Abstract: In order to construct windmills with high capacity the machinery need to be constructed and dimensioned in such a manner that any type of damage to the machinery is avoided. This is best ensured by a hub construction, which according to the invention comprises a hub shaft (17) which to the front is connected to the blades (11) and which immediately behind the hub is connected to a gear box (22).Dangerous vibrations are hereby avoided, because the shaft (17) is primarily exposed merely to torsional forces.By further constructing the hub around a funnel-shaped body (5, 6) which to the back is suspended in a machine housing (1) and which on the outside carries main bearings (7), and where the blades (11) rest on the outer ring of the main bearings (7), the main bearings will primarily be exposed to radial loads.

Abstract: In a cage position detector for a hydraulic elevator, there is provided a detector for measuring the time duration of the power failure, when the power fails. An amount of sinkage of a cage during the power failure is obtained by the time duration of the power failure and an average sinkage amount per unit time provide in advance. A cage position, which has been detected just before the power failure, is corrected by the above obtained amount of sinkage of the cage. A cage position, from which the elevator is to reopen a normal operation for service after the recovery of power, is specified by the corrected cage position.According to the present invention, even though the cage sinks during the long power failure, it is prevented to lose the true present position of the cage, from which the elevator is to reopen the normal operation after the recovery of power.

Abstract: A method for providing a load compensation signal for the drive motor control loop of a traction elevator system which includes an elevator car, a counterweight, and a drive which includes a drive motor, brake, and traction drive sheave. The brake is mounted to provide an indication of the direction of unbalanced brake torque, with the method including the step of detecting unbalanced brake torque when the elevator car is stationary. A car load compensation signal is provided in response to the detecting step, with the compensation signal transferring the unbalanced torque from the brake to the drive motor, building up the motor current to provide motor torque sufficient to hold the car stationary while the brake torque is reduced to zero. The method then continues by using the motor current to provide car loading signals for use by the supervisory control portion of the elevator system.

Abstract: A hydroelectric power installation utilizes an array of turbine generators which are assembled at an elevated position above water and are moved as a unit to a submerged, operating position at the entrance of a discharge conduit. The assembled turbine generators and draft tubes are lowered to the submerged position along a track leading to the entrance of the conduit, and are placed in sealing relationship with the conduit in the submerged position to permit power to be generated from the full pressure head of the water.

Abstract: A control apparatus for an elevator comprises a position detector responsive to cage movement, a non-volatile semiconductor memory for storing representation of cage position, and a microcomputer operated under program control for controlling the position detector to produce signals representing instantaneous cage positions and for continuously erasing and rewriting the contents of the non-volatile semiconductor memory based on the position detector signals. Thus, the stored contents can be reliably held even at the time of power failure, so that an expensive backup power source can be dispensed with.

Abstract: An electric generator for vehicles is disclosed including an armature having starting coils, generating coils and a starting current supply path assembly for supplying electrical current from a power supply to the starting coils. The electric generator also includes a field element having a set of field magnets for providing a magnetic field which interacts with the magnetic field of the starting coils during a start-up sequence of the engine of the vehicle. The field magnets also generate a magnetic field after the start-up sequence has been completed to induce an electrical current in the generating coils during operation of the engine so as to provide electrical energy for the engine. The starting coils are arranged concentrically inside the set of field magnets and the generating coils are arranged concentrically inside the starting coils.

Abstract: A hydroelectric generator is provided with a retractable runner and, optionally, with a retractable distributor. This is accomplished by mounting the runner on a runner shaft which is axially movable in order to permit selective retraction and extension of the runner exteriorly of the generator housing. In this way, the runner may be selectively withdrawn from the inlet to its associated draft tube in order to clear the inlet and increase its water flow rate capacity during periods of flood or excessive high water. The distributor, i.e., the wicket gates, may optionally also be carried on the runner shaft for axial retraction and extension therewith.

Abstract: Elevator velocity profile generation is based upon combining an open loop, least time profile for acceleration with a precision closed loop, phase plane control for deceleration. The deceleration phase-plane velocity profile is generated as a modified mirror image of the acceleration profile, and transition from open loop control is within ride quality constraints. Adaptive control permits operating a drive unit closer to its limits without danger of overloading under worst case conditions, which account for a small percentage of the time. Thus, smaller drive units can be used in a given application with minimal impact on performance.

Abstract: A cogeneration system including a heat engine driving an electrical generator coupled to electrical lines at a site serviced by a utility is disclosed. The system includes supervisory means for monitoring the electrical energy and/or power supplied by the generator, supplied to the site by the utility, and consumed by site electrical loads, for storing monitored electrical data, and for controlling operation of the engine and generator in response to the monitored data. The system further is provided with data representing the energy and power rate structure of the local utility, and with a real time clock, and stores monitored electrical data and controls operation of the system in accordance with whether the time corresponds to a utility peak, intermediate, or off-peak energy rate period or to a peak demand measuring period. The system further comprises means for monitoring the thermal energy transferred from the engine to a site thermal load by heat exchange means.

Abstract: A system for reading or sensing the position of an elevator relative to a landing and for providing corresponding control signals to a controller for controlling the elevator movement in response to the sensed position comprises a tape veritically mounted in an elevator shaft and having reflective vanes positioned on it to indicate position relative to a landing. Sensors are mounted on the elevator car and produce predetermined output signals in response to detection of vanes, and suitable control circuitry responds to predetermined combinations of the sensor output signals to produce suitable output control signals to a controller which controls the car's speed, direction and positioning. The system is installed by first vertically mounting a suitable tape in an elevator shaft so that it runs through a sensor unit mounted on an elevator cab, and positioning vanes on the tape at predetermined positions relative to each floor.

