James Allison and researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a technology that provides fine pointing and large slew attitude control for...
James Allison and researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a technology that provides fine pointing and large slew attitude control for satellites and spacecraft with a power electronics driver circuit that improves the power efficiency of the system by at least one order of magnitude. The invention features a dedicated compliant actuator on a vehicle to produce the torques to achieve arbitrarily large rotations around all axis without the jitter limitation of other attitude control system.
Primary application: accurate and precise attitude control for satellites/spacecraft
Researchers have developed a novel design strategy that mitigates the formation of vortices across the rotor near-wake region. The unique design aims to reduce thrust...
Researchers have developed a novel design strategy that mitigates the formation of vortices across the rotor near-wake region. The unique design aims to reduce thrust distribution across the tip region in order to mitigate the formation of energetic, coherent vortices at the blade tip. The invention features a unique geometrical rotary wing design that creates zero vortices at the wingtip allowing noise reduction generated by blade-vortex interactions. This invention could be used for lifting rotors or propellers on standard helicopter flight vehicles, other vertical lift aircraft, and turbines with minimal effect in total rotor efficiency.
Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed an accurate, low-cost star tracker system for deployment in small satellites. The system combines multiple low-...
Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed an accurate, low-cost star tracker system for deployment in small satellites. The system combines multiple low-cost image sensors with proprietary software to achieve superior performance from a simple, lightweight star tracking solution. With its easy implementation and component costs at just hundreds of dollars, this device can dramatically increase the accessibility of quality attitude determination for CubeSat, NanoSat, and other missions. The star tracker may also be adapted as a positioning system for select terrestrial vehicles that would benefit from greater security and reliability than conventional GPS.
Benefit
A cheaper, and more compact method to make star trackers for satellites.
Easier to make than current methods which makes the tracker more broadly applicable for different satellites.
Market Application
Best used for CubeSats which have difficulties determining their orientation
An energy harvester and displacement transfer system that converts mechanical energy from vehicles passing over system to electrical energy, using a rack-and-pinion...
An energy harvester and displacement transfer system that converts mechanical energy from vehicles passing over system to electrical energy, using a rack-and-pinion mechanism and displacement plate. The system harnesses energy at highway speeds. The size of the system is relatively small to ensure its embedment within 4 inches (two asphalt lifts). Hence, it can be integrated in a pavement with minimal modifications.
Benefits
Allows energy harvesting from high-speed driving
Minimizes the necessary construction and modification to the existing pavement
Market Application
Energy production to power roadside infrastructure
The electric vehicle market continues to expand rapidly, with advances in battery technologies and charging infrastructure making EVs an attractive choice for a growing...
The electric vehicle market continues to expand rapidly, with advances in battery technologies and charging infrastructure making EVs an attractive choice for a growing number of consumers in the US and across the world. While EVs allow vehicles to be powered from domestic energy sources and reduce reliance on foreign oil imports, manufacturers remain heavily dependent on a small number of non-domestic raw materials to create the permanent magnets needed for conventional EV motor drives. Price volatility, supply chain constraints, and geopolitical pressures make the ongoing reliance on permanent magnet EV motors unsustainable.
Variable pole induction motors are of great interest for use in electric vehicles due to their increased efficiency compared to fixed pole induction motors and their lack of reliance on the scarce and geopolitically strained resources needed for permanent magnet motors. Consumers have been less than enamored with the performance of early variable-pole induction machines, however, as these models suffered from rough torque bumps that were felt by drivers during vehicle operation. Professor Arijit Banerjee and collaborators at the University of Illinois have developed two approaches to address this issue. The first employs a "bumpless" electronic pole changing method to minimize torque bump to less than 5% while achieving transition times under 200 ms. The second uses "virtual poles" to obviate bumps and achieve continuous transition. Both approaches improve transient performance during speed changes, providing a smooth driver experience. An accomopanying optimization, control, and modulation suite further optimizes performance and thermal management, allowing motors to be designed with a smaller footprint.
Benefits
Reduced reliance on scarce raw materials sourced from geopolitically unstable regions
