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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Distributed Control System For Parallel-Connected Dc Boost Converters, Steven Goldsmith
Distributed Control System For Parallel-Connected Dc Boost Converters, Steven Goldsmith
Michigan Tech Patents
The disclosed invention is a distributed control system for operating a DC bus fed by disparate DC power sources that service a known or unknown load. The voltage sources vary in v-i characteristics and have time-varying, maximum supply capacities. Each source is connected to the bus via a boost converter, which may have different dynamic characteristics and power transfer capacities, but are controlled through PWM. The invention tracks the time-varying power sources and apportions their power contribution while maintaining the DC bus voltage within the specifications. A central digital controller solves the steady-state system for the optimal duty cycle settings …
Wire Neutralization System, Scott A. Bradley, Jason Wiitanen, Timothy B. Smigowski, John T. Niemeyer, Andrew Culkin
Wire Neutralization System, Scott A. Bradley, Jason Wiitanen, Timothy B. Smigowski, John T. Niemeyer, Andrew Culkin
Michigan Tech Patents
A wire neutralizing system for use with a vehicle including a frame adapted to be hitched to a vehicle. At least one wheel supports the frame while a bottom of the wheel rolls over terrain having buried wires. The system also includes a blade movable between a stowed position in which the blade is above the bottom of the wheel and a deployed position in which the blade is below the bottom of the wheel, such that the blade plows through the terrain to disable buried wires when in the deployed position.
Map-Aware Adaptive Automotive Radar, Jae Seung Lee, Nikola Steven Subotic, James Paul Ebling, Helen Kourous-Harrigan
Map-Aware Adaptive Automotive Radar, Jae Seung Lee, Nikola Steven Subotic, James Paul Ebling, Helen Kourous-Harrigan
Michigan Tech Patents
A dedicated short range radar system is provided for use with a GPS system. The radar system includes a transmitter which transmits a microwave radio signal. A receiver is coupled to a horizontally scanning receiver antenna array which receives an echo, if present, from the radio signal transmitted by the transmitter. The radio receiver then generates an output signal representative of the echo. A control circuit then receives the output signal from the antenna array as well as the output signal from the GPS system. The control circuit then varies the mode of operation of the receiver and/or the transmitter …
High Resolution Doppler Collision Avoidance Radar, Jae Seung Lee, Paul Donald Schmalenberg, Nikola Steven Subotic, James Paul Ebling
High Resolution Doppler Collision Avoidance Radar, Jae Seung Lee, Paul Donald Schmalenberg, Nikola Steven Subotic, James Paul Ebling
Michigan Tech Patents
An example radar apparatus has a transmission frequency modulated by a chirp waveform having three chirp segments, including increasing, decreasing, and a constant frequency segments. The chirp waveform may extend over the full revisit time of the radar beam. The frequency difference between the transmitted and echo signals are determined at least once per chirp segment. Example apparatus include a Doppler radar for vehicle use.
Rotational Torque Measurement Device, Paul A. Lavigne, Daniel R. Kemppainen, Glen L. Barna
Rotational Torque Measurement Device, Paul A. Lavigne, Daniel R. Kemppainen, Glen L. Barna
Michigan Tech Patents
A device for measuring torque applied through a rotating member. A first torsion reference member is fixedly coupled to the rotating member at a first axial position and a second torsion reference member is fixedly coupled to the rotating member at a second axial position. A first detector detects the passage of the first torsion reference member past the first detector upon each full rotation of the rotating member and to generate a first signal upon each passage of the first torsion reference member. A second detector detects the passage of the second torsion reference member past the second detector …
Anti-Icing Coatings And Methods, Russell G. Alger
Anti-Icing Coatings And Methods, Russell G. Alger
Michigan Tech Patents
A method of inhibiting or preventing bonding between snow or ice and a substrate. The method includes applying an adhesive to the substrate, broadcasting an aggregate onto the adhesive, the aggregate having the capacity to receive an anti-icing chemical into the aggregate, and applying the antiicing chemical onto the aggregate so that at least a portion of the anti-icing chemical is received into at least a portion of the aggregate.
