Abstract: An electronic control systems and process for infusion devices and pump configurations can provide highly efficient use of electrical power. The system may include a capacitor which is controlled to partially, but not fully discharge, to provide a power pulse to a pump coil. In this manner, the capacitor remains partially charged and need not be re-charged from a fully discharged state. In addition, the power applied to the coil in a given discharge pulse signal may be controlled to correspond to the power needs of the pump, by controlling the degree to which the capacitor is discharged to produce the pulse signal. A power cut-off switch may be provided to control the discharge of the capacitor such that the capacitor is stopped from discharging prior to the actual end of the armature stroke. The time at which the capacitor discharge is stopped may be selected such that energy remaining in the coil after the capacitor stops discharging is sufficient to continue the pump stroke to the actual end of the stroke.

Abstract: A power control system for a turbogenerator which provides electrical power to one or more pump-jack oil wells. When the induction motor of a pump-jack oil well is powered by three-phase utility power, the speed of the pump-jack shaft varies only slightly over the pumping cycle but the utility power requirements can vary by four times the average pumping power. This power variation makes it impractical to power a pump-jack oil well with a stand-alone turbogenerator controlled by a conventional power control system. This power control system comprises a turbogenerator inverter, a load inverter, and a central processing unit which controls the frequency and voltage/current of each inverter.

Abstract: A crossing spiral compressor or pump having a cylindrical rotor rotating within a cylindrical stator bore. Both the outer surface of the rotor and the bore of the stator include a plurality of spiral fluid flow channels separated by narrow blades, with the spiral fluid flow channels of the stator bore spiraling in the reverse or opposite direction relative to the spiral fluid flow channels of the rotor. The fluid flow channels on the rotor and in the bore have open sides that face the annular gap between the rotor and stator with the channels crossing each other at many locations to facilitate fluid exchange between rotor channels and bore channels.

Abstract: A annular recuperator to recover waste heat from a gas turbine exhaust in order to preheat the compressed air delivered to the gas turbine combustor, formed with gas flow passages for the relatively hot turbine exhaust gases and air flow passages for the relatively cool compressed air separated by thin, thermally conductive metal foil barriers. The flow passages have contoured gaps between the foil surfaces in order to establish the desired air/gas aerodynamic friction induced pressure drop and mass flow profiles within the recuperator core. The gaps are set by an array of dimples in the metal foil barriers with each dimple having a precisely controlled height. The metal foil barriers are formed by first dimpling and then bending a single sheet metal strip to form a convoluted foil structure that is wrapped around an inner cylinder and the ends joined. An outer cylinder is then installed around the wrapped, convoluted foil barrier structure.

Abstract: A crossing spiral compressor or pump having a cylindrical rotor rotating within a cylindrical stator bore. Both the outer surface of the rotor and the bore of the stator include a plurality of spiral fluid flow channels separated by narrow blades, with the spiral fluid flow channels of the stator bore spiraling in the reverse or opposite direction relative to the spiral fluid flow channels of the rotor. The fluid flow channels on the rotor and in the bore have open sides that face the annular gap between the rotor and stator with the channels crossing each other at many locations to facilitate fluid exchange between rotor channels and bore channels.

Abstract: A power control system for a turbogenerator which provides electrical power to one or more pump-jack oil wells. When the induction motor of a pump-jack oil well is powered by three-phase utility power, the speed of the pump-jack shaft varies only slighty over the pumping cycle but the utility power requirements can vary by four times the average pumping power. This power variation makes it impractical to power a pump-jack oil well with a stand-alone turbogenerator controlled by a conventional power control system. This power control system comprises a turbogenerator inverter, a load inverter, and a central process unit which controls the frequency and voltage/current of each inverter.

Abstract: A power control system for a turbogenerator which provides electrical power to one or more pump-jack oil wells. When the induction motor of a pump-jack oil well is powered by three-phase utility power, the speed of the pump-jack shaft varies only slightly over the pumping cycle but the utility power requirements can vary by four times the average pumping power. This power variation makes it impractical to power a pump-jack oil well with a stand-alone turbogenerator controlled by a conventional power control system. This power control system comprises a turbogenerator inverter, a load inverter, and a central processing unit which controls the frequency and voltage/current of each inverter.

