| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090251014 | Low heat leak, high torque power shaft for cryogenic machines - A shaft assembly and method for reducing the heat leak into the cryogenic region of a superconducting electrical machine comprising a rotor shaft extension assembly capable of transmitting large amounts of torque with substantially increased thermal impedance. The shaft assembly contains a plurality of concentric structural cylinders composed of high strength, low thermal conductivity structural materials. The structural cylinders are connected in series by means of welded joints or strong interlocking “finger” connections, in such a way that the coldest cylinder is connected to the cryogenic machine. An optional intermediate heat sink that allows the shaft extension member to rotate freely within the confines of the heat sink further reduces the heat leak into the cryogenic environment. Splined adapter hubs are typically used to connect the cylinder assembly to the rotor of the superconducting machine and the external device. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100259117 | Dual armature motor/generator with flux linkage between dual armatures and a superconducting field coil - The present invention relates to cylindrical rotating electric machines which comprise armature and field coils, with either the field coil or the dual armature being the rotating component. The dual armature is composed of two concentric cylindrical sets of coils with the field coil situated in the gap between the inner and outer armature sections. Relative rotational motion between the field and armature coils can be achieved by having either one be the rotor. By using two armature coil sections, one inside the field coil aperture and the other external to the field coil, the flux linkage between the armature and superconducting field coil can be approximately doubled. This is a more efficient use of the superconductor. The increased flux linkage in the invented technology produces a substantially higher power density than can be obtained with current conventional superconducting machine technology. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20110025146 | Dual Armature Motor/Generator With Flux Linkage - The present invention relates to cylindrical rotating electric machines which comprise armature and field coils, with either the field coil or the dual armature being the rotating component. The dual armature is composed of two concentric cylindrical sets of coils with the field coil situated in the gap between the inner and outer armature sections. Relative rotational motion between the field and armature coils can be achieved by having either one be the rotor. By using two armature coil sections, one inside the field coil aperture and the other external to the field coil, the flux linkage between the armature and superconducting field coil can be approximately doubled. This is a more efficient use of the superconductor. The increased flux linkage in the invented technology produces a substantially higher power density than can be obtained with current conventional superconducting machine technology. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110148238 | Dual Armature Motor/Generator With Flux Linkage - The present invention relates to cylindrical rotating electric machines which comprise armature and field source, with either the field source or the dual armature being the rotating component. The dual armature is composed of two concentric cylindrical sets of coils with the field source situated in the gap between the inner and outer armature sections. Relative rotational motion between the field source and armature coils can be achieved by having either one be the rotor. By using two armature coil sections, one inside the field source aperture and the other external to the field source, the flux linkage between the armature and field source can be approximately doubled. The increased flux linkage in the invented technology produces a substantially higher power density than can be obtained with conventional machine technology. | 06-23-2011 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080272240 | Active vibration damping (AVD) system for precision pointing spacecraft - An active vibration damping (AVD) control system for spacecraft provides a simple-to-implement and robust formulation that provides a novel damping control method for reducing spacecraft structural vibrations and improving antenna and instrument pointing. The AVD control system comprises an excitation signal generator configured to generate excitation input signals, and a damping model identification unit configured to receive system identification data and configured to produce control model parameters, the system identification data comprising the excitation input signals and information associated with motion of the spacecraft. The AVD control system further comprises an AVD control unit configured to receive the control model parameters, the AVD control unit configured to produce AVD control signals to control one or more actuators of the spacecraft. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20100001142 | OPTIMIZED LAND MOBILE SATELLITE CONFIGURATION AND STEERING - A spacecraft may include a receive antenna, a transmit antenna having an antenna attitude adjuster, and a spacecraft attitude adjustor. The spacecraft may have a nominal orientation in which a yaw axis of the spacecraft, a roll axis of the spacecraft, and the radiator panels are substantially parallel to Earth's equatorial plane, in which the pitch axis of the spacecraft is substantially parallel to Earth's polar axis, in which the Nadir vector is in a yaw-pitch plane of the spacecraft, and in which the transmit antenna and receive antenna are oriented at angle φ | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100020742 | HYBRID SPACECRAFT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND REMOTE SENSING - Various aspects of the disclosure provide hybrid spacecraft capable of hosting both a remote sensing payload and a communications payload. A hybrid spacecraft includes an isolation system for a remote sensing payload that isolates the remote sensing payload from spacecraft dynamics and disturbances, and prevents interaction between the remote sensing and communications payloads. The hybrid spacecraft may also include provisions for a communications payload including metering structure for large aperture antennas, and scalable resources for accommodating a range of remote and communications payloads. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100090065 | PRECISION ATTITUDE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR GIMBALED THRUSTER - A system for providing attitude control with respect to a spacecraft is provided. The system includes a reaction wheel control module configured to control a number of reaction wheel assemblies associated with the spacecraft in order to control attitude, and a maneuver control module configured to use a number of gimbaled Hall Current thrusters (HCTs) to control the total momentum associated with the spacecraft during an orbit transfer. The total momentum includes the momentum associated with the reaction wheel assemblies and the angular momentum of the spacecraft. Using the gimbaled HCTs to control the momentum associated with the reaction wheel assemblies during the orbit transfer results in minimal HCT gimbal stepping. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100108818 | OPTIMIZED LAND MOBILE SATELLITE SYSTEM FOR NORTH AMERICAN COVERAGE - A constellation, including a plurality of spacecraft, including a first, second and third spacecraft, each of the plurality of spacecraft including a broadcast capability, and each of the plurality of spacecraft in its own approximately 24-hour orbit. Each of the orbits has a substantially teardrop-shaped or oval-shaped ground track, is optimized based upon elevation angle or probability of signal availability, and has an apogee longitude of approximately 90° west to approximately 100° west. Each of the orbits has a semi-major axis of approximately 42,164 kilometers, an argument of perigee of approximately 270°, an inclination of approximately 40° to approximately 60°, and an eccentricity of approximately 0.16 to approximately 0.4. The orbits of each of the plurality of spacecraft are selected to bring each of the spacecraft to apogee at time increments of approximately eight hours. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20110040429 | ACTIVE VIBRATION DAMPING (AVD) SYSTEM FOR PRECISION POINTING SPACECRAFT - An active vibration damping (AVD) control system for spacecraft provides a simple-to-implement and robust formulation that provides a novel damping control method for reducing spacecraft structural vibrations and improving antenna and instrument pointing. The AVD control system comprises an excitation signal generator configured to generate excitation input signals, and a damping model identification unit configured to receive system identification data and configured to produce control model parameters, the system identification data comprising the excitation input signals and information associated with motion of the spacecraft. The AVD control system further comprises an AVD control unit configured to receive the control model parameters, the AVD control unit configured to produce AVD control signals to control one or more actuators of the spacecraft. | 02-17-2011 |