Abstract: An elevator leveling control for a system described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,469, includes a leveling cylinder and piston arrangement responding to less pressure than the main control cylinder and piston, so that during the operation of the main cylinder and piston, the leveling piston is always in its uppermost position, and a leveling cam, carried by the leveling cylinder-piston arrangement produces the minimum resistance in a rheostat electrically connected to the control field of a generator supplying power to the elevator motor. Through the travel of the elevator in high speed, the leveling rheostat is disconnected from the control field and the main rheostat is connected. At a given distance from the floor at which the elevator is to stop, a valve in the hydraulic system is energized to close, holding the main rheostat from dropping farther, the main rheostat is disconnected and the leveling rheostat is electrically connected to the generator control field.

Abstract: An elevator monitoring apparatus and method are disclosed in which an elevator is modeled as operating in a closed loop chain of normal operating states from which message initiating transitions to abnormal states causes the latest to occur of a selected number of monitored events are recovered from a storage buffer as an aid to an analysis of an abnormal state. Door and motion closed loop chain state machines are disclosed as effective tools for abnormal event detection, especially for a state machine approach implemented within an elevator controller.

Abstract: A display control apparatus for an elevator comprising a clock which delivers time information, memory means to store a plurality of items of greeting information dependent upon times, selection means to select from the memory means the greeting information item corresponding to the current time given by the clock, and synthesis means to deliver the selected greeting information item in combination with general information as display information. When the selection means derives the greeting information corresponding to the current time from the memory means on the basis of the time information of the clock, the synthesis means applies it to a display unit in combination with the general information, whereby appropriate greeting information items are presented to the users of the elevator at proper times.

Abstract: A starting system for starting a prime mover connected to a generator by a torque link includes an induction motor having a torque rating substantially equal to the minimum torque required to rotate the rotor of the generator from rest to a particular speed within a predetermined time period while the torque link is deactuated, a source of electrical power, contactors for connecting the source of electrical power to the induction motor when the torque link is deactuated to accelerate the generator rotor to the particular speed, a second set of contactors for connecting the source of electrical power to the generator windings once the generator rotor has reached a particular speed to cause the generator to operate as a synchronous motor and a torque link actuator for actuating the torque link once the generators operating as a synchronous motor to bring the prime mover up to starting speed.

Abstract: The generator unit is driven by a small Pelton turbine (10) having a plurality of injectors (11) each comprised of a single tubular part connected to a ring-shaped distribution chamber. The turbine wheel drives a multiphase synchronous generator (20) having permanent magnets. The alternating voltages produced by the generator are rectified in order to obtain a direct voltage of 24 V. The water flow rate is regulated at the input of the turbine by means of a regulation valve (13) controlled by an electronic regulation unit (23), to automatically control the power of the generator unit as a function of the output voltage variations. Said portable generator unit, which is extremely simple and reliable may be provisionally or permanently used wherever a pressure water connection is available.

Abstract: An automatic control system for a power plant including a torque such as a steam turbine and a generator for converting the generated torque into electrical output.

Abstract: A speed control apparatus for an A.C. elevator according to this invention comprises integration circuits which integrate outputs of current detectors for detecting primary currents of an induction motor and which are reset at fixed periods, and holding circuits which hold outputs of the integration circuits for a predetermined time. Thus, the influences of the ripples of the currents by pulse width modulation are eliminated, and the digital conversions of the three-phase currents can be performed by a single analog-to-digital converter.

Abstract: Inefficiencies in electrical starter-generator systems for turbine engines are avoided in a construction including a dynamoelectric machine 16 operable as a motor or as a generator and having a rotor 26, a hydraulic torque converter 70 including an impeller 80 connected to the rotor 26 and a turbine 86. A system 94, 96 is provided for selectively providing hydraulic fluid to the torque converter 70 and a constant speed drive 112, 142, 144 is included. Overrunning clutches 108 and 158 interconnect the turbine 86 and an input for the constant speed drive for allowing the input to overrun the turbine 86 but not the reverse, and for interconnecting the rotor 26 and an output 130 of the constant speed drive for allowing the rotor 26 to overrun the output 130.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an elevator comprising control data setting means for setting control data indicative of an environment where the elevator is installed and for generating a control signal representative thereof; cage position detecting means for detecting position of a cage of the elevator to generate a cage position signal representative thereof; cage position converter means connected to receive the control signal and the cage position signal for performing a predetermined logical operation to generate a converted cage position signal corresponding to the environment; position indicator data setting means for setting a position indicator data representing the position of the cage in response to the converted cage position signal generated by the cage position converter means; and position indicator signal producing means for producing a position indicator signal on the basis of the converted cage position signal and the position indicator data.

Abstract: In an elevator control system employing a variable-voltage and variable-frequency control, a control apparatus having limiter for limiting the maximum value of a slip frequency .omega..sub.s when the frequency .omega..sub.0 of current command values to be delivered to an inverter circuit for operating an induction motor is evaluated in accordance with a condition formula of .omega..sub.0 =.omega..sub.s +.omega..sub.4 (where .omega..sub.r denotes the angular rotational frequency of the induction motor), whereby an actual car speed can be limited to a safe low value even when the detected car speed is erroneous due to a malfunction of the car speed detection device. Also, the time period during which the generated slip frequency command signal exceeds a reference value is measured to determine the current frequency command signal for the induction motor.