propelled aircraft undercarriage is disclosed, comprising: an axle; a strut supporting said axle; at least one wheel rotatably mounted on said axle; a pneumatic tire mounted on said wheel; a valve stem connected to said tire for enabling measurement of the pressure of said tire; and drive means for driving said at least one wheel, mounted externally to said wheel; characterized in that the shape of said drive means accommodates said valve stem. Said undercarriage may be any aircraft undercarriage and specifically may be a nosewheel or main landing gear of an aircraft.

Abstract: A starter/generator machine for a turbine with a turbine enclosure, an air duct, and a plurality of fan blades is provided. The starter/generator machine includes a plurality of stator elements spaced at intervals in a ring shape adjacent to the air duct and a plurality of rotor elements mounted on the fan blades. The stator elements and the rotor elements are mounted to interact magnetically to exert a force sufficient to move the rotor elements. The stator elements are shaped to minimize air flow interference and are formed with a core, at least one pole, and multiple windings. The spacing between the stator elements and the rotor elements forms an air gap on the order of 5-10 mm, and the number of stator elements is different from the number of rotor elements.

Abstract: An undercarriage wheel is disclosed comprising an axle member that supports a drive member, for example but not limited to a compact high torque electric motor, a wheel member driven by said drive member, and a tire attached to the wheel member, wherein the tire bulges in the width dimension of the wheel, wherein the drive member protrudes from the wheel member and thus occupies at least some of the additional width made available by the bulge of the tire. A further aspect of the invention is an undercarriage wheel that comprises an axle member that supports a drive member, for example but not limited to a compact high torque electric motor, a wheel member driven by said drive member, and a low-profile tire attached to the wheel member. Since the profile of the tire is low, additional space is available inside the wheel for the drive member.

Abstract: This application describes the software invented to control an electric motor system. The electric motor system is mounted on one or more aircraft main wheels or nose wheels to drive an aircraft independently on the ground without aircraft engines or tow vehicles. The software uses closed-loop control together with several other control laws to operate the drive motor or motors. Knowledge of the current operating state of the drive motor, together with knowledge of the commands given to taxi forward, taxi in reverse, or brake in reverse, is used to configure the motors to optimal operating parameters. The software architecture is described along with the pilot interface and many details of software implementation.

Abstract: An integral motor and wheel assembly for aircraft landing gear is provided that includes an electric motor packaged within at least one gear wheel and configured to fit completely within the space provided in an existing aircraft for the landing gear components. The motor is positioned within the wheel to minimize the spin-up weight and to maximize the space within a given volume allocated for the motor. Installation of this motor and gear wheel assembly in an existing aircraft landing gear is designed to permit the continued use of existing landing gear components, including tires, axles, and pistons, so that the assembly can be easily retrofitted into existing aircraft.

Abstract: A wheel design is provided for an aircraft landing gear wheel that is configured to maximize the space available within a landing gear wheel well to support a geared motor assembly that drives the aircraft wheel when the aircraft is on the ground. The wheel includes inboard and outboard support walls that are spaced apart a selected distance along the wheel axle so that the geared motor assembly components are substantially completely contained within the wheel space defined by the support walls. The preferred motor driver assembly includes an electric motor and a gear and clutch assembly operatively connected to the wheel to drive the wheel and move the aircraft on the ground. The wheel and motor driver assembly described herein may be retrofitted in an existing aircraft wheel without changing existing landing gear components, including tires, piston, and axle.

Abstract: A wheel design is provided for an aircraft landing gear wheel that is configured to maximize the space available within a landing gear wheel well to support a motor driver assembly that drives the aircraft wheel when the aircraft is on the ground. The wheel includes inboard and outboard support walls that are spaced apart a selected distance along the wheel axle so that the motor driver assembly components are substantially completely contained within the wheel space defined by the support walls. The preferred motor driver assembly includes an electric motor and a gear and clutch assembly operatively connected to the wheel to drive the wheel and move the aircraft on the ground. The wheel and motor driver assembly described herein may be retrofitted in an existing aircraft wheel without changing existing landing gear components, including tires, piston, and axle.