RESONANT ENERGY-CONVERSION SYSTEM

• US 3,558,936 A
• Filed: 07/19/1967
• Issued: 01/26/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John J. Horan
• Original Assignee: John J. Horan
• Inventors: Horan, John J.
• Application Number:
  US04/654,569
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• US Class Current: 310/323.01
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 3/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/00 Piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N39/00

Abstract

A new discipline of energy conversion and transfer involving high Q, constant-frequency, mechanical apparatus, having structure and performance analogous to those of alternating current electrical networks and permitting the injection and extraction, at choice, of electrical or mechanical energy, the mechanical energy being available at a range of impedance levels, in selected phase relationships, and in a manner compatible with fluid energy systems as well.

Claims

1. A mechanically resonant energy converter comprising:

an elongated first member having an acoustic termination at each end thereof; and

a balancing member array including at least one elongated balancing member, said array having acoustic terminations complementary to and exerting bearing force upon the terminations of said first member, said members being tapered from large cross-sectional areas at said terminations to smaller cross-sectional areas at respective primary antinode regions therealong, said first member and said balancing member together being in total effective longitudinal span approximately an integral multiple of the acoustic wavelength in them at a resonant frequency of said converter, the complementary terminations of said first member and said array being phased substantially together at one end and out of phase at said one end with the terminations at the other end by about a half wave, said region of said first member being out of phase with the said region of the balancing member by about a half wave and at quadrature to said terminations, at least one of said members being adapted for coupling to means for supplying energy to said converter at said frequency, and at least one of said members being adapted for furnishing energy at said frequency to a desired load.

2. An energy converter as in claim 1, said multiple being unity.

3. A converter as in claim 2, said array exerting longitudinal compression upon said first member.

4. A converter as in claim 3, said means being an electromechanical transducer.

5. A converter as in claim 4, said transducer being intervened in compression between the acoustic terminations at one end.

6. A converter as in claim 5, said converter including also an oppositely phased second transducer intervened in compression between the acoustic terminations at the other end.

7. A converter as in claim 5, said transducer being piezoelectric.

8. A converter as in claim 7, said transducer including a polarized ferroelectric ceramic body.

9. A converter as in claim 7, said transducer comprising alternate layers of ferroelectric material and conductive electrodes.

10. A converter as in claim 7, said converter including a layer of hard insulating material intervened between each of the opposite sides of said transducer and the respective adjacent termination.

11. A converter as in claim 4, said transducer being magnetostrictive.

12. A converter as in claim 4, said transducer having a length in the direction of compression of a minor fraction of an eighth of said wavelength.

13. A converter as in claim 4:

said transducer comprising two ferroelectric bodies of similar height;

each of said bodies having electrodes on the top and bottom faces;

said bodies being spaced apart; and

said bodies being connected to an electrical circuit in mechanical phase opposition.

14. A converter as in claim 4:

said load being an oscillating tool;

said tool being joined to a member at the antinode retention thereof;

15. A converter as in claim 14 having also means for slight movement of the relative position of said tool.

16. A converter as in claim 15 a second member thereof also having a tool joined thereto at the loop region of said second member.

17. A converter as in claim 16, said means including also a second body oscillating a half wave out of phase with said first body and mechanically coupled to a second member at the antinode region of said second member.

18. A converter as in claim 4:

said load being an oscillating tool; and

said tool being joined to a member at a portion thereof projecting endwise beyond said termination.

19. A converter as in claim 4 and including also:

a shaft located between and perpendicular to said elongated members, and said shaft being torsionally engageD to the adjacent sides of said members.

20. A converter as in claim 19 and including also:

cooperative means for flexing said shaft cyclically; and

a rotating shaft cyclically engaged by said first shaft.

21. A converter as in claim 19 and having:

a second shaft parallel to said first shaft; and

said second shaft being torsionally engaged in opposing direction to a second side of one of said elongated members.

22. A converter as in claim 21, said shafts being coupled in mutual opposition via a load.

23. A converter as in claim 4 and including also:

a torsionally oscillating shaft; and

means for cyclically engaging said oscillating shaft against a second shaft.

24. A converter as in claim 3, having also a plurality of ferroelectric bodies intervened in compression between the complementary terminations at one end thereof.

25. A converter as in claim 24, having a plurality of ferroelectric bodies intervened in compression between the complementary terminations at the other end thereof.

26. A converter as in claim 24 the electroded surfaces of said bodies being perpendicular to the surfaces of their initial polarization.

27. A converter as in claim 26 having a second plurality of bodies as described between the terminations at the other end of said converter.

28. A converter as in claim 24:

said bodies being polarized generally parallel to the faces of said terminations and perpendicular to radii linking said bodies respectively to a common center; and

said bodies being electroded on the faces thereof parallel to said terminations.