Abstract: A power control system for a turbogenerator which provides electrical power to one or more pump-jack oil wells. When the induction motor of a pump-jack oil well is powered by three-phase utility power, the speed of the pump-jack shaft varies only slightly over the pumping cycle but the utility power requirements can vary by four times the average pumping power. This power variation makes it impractical to power a pump-jack oil well with a stand-alone turbogenerator controlled by a conventional power control system. This power control system comprises a turbogenerator inverter, a load inverter, and a central processing unit which controls the frequency and voltage/current of each inverter.

Abstract: A power control system for a turbogenerator which provides electrical power to pump-jack oil well. When the induction motor of a pump-jack is powered by three-phase utility power, the speed of the shaft varies only slightly over the pumping cycle but the utility power requirements can vary by four times the average pumping power. This variation makes it impractical to power a pump-jack oil well with a stand-alone turbogenerator controlled by a conventional power control system. This control system comprises a turbogenerator inverter, a load inverter, and a central processing unit which controls the frequency and voltage/current of each inverter. Throughout the pumping cycle, the processing unit increases or decreases the frequency of the load inverter in order to axially accelerate and decelerate the masses of the down hole pump rods and oil, and to rotationally accelerate and decelerate the motor rotors and counter balance weights.

Abstract: A flywheel assembly for storing energy and rotatable in response to the rotation of a shaft includes a hub having a transition portion having a constant stress intermediate region operatively coupled to the shaft and an outer connecting portion forming a flexible cylinder, wherein the shaft and the flexible cylinder are substantially coaxial, and an outer cylinder wherein a majority of the mass of the flywheel assembly is concentrated. The flexible cylinder includes connecting pads disposed at opposing edges of the outer side of the flexible cylinder thereby permitting connection to the outer cylinder. The outer cylinder increases radially responsive to a corresponding increase in rotational speed of the flywheel assembly, while the diameter of the transition portion of the hub follows the radial increase of the outer cylinder.

Abstract: A compound shalt coupling having a flexible disk shaft, with two flexible disks or diaphragms, and a tie bolt shaft connecting two rigid or stiff shafts. One flexible disk diaphragm of the flexible disk shaft is coupled with an interference fit to the first stiff shaft, while the other flexible disk diaphragm of the flexible disk shaft is coupled with an interference fit to the tie bolt shaft which removably mounts the second stiff shaft. A quill shaft connects the two flexible disk diaphragms of the flexible disk shaft. The first stiff shaft can be a hollow sleeve with a magnet mounted therein and the second stiff shaft or power head shaft may include a compressor wheel, a bearing rotor, and a turbine wheel removably mounted on the tie bolt shaft.

Abstract: A gaseous fuel compression and control system is disclosed which utilizes a helical flow compressor/turbine integrated with a permanent magnet motor/generator and driven by a torque controlling inverter to compress or expand gaseous fuels, precisely control fuel pressure and flow, and precisely control the operations (speed, combustion temperature and output power) of a gaseous fuel fired turbogenerator.

Abstract: A compound shaft coupling having a flexible disk shaft, with two flexible disks or diaphragms, and a tie bolt shaft connecting two rigid or stiff shafts. One flexible disk diaphragm of the flexible disk shaft is coupled with an interference fit to the first stiff shaft, while the other flexible disk diaphragm of the flexible disk shaft is coupled with an interference fit to the tie bolt shaft which removably mounts the second stiff shaft. A quill shaft connects the two flexible disk diaphragms of the flexible disk shaft. The first stiff shaft can be a hollow sleeve with a magnet mounted therein and the second stiff shaft or power head shaft may include a compressor wheel, a bearing rotor, and a turbine wheel removably mounted on the tie bolt shaft.

