116 results about "Stable equilibrium" patented technology

The invention relates to a motor vehicle bumper which comprises a shield and a spoiler hinged between two positions of stable equilibrium, namely a high position in which at least a part of the spoiler projects from the shield, and a low position in which the spoiler extends the bumper in a downward direction. The spoiler is suitable for adopting a third position of stable equilibrium, in which it is completely retracted behind the shield.

Magnetic levitation methods and apparatus use arrays of vehicle magnets to provide three forces: suspension, guidance and propulsion. The magnets, which can be permanent magnets or superconducting magnets operating in the persistent current mode, have associated control coils that allow the magnets to provide a controllable attractive force to a laminated steel rail. The control coils adjust the gap between the magnets and the rails so as to be in stable equilibrium without requiring significant power dissipation in the control coils. These same magnets and steel rails also provide lateral guidance to keep the vehicle on the track and steer the vehicle on turns. The suspension control coils can provide lateral damping by means of offset magnets in the suspension arrays. Windings in transverse slots in the steel rails are excited with currents that react against the field produced by the vehicle magnets to create vehicle propulsion. The magnet size is adjusted to provide negligible cogging force even when there are as few as three winding slots per wavelength along the rail. Means are used to mitigate end effects so that a multiplicity of magnet pods can be used to support the vehicle.

The invention discloses a transient control method for controlling the synchronous stability of a virtual synchronous control inverter. At present, the research on the stability of an inverter mainly focuses on the small-disturbance stability of an inverter in a micro grid. There is relatively less research on the transient stability under large disturbance, and the stability mechanism is unclear. In view of the virtual power angle instability caused by inverter current saturation, reactive power plus transient control are introduced into virtual synchronous control, so that an inverter has a reachable stable equilibrium point in the transient process of current saturation, and the synchronous stability of the inverter under large disturbance is ensured. The technical problem that there may be no stable equilibrium point in the transient process for the system due to saturation of the inner current loop of an inverter is solved. Transient instability of virtual power angle after an inverter goes to a current source mode is prevented.

An improved design for maintaining separation between electrodes in tunneling, diode, thermionic, and other devices is disclosed. At least one electrode is made from flexible material. A magnetic field is present to combine with the current flowing in the flexible electrode and generate a force that counterbalances the electrostatic force between the electrodes. The balancing of forces allows the separation and parallelism between the electrodes to be maintained at a very small spacing without requiring the use of multiple control systems, actuators, or other manipulating means, or spacers. The shape of one or both electrodes is designed to maintain a constant separation over the entire overlapping area of the electrodes. The end result is an electronic device that maintains two closely spaced parallel electrodes in stable equilibrium with a uniform gap therebetween over a large area in a simple configuration for simplified manufacturability and use to convert heat to electricity or electricity to cooling.

A support for tilting or synchronized chair is provided. The device includes a supporting frame, a mobile frame, an elastic member, a stiffness adjustment mechanism coupled with the elastic member, a locking mechanism for engaging the mobile frame with the supporting frame, and an actuation device for engaging and disengaging the locking mechanism. The actuation device includes a rocker arm and a return arm. The return arm is connected to the end of the rocker arm that the locking mechanism is attached. The rocker arm has at least two positions of stable equilibrium that are determined by the engagement or disengagement of the locking mechanism. An alternative embodiment includes an outer shell having first and second pins that are coupled with the backrest frame. The second pin may be positioned within a slot formed in the shell so that the backrest frame may move between upright and reclined positions.

The invention relates to a passive radial supporting mechanism for a primary mirror of an optical telescope based on kinetic equilibrium. One end of a first-stage connecting rod of the mechanism is hinged with the rim of a primary mirror chamber, and the other end of the first-stage connecting rod is hinged with a second-stage connecting rod and a third-stage connecting rod at the same time; the other end of the second-stage connecting rod and the other end of the third-stage connecting rod are hinged with the rim of the primary mirror; and an included angle theta is formed between the second-stage connecting rod and the third-stage connecting rod. By a kinetic equilibrium system, the radial direction of the primary mirror is not restrained by an over-restraining characteristic, so that a stable equilibrium state is realized; when temperature is changed, the whole radial supporting system does micro motion in accord with a kinetic rule by using the change of the geometric size caused by thermal deformation of a connecting rod mechanism, so that stress caused by the thermal deformation among the primary mirror, the radial supporting mechanism and the primary mirror chamber is counteracted; therefore, the passive radial supporting mechanism is suitable for supporting primary mirrors made of materials with large thermal expansion coefficients and primary mirrors working under a relatively severe working environment.

The present invention provides a dual riding and driving tricycle in juxtaposing link, particularly for one that can be pedaled by two drivers in side-by-side coordination manner so that the drivers and tricycle will incline integrally without tumbling or overturning possibility; The main feature is that at least one articulation mechanism and a resilient tension mechanism are disposed between the primary bicycle body and auxiliary cycle body, wherein, said articulation mechanism serves in synergy an articulation parallelogram while said resilient tension mechanism counteract the deformation of the articulation mechanism to resume the stable equilibrium so that the integral of the primary bicycle body and auxiliary cycle body can automatically maintain harmonic coordination and stability when driving over bumpy road or corner turn.

A magnetic element comprises a closed loop of ferromagnetic material having an even number of magnetic domains of opposite sense. The magnetisation within the domains is in a circumferential direction, and the domains have leading and trailing walls extending from the inside to the outside of the loop. The magnetic element has a geometry such that there are at least two stable equilibrium domain configurations in which the domain walls are confined in predetermined portions of the loop and wherein the element is switchable between the stable configurations upon the application of a external magnetic field.

Efficient updates of connections in artificial neuron networks may be implemented. A framework may be used to describe the connections using a linear synaptic dynamic process, characterized by stable equilibrium. The state of neurons and synapses within the network may be updated, based on inputs and outputs to / from neurons. In some implementations, the updates may be implemented at regular time intervals. In one or more implementations, the updates may be implemented on-demand, based on the network activity (e.g., neuron output and / or input) so as to further reduce computational load associated with the synaptic updates. The connection updates may be decomposed into multiple event-dependent connection change components that may be used to describe connection plasticity change due to neuron input. Using event-dependent connection change components, connection updates may be executed on per neuron basis, as opposed to per-connection basis.

A submerged wave energy conversion apparatus and pressurized fluid or electricity production system are provided that harvests energy from a motive force derived from pressure differentials created by the interaction of the system with ocean water. The system is capable of capturing energy from up to six different modes of motion of the absorber body in response to the energy of incident waves. The apparatus has an absorber body that is attached to one or more damping mechanisms like a hydraulic cylinder, a hydraulic circuit that can create useful mechanical torque, a restoring mechanism such as an air spring to restore the absorber system to stable equilibrium, and a buoyant artificial floor to create an opposing reaction force. The apparatus may also have a controller for system monitoring and control, to maintain optimized energy extraction, and for load management to avoid damaging loads.

A magnetic bearing assembly utilizes repulsive magnetic forces between components, having magnetic sources, of the bearing at two or more gaps which are angled with respect to an axis of the inner component. Each gap provides force vectors in two directions, while allowing for relative movement of the components in a third direction. The gaps collectively provide a stable equilibrium in the first two directions, meaning that, in response to relative movement of the components in the first or second direction causing a decreased gap width, magnetic repulsive forces at the decreased gap width urge the components away from each other to return to equilibrium. The components of a radial magnetic bearing according to the invention move relative to one another rotationally, and the components of a linear magnetic bearing according to the invention move relative to one another longitudinally.