29. The combination of a converter as in claim 1 and the said means for supplying energy at said frequency thereto.

30. A converter as in claim 29 said means being so coupled to said member as to oscillate said elongated members longitudinally in opposite directions.

31. A converter as in claim 29, said means being so coupled to said member as to oscillate said elongated members flexurally in opposite directions.

32. A converter as in claim 29, said means being so coupled to said member as to oscillate said elongated members torsionally in opposite directions.

33. A converter as in claim 29, said means being coupled also to a separate one of said members.

34. A converter as in claim 29, said means being coupled between said one member at said defined respective region and one of said members along a tapered portion thereof.

35. A converter as in claim 1, having said load secured at least to said member so adapted.

36. A converter as in claim 1, said converter including also a relatively nonresonant member joined therewith near at least one of said terminations.

37. A converter as in claim 36, said nonresonant member being joined therewith near both pairs of said complementary terminations.

38. A converter as in claim 37, said nonresonant member having low-friction guidance means for holding in alignment said means for supplying energy.

39. A converter as in claim 36;

said nonresonant member having manual gripping means thereon; and

said integral multiple being unity.

40. A converter as in claim 36, and including also:

pivotable gimbal means joined to said nonresonant member;

a frame pivotably carrying said gimbal means;

physical restraint means intervening between said array and said frame; and

means for measuring deflection of one of said members relative to said frame; and

said integral multiple being unity.

41. A converter as in claim 1, said array comprising a single principal longitudinal member.

42. A converter as in claim 41, said first member being generally contained within the contour of said array.

43. A converter as in claim 42, said array conforming generally to a right cylinder.

44. A converter as in claim 43, said array being a right circular cylinder and having a peripheral seal therearound.

45. A converter as in claim 42;

said array comprising a plurality of individual elongateD members; and

said members being joined at least at one end by an integral bridging means containing said termination.

46. A converter as in claim 45. said first member having an axis therealong;

and said individual members having generally regular angular intervals therebetween with respect to said axis.

47. A converter as in claim 42;

said array comprising a plurality of individual elongated members; and

said members being joined at least at one end by a separate bridging means containing said termination and linking said members.

48. A converter as in claim 1, said means being adapted for directly delivering said energy to said load.

49. A converter as in claim 1, said load being a fluid pressurizing means powered by the motion of said coupled member.

50. A converter as in claim 1, said means being an oscillating body mechanically coupled to said member at the antinode region thereof.

51. A mechanically resonant energy converter comprising:

elongated outer and inner members, each of said members having tapering cross-sectional areas characterized by relatively massive endwise terminations and small midportions;

both terminations of said inner member thrusting axially outwardly against the respective terminations of said outer member;

whereby said inner member and said outer member are preloaded respectively in compression and tension; and

and means coupled to at least one of said members for exciting said converter into oscillatory resonance at a resonant frequency thereof, at least one of said members being adapted for delivering energy at said resonant frequency to a desired load, said inner member and said outer member together being in total effective length span an integral multiple of the acoustic wavelength therein at said resonant frequency of said converter.

52. A mechanically resonant energy converter comprising:

two principal elongated members;

said members having generally parallel axes;

each of said members constituting approximately a half-wave mechanical transformer and having varying cross-sectional areas tapering from heavy opposite ends to a light midportion of relatively low mechanical impedance;

said members being mutually coupled at their respectively mating ends;

the ends of one of said members thrusting axially outwardly in compression against the restraint imposed by the ends of the second member;

at least one of said ends being adapted for coupling to an energy-exchange device of relatively high mechanical impedance; and

at least one of said midportions being adapted for coupling to an energy-exchange device of low mechanical impedance.

53. A converter as in claim 52:

said first energy-exchange device being an electromechanical transducer; and

said transducer being positioned between and having a compressive preload thereon applied by said ends.

54. a mechanically resonant energy converter comprising:

elongated outer and inner members;

both of said members being mechanical transformers having relatively massive ends of high mechanical impedance tapering to midportions of lesser impedance;

said members having been assembled endwise in a prestressed condition, said inner member being compressed within the stretched outer member; and

said ends and at least one of said midportions having energy-exchange media of respectively high and low mechanical impedance dynamically coupled thereto.

55. A converter as in claim 54, both of said midportions being so coupled.

56. A converter for energy:

said converter being mechanically resonant and comprising elongated outer and inner members;

both of said members being mechanical transformers having relatively massive ends of high mechanical impedance tapering to midportions of lesser impedance;

said members having been assembled endwise in a prestressed condition;

said inner member being compressed within the stretched outer member;

saId ends and at least one of said midportions having energy-exchange media of respectively high and low mechanical impedance dynamically coupled thereto; and

at least one of said members comprising a pair of separable mechanical transformers that are joined at the midpoint thereof.