Abstract: A compound shaft coupling having a flexible disk shaft, with two flexible disks or diaphragms, and a tie bolt shaft connecting two rigid or stiff shafts. One flexible disk diaphragm of the flexible disk shaft is coupled with an interference fit to the first stiff shaft, while the other flexible disk diaphragm of the flexible disk shaft is coupled with an interference fit to the tie bolt shaft which removably mounts the second stiff shaft. A quill shaft connects the two flexible disk diaphragms of the flexible disk shaft. The first stiff shaft can be a hollow sleeve with a magnet mounted therein and the second stiff shaft or power head shaft may include a compressor wheel, a bearing rotor, and a turbine wheel removably mounted on the tie bolt shaft.

Abstract: A compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing including a thrust disk rotor, fluid foils, spring foils, a thrust plate, and a housing thrust surface The non-rotating but compliant fluid foils, mounted on the thrust plate and/or housing thrust surface and positioned adjacent to the thrust disk, have open faced channels that induce regenerative vortex flow patterns in the process fluid. The multiple spring foils together provide a tilting pad support for the fluid foils but allow them to follow the axial and overturning motion of the thrust disk. The interaction of the tilting pad underspring supports and the circumferential fluid pressure gradients in the process fluid between the fluid foils and the thrust disk rotor assure that the fluid foils will assume hydrodynamically efficient convex shapes on the surfaces adjacent to the rotor regardless of the load applied to the thrust bearing.

Abstract: A helical flow compressor/turbine or pump/turbine with integral permanent magnet motor/generator is disclosed which can be configured as a single stage, two stage or three stage rotary machine. The impeller blades for this machine can be either radial for ease of manufacture or curved, with the curve at the leading edge being greater than at the blade root, for maximum fluid dynamic head pressure and maximum efficiency. Tapered flow channels are utilized to maximize fluid-dynamic efficiency. The helical flow machine disclosed produces precisely controlled pressure changes and energy changes in the process fluid passing through the machine and provides information on fluid flow rates.

Abstract: A liquid fuel pressurization and control system is disclosed which utilizes either a helical flow pump, or a helical flow pump followed by a gear pump, to pressurize liquid fuel to precisely the pressure level required by a turbogenerator's combustor injectors. This eliminates the need to overpressurize the fuel then regulate the fuel pressure down using a flow control valve or a pressure control valve. The shaft torque and shaft speed of the pump are controlled by the turbogenerator's power controller so as to assure that the turbogenerator's speed is precisely controlled (e.g. within ten (10) rpm out of one hundred thousand (100,000) rpm), and that its turbine exhaust temperature is precisely controlled (e.g. within two (2) degrees Fahrenheit out of twelve hundred (1200) degrees Fahrenheit) over the full range of turbogenerator electrical output power.

Abstract: A gaseous fuel compression and control system is disclosed which utilizes one or more helical flow compressor/turbine integrated with a permanent magnet motor/generator and driven by a torque controlling inverter to compress or expand gaseous fuels, precisely control fuel pressure and flow, and precisely control the operations (speed, combustion temperature and output power) of a gaseous fuel fired turbogenerator.

Abstract: A system to hydrostatically augment the thrust load capacity of a bilateral compliant foil hydrodynamic fluid film thrust bearing for a turbomachine is disclosed. A plurality of channels and fixed orifices are provided in the bearing thrust plate to deliver and regulate compressor bleed air flow to the compressor side of the bilateral compliant foil hydrodynamic fluid film thrust bearing which includes additional channels and orifices to direct the bleed air against the bearing rotor thrust disk. After impinging on the rotor thrust disk, the bleed air flow exits the thrust bearing through a plurality of variable orifices comprised of the hydrodynamic thrust bearing elements which are controlled in their flow conductance by the axial position of the rotor thrust disk. The bleed air may then pass through the adjacent journal bearing which functions as a fixed orifice.

Abstract: A gaseous fuel compression and control system is disclosed which utilizes a helical flow compressor/turbine integrated with a permanent magnet motor/generator and driven by a torque controlling inverter to compress or expand gaseous fuels, precisely control fuel pressure and flow, and precisely control the operations (speed, combustion temperature and output power) of a gaseous fuel fired turbogenerator.