85598results about "Non-positive displacement fluid engines" patented technology

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to suction loose particulates up from the cleaning surface and a second cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arraigned to apply a cleaning fluid onto the surface and to thereafter collect the cleaning fluid up from the surface after it has been used to clean the surface. The robot chassis carries a supply of cleaning fluid and a waste container for storing waste materials collected up from the cleaning surface.

An article is described, including an inner surface which can be exposed to a first fluid; an inlet; and an outer surface spaced from the inner surface, which can be exposed to a hotter second fluid. The article further includes at least one row or other pattern of passage holes. Each passage hole includes an inlet bore extending through the substrate from the inlet at the inner surface to a passage hole-exit proximate to the outer surface, with the inlet bore terminating in a chevron outlet adjacent the hole-exit. The chevron outlet includes a pair of wing troughs having a common surface region between them. The common surface region includes a valley which is adjacent the hole-exit; and a plateau adjacent the valley. The article can be an airfoil. Related methods for preparing the passage holes are also described.

A catheter includes a sealed multi-lumen heat transfer extension designed to internally circulate a coolant, and thereby cool tissue or fluid surrounding the catheter. The heat transfer extension includes a tube having a distally positioned region that coils about the tube's longitudinal axis. The tube houses multiple lumens running longitudinally along the tube. These lumens include one or more supply lumens and one or more return lumens. A distal fluid exchange reservoir resides at the tube's tip, for the purpose of redirecting fluid from the supply lumen(s) to the return lumen(s). The heat transfer extension may include a shape memory structure causing the heat transfer extension to vary its shape according to temperature. Namely, the extension assumes a coiled shape under predetermined shape-active temperatures, and it assumes a non-coiled shape under other predetermined shape-relaxed temperatures. The catheter also includes an interface having supply and return lines to provide coolant to the heat transfer extension, and remove coolant returning therefrom. To connect the supply/return lines with the supply/return lumens, the invention may include a fluid transfer housing. Optionally, one or more of the lumens may be configured as flow-through lumens to exchange fluids with the patient.

Systems and methods are disclosed for controlling and diagnosing the health of a motorized system. The systems may comprise a diagnostics system and a controller, wherein the diagnostics system employs a neural network, an expert system, and/or a data fusion component in order to assess the health of the motorized system according to one or more attributes associated therewith. The controller may operate the motorized system in accordance with a setpoint and/or a diagnostics signal from the diagnostics system. Also disclosed are methodologies for controlling and diagnosing the health of a motorized system, comprising operating a motor in the motorized system in a controlled fashion, and diagnosing the health of the motorized system according to a measured attribute associated with the motorized system, wherein the motor may be operated according to a setpoint and/or the diagnostics signal.

A fully submersible apparatus for generating electricity from liquid flow as in an ocean or river current. A buoyant structure is fully submersible and has at least one pair of counter-rotating side-by-side motors with a plurality of angularly spaced radial vanes each having a plurality of rotatable subvanes such that current impinging upon the motor will impinge on a closed or solid vane to effect rotation of the motor and its shaft during a first phase of the rotational cycle and will impinge on open vanes for free passage therethrough on the return or second phase of rotation of the motor. Motors may also be provided with vanes in overlying and underlying relationship. An associated method is provided.

A redundant fan system for a computer includes two fans installed in series with at least one of the fans having collapsible blades. A fan system of this type reduces the fan inefficiency caused when one fan in a series mounted pair is not operating, either because it is free-wheeling or in a locked rotor condition. When non-operational, the fan blades of the collapsible fan fold inward due to airflow generated by the operational fan over the collapsible blades. The ability of the blades to fold reduces the inefficiency of the operational fan, having less of an effect on fan life. Also, because the flow of air is less restricted, proper airflow can be maintained, thus preventing overheating of the computer.

