Abstract: A switched reluctance apparatus and method of operating the same. The apparatus has an inner stator having a plurality of poles, a rotor disposed radially outward of the inner stator and having a plurality of segments serving as poles, and an outer stator disposed radially outward of the rotor and having a plurality of poles. A respective winding is disposed between every pair of adjacent poles of either stator. The apparatus operates with a plurality of separately excitable phases, a given phase being excited by energizing the windings corresponding to the given phase. Excitation of a given phase causes induction of magnetic fluxes traversing a region substantially confined to the region of the stators and rotor segments corresponding to the given phase, and causes a substantial amount of flux to enter rotor segments not in the radial direction but perpendicular to the radial direction.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to a reforming chamber housing a hydrocarbon-water mixture and receiving a control voltage signal to cause molecular breakdown of the mixture and create a feed of hydrogen and carbon dioxide that can be supplied to fuel cells. The reforming chamber includes multiple electrodes positioned across from a ground plane inside a cylindrical support structure. An input tube receives and directs the mixture to the vertical cavity where the mixture rises past the electrodes. Mixture that is not broken down is recycled back to the bottom of the vertical cavity by a fan while the resultant hydrogen and carbon dioxide is allowed to rise to a trap that separates the hydrogen from the carbon dioxide. The hydrogen can then be directed to the fuel cells or other hydrogen-dependent devices.

Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator having N stator poles and a rotor having N rotor poles. Each stator pole has a stator winding, and the windings of the N stator poles are configured for excitation in a single phase. The current flow in the windings is controlled to support a constrained flux path across two air gaps provided by circumferentially adjacent rotor/stator pole pairs. The rotor may further be structurally configured to support that constrained flux path and preclude diagonal flux across the rotor.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to a reforming chamber housing a hydrocarbon-water mixture and receiving a control voltage signal to cause molecular breakdown of the mixture and create a feed of hydrogen and carbon and dioxide that can be supplied to fuel cells. The reforming chamber includes multiple electrodes positioned across from a ground plane inside a cylindrical support structure. An input tube receives and directs the mixture to the vertical cavity where the mixture rises past the electrodes. Mixture that is not broken down is recycled back to the bottom of the vertical cavity by a fan while the resultant hydrogen and carbon dioxide is allowed to rise to a trap that separates the hydrogen from the carbon dioxide. The hydrogen can then be directed to the fuel cells or other hydrogen-dependent devices.

Abstract: A circuit applies an electric field to a reforming chamber housing a hydrocarbon-water mixture to cause molecular breakdown and create a feed of hydrogen and carbon and dioxide that can be supplied to fuel cells. The circuit includes a DC-to-DC converter, a DC-to-AC inverter and a transformer to transform available input voltage to a control voltage that can be used to apply the electric field to the mixture in the reforming chamber. The signal supplied to the DC-to-AC inverter is monitored to determine whether enough voltage is supplied to create an electrical discharge in the reforming chamber. If an electrical discharge exists, the variables to the circuit is left alone or decreased until the signal indicates the electrical discharge is no longer present. If no electrical discharge exists, the variable input voltage is increased until an electrical discharge is detected.

Abstract: A piezoelectric multiplexer includes an actuator and multiple piezo-morph beams. The actuator includes an actuator conducting head and an actuator stem, and each piezo-morph beam includes a conducting beam contact head and a beam stem manufactured out of piezo-morph material. A control voltage is selectively applied to electrical contacts coupled to the beam stems to create a piezoelectric effect that bends the selected piezo-morph beam and creates an electrical connection between its contact head and the conducting head of the actuator. A control circuit with a controller signals which piezo-morph beam to connect to the actuator. This multi-piezo-morph-beam piezoelectric multiplexer can be affixed to the electrical terminals of different electrical components (e.g., a transistor) to create an electrical cell that can be manufactured on a semiconductor chip or in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein generally relate to a reforming chamber housing a hydrocarbon-water mixture and receiving a control voltage signal to cause molecular breakdown of the mixture and create a feed of hydrogen and carbon and dioxide that can be supplied to fuel cells. The reforming chamber includes multiple electrodes positioned across from a ground plane inside a cylindrical support structure. An input tube receives and directs the mixture to the vertical cavity where the mixture rises past the electrodes. Mixture that is not broken down is recycled back to the bottom of the vertical cavity by a fan while the resultant hydrogen and carbon dioxide is allowed to rise to a trap that separates the hydrogen from the carbon dioxide. The hydrogen can then be directed to the fuel cells or other hydrogen-dependent devices.

Abstract: A double stator permanent magnet machine includes an inner stator having a back iron and a set of inner stator poles connected to the back iron, a rotor having a shaft and a set of segments, each segment having a permanent magnet, adjacent the inner stator and rotatively coupled to the inner stator, an outer stator having a set outer stator poles, adjacent the rotor and rotatively coupled to the rotor, a set of inner windings disposed between each of the inner stator poles, and a set of outer windings disposed between each of the outer stator poles.

Abstract: A circuit applies an electric field to a reforming chamber housing a hydrocarbon-water mixture to cause molecular breakdown and create a feed of hydrogen and carbon and dioxide that can be supplied to fuel cells. The circuit includes a DC-to-DC converter, a DC-to-AC inverter and a transformer to transform available input voltage to a control voltage that can be used to apply the electric field to the mixture in the reforming chamber. The signal supplied to the DC-to-AC inverter is monitored to determine whether enough voltage is supplied to create an electrical discharge in the reforming chamber. If an electrical discharge exists, the variables to the circuit is left alone or decreased until the signal indicates the electrical discharge is no longer present. If no electrical discharge exists, the variable input voltage is increased until an electrical discharge is detected.

