Patents Assigned to General Atomics
  • Patent number: 10919794
    Abstract: A method having steps of placing a glass sheet having a front surface, a reverse surface and a thickness onto a sacrificial substrate; directing a beam from a laser at the front surface and through the glass sheet; pulsing the beam at a frequency of between 10 kHz and 30 kHz, and at the sacrificial substrate; moving the beam across the glass sheet at a rate of between 30 millimeters per second and 90 millimeters per second; ablating the sacrificial substrate with the beam; generating a superheated vapor in response to the ablating of the sacrificial substrate; and ablating the reverse surface of the glass sheet with the superheated vapor, whereby the glass sheet is cut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: GENERAL ATOMICS
    Inventors: James Ross MacDonald, Esteban Balarezo Bagdy, Mark Aoraha Cacause, Jeffrey James Trial
  • Patent number: 10777872
    Abstract: Systems and devices are disclosed for implementing a low profile antenna that can be mounted on various platforms or vehicles without significantly changing the appearance of the platform or vehicle. The disclosed technology can be used to construct low profile antennas to reduce the antenna thickness while maintaining high efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ATOMICS
    Inventors: John Robert Glabe, Daniel George Laramie
  • Patent number: 10727774
    Abstract: A multi-level high-speed adjustable speed drive has a plurality of modular multilevel, 3-phase inverter bridges, wherein the multilevel, 3-phase inverter bridges operate with fundamental frequency, f, wherein the multilevel, 3-phase inverter bridges include at least three levels, wherein the multilevel, 3-phase inverter bridges operate in Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM) mode with 9 to 21× or operating in Fundamental Frequency Mode (FFM), wherein inverter commutation frequency equals the fundamental frequency, wherein the multilevel, 3-phase inverters operate with split phase such that one group is displaced from the other by an angle, ?=60°/q, wherein the phase displacement of a harmonic component of order n between groups, ?n is n?/q; a high-speed polyphase motor with phases arranged in q 3-phase groups; and electromagnetic means for blocking selected groups of harmonics while passing components at fundamental frequency, f, wherein the electromagnetic means includes coils carrying motor current linked by a magn
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventor: George Thomas Santamaria
  • Patent number: 10688464
    Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to methods of inhibiting corrosion in reaction chambers configured for hydrothermal reaction of feeds containing a heteroatom. An embodiment of such a method comprises providing a feed stream comprising a phosphorus-containing material, an alkali metal compound, water, and a corrosion-inhibitor. The embodiment additionally includes introducing the feed stream and oxidant into a reactor chamber and oxidizing the phosphorus-containing material at an oxidation temperature greater than about 374° C. and an oxidation pressure exceeding about 25 bar, wherein the reactor chamber has inner surfaces comprising a material that corrodes when in contact with a phosphorus compound within the reactor. The embodiment additionally includes selectively reacting the corrosion-inhibitor with phosphorus within the reactor, thereby precipitating in the reactor chamber a phosphorus-containing solid inorganic compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ATOMICS
    Inventors: Glenn Thomas Hong, Kevin William Downey
  • Patent number: 10645291
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide enhanced resolution imaging systems comprising: a mounting; an electro-optical image capture system; an angular jitter sensor system; an illumination source system; and an image capture control circuit is configured to: receive ling of sight displacement data; obtain, during the capture frame, an angular displacement of the image capture system and monitor when the detected angular displacement of the image capture system, based on the LOS angular displacement data, is beyond an angular displacement threshold envelope; and activate exposure of the image capture system to illumination, during the capture frame, when the detected angular displacement of the image capture system is within the angular displacement threshold envelope, and control a level of exposure of the image capture system to illumination, during the capture frame, when the detected angular displacement is not within the angular displacement threshold envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick R. Mickel, Matthew C. Cristina, Jason A. Paxton
  • Patent number: 10586654
    Abstract: A method for making a glass dielectric capacitor may include providing a plurality of foil sheets, cutting each of the plurality of foil sheets with a laser beam by melting each of the plurality of foil sheets, forming a respective smooth foil edge on each of said plurality of foil sheets during the cutting, providing a plurality of glass sheets, and stacking the plurality of foil sheets in alternating layers with the plurality of glass sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ATOMICS
    Inventors: James Ross MacDonald, Esteban Balarezo Bagdy, Mark Aoraha Cacause, Mark Allen Schneider
  • Patent number: 10446933