The invention describes devices for performing thermodynamic work on a fluid, such as pumps, compressors and fans. The thermodynamic work may be used to provide a driving force for moving the fluid. Work performed on the fluid may be transmitted to other devices, such as a piston in a hydraulic actuation device. The devices may include one or more electroactive polymer transducers with an electroactive polymer that deflects in response to an application of an electric field. The electroactive polymer may be in contact with a fluid where the deflection of the electroactive polymer may be used to perform thermodynamic work on the fluid. The devices may be designed to efficiently operate at a plurality of operating conditions, such as operating conditions that produce an acoustic signal above or below the human hearing range. The devices may be used in thermal control systems, such as refrigeration system, cooling systems and heating systems.

A method for detecting ice on a wind turbine having a rotor and one or more rotor blades each having blade roots includes monitoring meteorological conditions relating to icing conditions and monitoring one or more physical characteristics of the wind turbine in operation that vary in accordance with at least one of the mass of the one or more rotor blades or a mass imbalance between the rotor blades. The method also includes using the one or more monitored physical characteristics to determine whether a blade mass anomaly exists, determining whether the monitored meteorological conditions are consistent with blade icing; and signaling an icing-related blade mass anomaly when a blade mass anomaly is determined to exist and the monitored meteorological conditions are determined to be consistent with icing.

The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus including: a processing chamber whose ceiling portion is opened and the inside thereof can be evacuated to vacuum; a ceiling plate which is made of dielectric material and is airtightly mounted to an opening of the ceiling portion; a planar antenna member which is installed on a top surface of the ceiling plate, for introducing a microwave into the processing chamber; and a coaxial waveguide, which has a central conductor connected to the planar antenna member, for supplying the microwave, wherein a gas passage is formed to pass through the central conductor, the planar antenna member, and the ceiling plate, and an electric field attenuating recess for attenuating an electric field intensity of the center portion of the ceiling plate is installed on a top surface of a center area of the ceiling plate.

A generally cylindrical rotor very closely confined between two rigid thrust bearing surfaces is radially suspended by an array of attracting or repelling magnets or by a combination of permanent magnets and ring shaped members composed of ferromagnetic material. The geometry permits very small spacing between magnetic components to achieve high radial stiffness. High magnetic axial forces exerted between the rotor and stationary component on one end of the rotor are counter-balanced by equal and opposite forces at the other end of the rotor. Precise positioning of the rotor in the location where the opposing axial magnetic forces counterballance each other yields a net magnetic axial force on the rotor of near zero, hence the reference to this as the null position. Wear resistant mechanical thrust bearings confine the rotor axially to maintain this position during rotatioin. Precisely balance the magnetic axial forces in the proper geometry with relation to the mechanical thrust bearings. Blood pumps utilizing this type of bearing are disclosed, including both axial flow pump and centrifugal flow pump configurations with high flow washing of the junction of the rotating and stationary parts to prevent thrombus accumulation.

A self-sustaining, portable, power station that may be moved by land, air, or sea to an area that has no utilities. The station is provided with at least one wind turbine and/or solar panel arrays in communication with at least one electrical distribution and storage means. The derived electricity is used to power various systems including, albeit not limited to, a communications system, a water filtration system, a water distribution system to allow the public to draw potable water and provide basic hygiene. The electricity derived may also be used to run outside systems, such as schools, hospitals, or the like.

A blower includes a stationary portion including an inlet and an outlet, a rotating portion provided to the stationary portion, and a motor adapted to drive the rotating portion. The inlet and outlet are co-axially aligned. The stationary portion includes a housing, a stator component provided to the housing, and a tube providing an interior surface. The rotating portion includes one or more bearings that are provided along the interior surface of the tube to support a rotor within the tube. In an embodiment, the blower is structured to supply air at positive pressure.

A multiple stage variable speed blower for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) ventilation of patients includes two impellers in the gas flow path that cooperatively pressurize gas to desired pressure and flow characteristics. Thus, the multiple stage blower can provide faster pressure response and desired flow characteristics over a narrower range of motor speeds, resulting in greater reliability and less acoustic noise.