Abstract: A turbine-intake tower for delivering wind to a turbine has a hollow support column, an intake nozzle assembly rotatably coupled to the support column, and a tower nozzle disposed within the support column. The intake nozzle assembly is configured to receive and to accelerate wind. The tower nozzle is configured to receive the wind from the intake nozzle assembly and to further accelerate the wind received from the intake nozzle assembly for delivery to the turbine.

Abstract: A skin structure has a skin and a power generation system attached to the skin. The power generation system has a turbine, one or more tubes fluidly coupled to the turbine, and a generator configured to generate electrical power in response to motion of the turbine. The skin structure may form a portion of an outer covering of a stationary structure, such as a building, or an outer covering of a manned or unmanned vehicle, such as a ground or aerial motor vehicle or a marine or submarine motor vehicle.

Abstract: A motor includes a resonator and a vibration source coupled to the resonator. The vibration source can be a piezoelectric vibration source. A drive shaft is coupled to the resonator via a linkage. The vibration source(s) impart a vibration along the resonator such that a lateral displacement of the resonator is focused at a location coupled to the linkage. The lateral displacement is coupled to the drive shaft to provide rotational motion of the drive shaft.

Abstract: A method for controlling vibrations includes receiving the vibrations from a vibration-generating substructure at at least two vibration diverters and diverting the vibrations away from each of the vibration diverters, using the respective vibration diverters, to a vibration confiner that interconnects the vibration diverters. The vibration diverters can include passive elements, e.g., plates, ribs, notched plates, plates having wells, etc., active elements, e.g., actuators, sensor/actuators, etc., or a combination of passive and active elements. The vibration confiner can include a passive layer damping material for dissipating vibrations.

Abstract: A screening machine that includes a screen having a periphery and a central porous region is provided. A motion amplifier is substantially rigidly attached in direct contact with the periphery of the screen and not in direct contact with the central porous region. A transducer is substantially rigidly attached to the motion amplifier, wherein the transducer imparts a vibratory motion to the screen via the motion amplifier.

Abstract: A screening machine having a base is provided. A screen is coupled to the base to separate material by size. The screening machine includes a vibration motor having piezoelectric elements and a vibration amplifier located between the piezoelectric elements and the screen. One or more of the piezoelectric elements can be used as sensors to provide feedback for operation control.

Abstract: A method of producing an optimized structure design incorporating vibration confinement is provided. The method includes providing structural specifications and vibration confinement specifications for the structure. The method includes selecting a confinement region. Optimizing the design of the structure incorporating the confinement region in response to the structural specifications and confinement specifications is included in the method.

Abstract: A method for controlling vibration energy in a structure having a vibrating member using a vibration confinement device is provided. The vibrating member has boundaries and vibrates relative to the boundaries. The method includes selecting a vibration confinement region in the vibrating member relative to the boundaries. Determining an effective torsional stiffness and an effective translational stiffness for the vibration confinement device is included in the method. The method includes determining an operating position relative to the boundaries for the vibration confinement device on the vibrating member to define a determined position. The method includes positioning the vibration confinement device at the determined position to substantially confine the vibration energy to the vibration confinement region.

Abstract: A method for controlling vibrations includes receiving the vibrations from a vibration-generating substructure at at least two vibration diverters and diverting the vibrations away from each of the vibration diverters, using the respective vibration diverters, to a vibration confiner that interconnects the vibration diverters. The vibration diverters can include passive elements, e.g., plates, ribs, notched plates, plates having wells, etc., active elements, e.g., actuators, sensor/actuators, etc., or a combination of passive and active elements. The vibration confiner can include a passive layer damping material for dissipating vibrations.

Abstract: A method for controlling vibration energy in a structure having a vibrating member using a vibration confinement device is provided. The vibrating member has boundaries and vibrates relative to the boundaries. The method includes selecting a vibration confinement region in the vibrating member relative to the boundaries. Determining an effective torsional stiffness and an effective translational stiffness for the vibration confinement device is included in the method. The method includes determining an operating position relative to the boundaries for the vibration confinement device on the vibrating member to define a determined position. The method includes positioning the vibration confinement device at the determined position to substantially confine the vibration energy to the vibration confinement region.

Abstract: A mount that can be used to connect a vibration-generating substructure to a main structure. The mount uses vibration diverters to couple the vibration-generating substructure to the main structure. The vibration diverters can include passive elements, e.g., plates, ribs, notched plates, plates having wells, etc., active elements, e.g., actuators, sensor/actuators, etc., or a combination of passive and active elements. A vibration confiner interconnects the actuators. The vibration confiner can include a passive layer damping material for dissipating vibrations. The vibration diverters divert vibrations from the vibration-generating substructure to the vibration confiner.