    Abstract: Magnetic antenna techniques and devices are disclosed for operating at an RF or microwave frequency by using a magnetic antenna structure that is configured to have a spatially varying property that varies spatially from one location to another location in at least a portion of the magnetic antenna structure. Such a spatial varying property can be reflected in various ways, e.g., a resonator located in part of the magnetic antenna structure, or a spatially varying geometry profile in part of or the entirety of the magnetic antenna structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventor: Jonathan Neil Bringuier
  • Patent number: 10447406
    Abstract: Magnetic antenna techniques and devices are disclosed for operating at an RF or microwave frequency by using a magnetic antenna structure having a spatially varying property that varies spatially from one location to another location in at least a portion of the magnetic antenna structure. Such a spatially varying property can be reflected in various ways, e.g., a spatially varying geometry profile in part of or the entirety of the magnetic antenna structure, a spatially varying antenna material property in a spatially uniform geometry or a spatially varying geometry. The disclosed technology also provides magnetic antenna structures based on splitting the componentry for transmission and reception so that each can be individually optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventor: Mark William Covington
  • Patent number: 10446917
    Abstract: Deformable magnetic antennas are provided to include a plurality of flexible magnetic antenna layers stacked to form a layered magnetic antenna structure that is bendable. Each flexible magnetic antenna layer includes a magnetic material that confines a magnetic field to concentrate a magnetic flux of the magnetic field inside the magnetic antenna layer. A lubricating material is applied between adjacent flexible magnetic antenna layers to allow adjacent magnetic layers to move relative to one another when the layered magnetic antenna structure is bent so as to reduce a stress in each flexible magnetic antenna layer caused by bending the layered magnetic antenna structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: Mark Eugene Bonebright, Mark William Covington, Jeffrey Howard Caton
  • Patent number: 10416109
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are processes and devices for use in the electrochemical detection of a target in a sample. For example, silicon or glass surfaces are treated with silanes functionalized with various side chains to tune the surface wetting characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: Graham D. Jack, Ryan B. Hayman
  • Patent number: 10301666
    Abstract: Contemplated methods and devices are drawn to preparation and analysis of analytes from biological samples. In a preferred embodiment the analytes are nucleic acids that are both released from biological compartments present in the sample and fragmented through the use of a voltage potential applied to a pair of electrodes. The nucleic acids thus prepared are subsequently characterized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: Shana O. Kelley, Susan Bortolin, Reginald James McKenzie Orton, Stefan Christopher Wiechula
  • Patent number: 10279883
    Abstract: An energy efficient and lighter-than-air high altitude platform (HAP) is disclosed that allows for sustained station keeping at high altitudes of about 50,000-80,000 feet for prolonged periods of time. The HAP includes an aerodynamically streamlined body that may have the topology of a torus. The body may be inflated with a lighter-than-air gas in an amount sufficient to provide lift to the high altitudes. The HAP has a duct extending through the pressurized body that diverts flow through the duct and reduces aerodynamic drag. The HAP may include one or more propellers situated in the duct to provide propulsion and maintain a given location of the HAP relative to ground. There may also be a control system, a solar energy collection system, an energy storage system, and/or any of a variety of payloads to accomplish various tasks, such as communication and/or situational awareness applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: John Abele Parmentola, John Marshall Rawls, Alberto Alvarez-Calderon F., Brian Maskew
  • Patent number: 10239217
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a magnet gripper system, comprising: a gripper base comprising a magnetically attractive face; at least two slide plate retaining systems; and two or more slide plates wherein at least one of the slide plates is movably cooperated with each of the at least two slide plate retaining systems such that the slide plates are configured to move between a retracted position with the slide plates retracted relative to the face of the gripper base and an extended position with the slide plates extended relative to the face of the gripper base with an end of each of the slide plates being positioned further from the face of the gripper base when in the extended position than when the slide plates are in the retracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: Gerald William Silke, Michael Bernard Condon
  • Patent number: 10177618
    Abstract: Some embodiments provided rotor assemblies, comprising: a rotor core barrel comprising a wall extending, and at least two compression bridges each formed in the wall proximate one of the lateral ends and separated by a distance; an array of a plurality of magnets positioned on and spaced along the wall between the compression bridges and about a circumference of the rotor core barrel; and one or more pre-stress wraps wrapped over the plurality of magnets and about the rotor core barrel along at least a portion of a length of the rotor core barrel between the compression bridges, wherein the compression bridges enable radial compression deflection, induced by radial compression of the rotor core barrel by the one or more pre-stress wraps, of the wall of the rotor core barrel at the compression bridges relative to the wall of the rotor core barrel proximate the lateral ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: William P. Creedon, George T. Santamaria, John Charles Hirschy Wick
