Patents by Inventor Phillip E. Walkemeyer

Phillip E. Walkemeyer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Flow energy piezoelectric bimorph nozzle harvester
    Patent number: 9531303
    Abstract: A flow energy harvesting device having a harvester pipe includes a flow inlet that receives flow from a primary pipe, a flow outlet that returns the flow into the primary pipe, and a flow diverter within the harvester pipe having an inlet section coupled to the flow inlet, a flow constriction section coupled to the inlet section and positioned at a midpoint of the harvester pipe and having a spline shape with a substantially reduced flow opening size at a constriction point along the spline shape, and an outlet section coupled to the constriction section. The harvester pipe may further include a piezoelectric structure extending from the inlet section through the constriction section and point such that the fluid flow past the constriction point results in oscillatory pressure amplitude inducing vibrations in the piezoelectric structure sufficient to cause a direct piezoelectric effect and to generate electrical power for harvesting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignees: CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CHEVRON U.S.A. INC.
    Inventors: Stewart Sherrit, Phillip E. Walkemeyer, Jeffrey L. Hall, Hyeong Jae Lee, Tim Colonius, Phillipe Tosi, Namhyo Kim, Kai Sun, Thomas Gary Corbett, Alvaro Jose Arrazola
  • FLOW ENERGY PIEZOELECTRIC BIMORPH NOZZLE HARVESTER
    Publication number: 20140319970
    Abstract: A flow energy harvesting device having a harvester pipe includes a flow inlet that receives flow from a primary pipe, a flow outlet that returns the flow into the primary pipe, and a flow diverter within the harvester pipe having an inlet section coupled to the flow inlet, a flow constriction section coupled to the inlet section and positioned at a midpoint of the harvester pipe and having a spline shape with a substantially reduced flow opening size at a constriction point along the spline shape, and an outlet section coupled to the constriction section. The harvester pipe may further include a piezoelectric structure extending from the inlet section through the constriction section and point such that the fluid flow past the constriction point results in oscillatory pressure amplitude inducing vibrations in the piezoelectric structure sufficient to cause a direct piezoelectric effect and to generate electrical power for harvesting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Stewart Sherrit, Phillip E. Walkemeyer, Jeffrey L. Hall, Hyeong Jae Lee, Tim Colonius, Luis Phillipe Tosi, Namhyo Kim, Kai Sun, Thomas Gary Corbett, Alvaro Jose Arrazola