Abstract: An exterior rotor switched reluctance machine includes a stator, a rotor adjacent the stator and adjacent a housing, the housing connected to the stator. The stator further includes a back iron, a set of stator poles connected to the back iron and a set of windings disposed between the set of stator poles. The rotor, connected to a shaft and rotatively coupled to the stator, further includes a set of rotor segments. The set of windings includes a set of phases, each phase experiencing a flux linkage that varies with an angular position of the rotor. The apparatus operates as a motor in response to selectively energizing the set of phases with a set of current pulses. The apparatus operates as a generator in response to rotating the shaft.

Abstract: A system and methods for operating a switched reluctance machine includes a controller, an inverter connected to the controller and to the switched reluctance machine, a hysteresis control connected to the controller and to the inverter, a set of sensors connected to the switched reluctance machine and to the controller, the switched reluctance machine further including a set of phases the controller further comprising a processor and a memory connected to the processor, wherein the processor programmed to execute a control process and a generation process.

Abstract: A piezoelectric multiplexer includes an actuator and multiple bimorph beams. The actuator includes an actuator conducting head and an actuator stem, and each bimorph beam includes a conducting beam contact head and a beam stem manufactured out of bimorph material. A control voltage is selectively applied to electrical contacts coupled to the beam stems to create a piezoelectric effect that bends the selected bimorph beam and creates an electrical connection between its contact head and the conducting head of the actuator. A control circuit with a controller signals which bimorph beam to connect to the actuator. This multi-bimorph-beam piezoelectric multiplexer can be affixed to the electrical terminals of different electrical components (e.g., a transistor) to create an electrical cell that can be manufactured on a semiconductor chip or in a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device.

Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator plate supporting stator poles circumferentially distributed about a first central opening and a rotor plate supporting stator poles circumferentially distributed about a second central opening. A rotation shaft is mounted to the rotor plate in the second central opening, the shaft passes through the first central opening to define an axis of rotation. The rotor and stator poles extend perpendicular from the rotor and stator plates, respectively, and support flux paths during single phase actuation which include a first flux portion passing through each stator pole parallel to the axis of rotation and a second portion passing through each rotor pole parallel to the axis of rotation. The flux paths cross an air gap between the stator and rotor poles from the first portion to the second portion.

Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator having a plurality of stator poles and a rotor having a plurality of rotor poles and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. Each of the stator poles includes a primary stator pole and an auxiliary stator pole. The auxiliary stator pole is axially aligned with the primary stator pole in the direction of the axis of rotation. Furthermore, each stator poles is formed of a plurality of laminations extending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator having N stator poles and a rotor having N rotor poles. Each stator pole has a stator winding, and the windings of the N stator poles are configured for excitation in a single phase. The current flow in the windings is controlled to support a constrained flux path across two air gaps provided by circumferentially adjacent rotor/stator pole pairs. The rotor may further be structurally configured to support that constrained flux path and preclude diagonal flux across the rotor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for substantially eliminating torque pulsation in a doubly fed induction machine are disclosed. An example method comprises: measuring a stator current of the doubly fed induction machine, measuring a rotor current of the doubly fed induction machine, calculating a total magnetic flux density in an airgap of the doubly fed induction machine, calculating a tangential force density, calculating an electromagnetic torque, repeating the calculation of the electromagnetic torque over one electrical cycle to estimate a torque pulsation, determining a new rotor current that substantially eliminates the torque pulsation by referencing a set of optimal rotor currents in a look-up table, and changing the rotor current in response to the determination. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for energy management are disclosed. An example system includes a first port connected to an energy storage device for bidirectional flow of energy, a second port connected to an energy source device for unidirectional flow of energy, a third port connected to a utility grid for bidirectional flow of energy, and a unified control system with control logic configured to simultaneously control energy flow between the first, second, and third ports based on at least two factors from the group consisting of: a state of charge of the energy storage device, a state of the energy source device, and a state of the utility grid. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for detecting faults and optimizing phase currents in an electromechanical energy converter are disclosed. An example method comprises: measuring a current of a phase of the electromechanical energy converter, modeling the electromechanical energy converter with the current measurement input into a field reconstruction module, calculating a flux linkage of the electromechanical energy converter, comparing the flux linkage with a flux linkage from a no fault electromechanical energy converter, and optimizing the current of the phase of the electromechanical energy converter in response to the comparison. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for phase current reconstruction are disclosed. An example method comprises: sampling a current from a power stage comprising: three phase legs, a current sensor to measure a dc-link current, and three more current sensors configured to measure three summations of currents for the power stage, storing the sampled current into a current stack if the sampled current comes from a survived sensor and is one of the phase currents from the switching state in the state stack, and reconstructing an unknown phase current by using the previously stored currents along with the sampled current to calculate the unknown phase current. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for detecting faults and optimizing phase currents in an electromechanical energy converter are disclosed. An example method comprises: measuring a current of a phase of the electromechanical energy converter, modeling the electromechanical energy converter with the current measurement input into a field reconstruction module, calculating a flux linkage of the electromechanical energy converter, comparing the flux linkage with a flux linkage from a no fault electromechanical energy converter, and optimizing the current of the phase of the electromechanical energy converter in response to the comparison. Other embodiments are described and claimed.