  • Patent number: 10155871
    Abstract: Techniques and compositions are described for reflective coatings and pigments for reflecting electromagnetic radiation, such as visible and solar near-infrared light. In one aspect, a reflective coating includes a base layer having a reflective surface, and an absorber layer formed on the reflective surface of the base layer, in which the reflective coating provides an average reflectance of electromagnetic radiation for wavelengths in the range of 900 nm to 2500 nm irradiated upon the reflective coating greater than substantially 70%, and provides an average reflectance of electromagnetic radiation for wavelengths in the range of 400 nm to 700 nm irradiated upon the reflective coating of less than 40%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventor: Lawrence D. Woolf
  • Patent number: 10131754
    Abstract: A method of making large ultrathin free-standing polymer films without use of a sacrificial layer includes the steps of providing a substrate, applying a polyelectrolyte material to said substrate, applying a polymer material onto said substrate and onto said polyelectrolyte material, and directly delaminating said polymer material from said substrate and said polyelectrolyte to produce the ultrathin free-standing polymer film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, General Atomics
    Inventors: Michael Stadermann, Salmaan H. Baxamusa, William C. Floyd, III, Philip E. Miller, Tayyab I. Suratwala, Anatolios A. Tambazidis, Kelly Patricia Youngblood, Chantel Aracne-Ruddle, Art J. Nelson, Maverick Chea, Shuali Li
  • Patent number: 10123495
    Abstract: A system and method for creating a useful carbon-enriched media in a reactor which will assimilate carbon into an algae biomass, requires measuring a respective carbon concentration of the media, C(measured), as it enters, and as it leaves the reactor. Operationally, desired carbon concentration values are preset, C(set), and are provided along with values obtained for C(measured) as input to a system controller. Respective differentials between C(measured) and C(set) at the reactor's input and output ports are determined by the controller and are used to control a volumetric fluid flow rate of the media through the reactor. Specifically, the controller establishes a volumetric fluid flow rate of the media as it is passed through an absorber where the media is carbon-enriched by interaction with combustion gases from an external source (e.g. a power plant).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ATOMICS
    Inventors: David W. Ordway, David A. Hazlebeck
  • Patent number: 9988143
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide apparatuses configured to deploy a landing gear of an aircraft, comprising: a landing gear coupler configured to couple with the landing gear; a release link configured to cooperate the landing gear coupler with a drive shaft that is configured to drive the landing gear between a stowed position and a deployed position; an override driver cooperated with the landing gear coupler; wherein the release link is configured to releasably maintain a relative position of landing gear coupler relative to the drive shaft, and the release link is configured to disengage a coupling between the drive shaft and the landing gear coupler such that the landing gear coupler is configured to move independent of the drive shaft; and wherein the override driver is configured to drive the landing gear coupler to the deployed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Allwein, Joseph Moore, Aron Howard Daria
  • Patent number: 9963599
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for implementing lightning strike protective compositions. In one aspect, a composition for providing protection against electrical discharges (e.g., including lightning strikes) for composite structures includes a binder material capable of dispersing material structures therein and attaching to a surface of a substrate, and a plurality of pigment structures dispersed in the binder material. The pigment structures include a central layer including an electrically conducting material, and outer layers formed on the central layer, in which the outer layers include an optical absorber material or a dielectric material. The composition, when attached to the substrate, is capable of providing electrically conductive paths to transfer electrical current from a multi kiloamp electrical discharge within the composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: Lawrence Woolf, Karen Spinar, Thomas McGovern
  • Patent number: 9943915
    Abstract: An apparatus for cutting annular corrugations in an interior surface of a cylindrical tube having a cutter head comprising a plurality of cutting teeth; a drive shaft coupled to the cutter head for spinning the cutter head; a mandrel coupled to the cutter head, wherein the mandrel defines a longitudinal axis, wherein an axis of rotation of the cutter head is parallel to, but in a position not coaxial with the axis of rotation of the cutter head; an outer eccentric coupled to mandrel, wherein the outer eccentric rotates the mandrel, wherein the axis of rotation orbits around the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: Michelangelo DiMartino, Charles P. Moeller