Abstract: Undesirable vibrations are controlled in a mechanical structure by confining the vibrations to one or more specified areas of the structure. Vibration confinement is achieved using a confinement device which effectively applies both translational and torsional forces to the structure. The strength of the translational and torsional forces, and the position of the confinement device are chosen by the designer to select a vibrational energy confinement region. Judicious selection of the confinement region permits the structure to avoid the transfer of vibrational energy to particularly sensitive portions of the structure.

Abstract: A screening machine that includes a screen having a periphery and a central porous region is provided. A motion amplifier is substantially rigidly attached in direct contact with the periphery of the screen and not in direct contact with the central porous region. A transducer is substantially rigidly attached to the motion amplifier, wherein the transducer imparts a vibratory motion to the screen via the motion amplifier.

Abstract: A smart skin structure has vibration energy managing and steering capabilities. The skin can be used to managing vibrations in the skin or shell of a system, subcomponent, device, or structure. The skin has sensors coupled to the skin to obtain a response to vibrations. Actuators integral with the skin can be selectively activated to apply forces to the skin to confine or redirect vibration energy to one or more predetermined skin regions. The forces applied by the actuators can be controlled to create confinement power flows. Further, the skin actuators can be controlled using spatial derivatives of the vibration forces. The structure can be used in, but is not limited to, watercraft, aircraft, space vehicles, automobiles, marine devices, industrial machinery, machine tools, home appliances, buildings, bridges, and offshore oil platforms.

Abstract: A screening machine having a base is provided. A screen is coupled to the base to separate material by size. The screening machine includes a vibration motor having piezoelectric elements and a vibration amplifier located between the piezoelectric elements and the screen. One or more of the piezoelectric elements can be used as sensors to provide feedback for operation control.

Abstract: A screening machine that uses electrically controlled transducers to vibrate a separating screen. The transducers can be piezoelectric patches, discrete piezoelectric components, or electromagnetic shakers. Further, the transducers can be coupled directly to the screen or through a vibration amplifier. The transducers and/or amplifiers can be coupled to the screen at different attachment locations. One or more of the transducers can be used as sensors to provide feedback for operation control.

Abstract: A mount that can be used to connect a vibration-generating substructure to a main structure. The mount uses vibration diverters to couple the vibration-generating substructure to the main structure. The vibration diverters can include passive elements, e.g., plates, ribs, notched plates, plates having wells, etc., active elements, e.g., actuators, sensor/actuators, etc., or a combination of passive and active elements. A vibration confiner interconnects the actuators. The vibration confiner can include a passive layer damping material for dissipating vibrations. The vibration diverters divert vibrations from the vibration-generating substructure to the vibration confiner.

Abstract: A screening machine that uses electrically controlled transducers to vibrate a separating screen. The transducers can be piezoelectric patches, discrete piezoelectric components, or electromagnetic shakers. Further, the transducers can be coupled directly to the screen or through a vibration amplifier. The transducers and/or amplifiers can be coupled to the screen at different attachment locations. One or more of the transducers can be used as sensors to provide feedback for operation control.

Abstract: A motor noise silencer reduces noise at a source, such as an unbalanced electromechanical motor. The silencer, in one embodiment, comprises a multi-layer shell and an integrated vibration-based cooling system. The shell has an inner layer, a middle sound and vibration absorbing layer, and an external layer. The middle layer offers a soft coupling between the outer and inner layers. Heat trapped within the silencer is channeled out by utilizing a vibratory motion of a source (i.e., motor) and motor support system. The silencer provides noise reduction while providing ventilation using vibration generated by the motor.

Abstract: Undesirable vibrations are controlled in a mechanical structure by confining the vibrations to one or more specified areas of the structure and then dissipating the confined energy by damping. Vibration confinement is achieved using a confinement device which effectively applies both translational and torsional forces to the structure. The strength of the translational and torsional forces, and the position of the confinement device are chosen to select a vibrational energy confinement region. Damping elements are concentrated in the vibration confinement region to dissipate the confined vibrational energy. Judicious selection of the confinement region permits the structure to avoid the transfer of vibrational energy to particularly sensitive portions of the structure, or to direct vibrational energy to a portion of the structure. Optimization procedures are presented for designing structures having optimized placement and selection of the vibration confinement device and damping devices.