Wireless Local Positioning System, Seyed A. Zekavat
Wireless Local Positioning System, Seyed A. Zekavat
Michigan Tech Patents
A method of locating mobiles via a dynamic base station. The method includes transmitting a first wireless signal from the dynamic base station at a first time, and receiving the first wireless signal at the mobile. The method also includes transmitting a second wireless signal from the mobile in response to receiving the first wireless signal, and receiving the second wireless signal at the dynamic base station at a second time. The method also includes determining a time difference between the first time and the second time, determining an angle of arrival of the second wireless signal, and locating the …
Snow Groomer Assembly, Philip J. Quenzi, Russell G. Alger
Snow Groomer Assembly, Philip J. Quenzi, Russell G. Alger
Michigan Tech Patents
A snow groomer includes a movable platform, a prime mover mounted to the platform and a grooming drum rotatably driven by the prime mover for rotation in a direction opposite the traveling direction of the snow groomer. The grooming drum includes axially spaced apart and radially protruding ribs that extend circumferentially around the drum. The ribs include circumferentially spaced apart apertures and the apertures of each rib are aligned with the apertures of the other ribs. Elongated cutting teeth extend through the apertures of the ribs and have a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the apertures such that the …
Control Of Mercury Emissions Using Unburned Carbon From Combustion By-Products, Jiann-Yang Hwang, Zhenglong Li
Control Of Mercury Emissions Using Unburned Carbon From Combustion By-Products, Jiann-Yang Hwang, Zhenglong Li
Michigan Tech Patents
Mercury emission from a flue gas such as that generated by a coal fired power plant is controlled by injecting into the flue gas unburned carbon purified from ash such as fly ash or wood ash. The unburned carbon adsorbs the mercury and is later removed from the flue gas by a particle separator. The unburned carbon collected from ash is significantly lower in cost compared to activated carbon presently used in such a process. The unburned carbon is concentrated in the sorbent by one or more separation processes used to remove noncarbon particles from the fly ash. These processes …
Mat Forming Apparatus, Bernard C. H. Sun
Mat Forming Apparatus, Bernard C. H. Sun
Michigan Tech Patents
Mat forming apparatus comprising, in combination, a hollow material transporting member, drive structure for producing a pressure differential across spaced portions of the transporting member so that material is propelled from one of the spaced portions to the other within the hollow transporting member, material directing structure communicating with the drive structure for receiving material from the hollow transporting structure and, responsive to the drive structure, operative to direct the received material in a predetermined path, the hollow transporting member having a non-linear inner surface so that flow in the hollow transporting member is turbulent causing the material being transported …
Apparatus For Measuring The Temperature Of A Piston In An Internal Combustion Engine, Carl L. Anderson, Glen L. Barna, Douglas B. Brumm
Apparatus For Measuring The Temperature Of A Piston In An Internal Combustion Engine, Carl L. Anderson, Glen L. Barna, Douglas B. Brumm
Michigan Tech Patents
An apparatus for measuring the temperature of a piston in an internal combustion engine. The apparatus includes a thermistor to sense the temperature of the piston and generate an electrical signal representative of that temperature, a transmission unit connected to the thermistor for receiving the electrical signal and for converting the signal to an infrared beam for transmission to a point remote from the piston, and a receiver to receive the beam and convert the beam to an electrical signal corresponding to the electrical signal generated by the thermistor. The first mentioned electrical signal is converted to a rectangular wave …
Method And Apparatus For Sensing The Regeneration Of A Diesel Engine Particulate Trap, John H. Johnson, Peter V. Woon
Method And Apparatus For Sensing The Regeneration Of A Diesel Engine Particulate Trap, John H. Johnson, Peter V. Woon
Michigan Tech Patents
A diesel engine exhaust system is provided with a particulate trap for collecting the products of incomplete combustion during the engine power cycle. A sensing mechanism including an electrode downstream of the trap and a signal generating circuit provides a positive indication of occurrence of regeneration of the trap. Charged particles generated during regeneration induce a charge of the electrode, that charge activates the signal generating circuit and it, in turn, produces an indication external of the exhaust system that trap regeneration is occurring. That indication can be in the operator’s compartment.