Electromagnetic gravity drive for rolling axle array system

• US 7,129,901 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Tietjen, Byron W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIH CHAO
• Application Number:
  US11/074,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20050162325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 343/757, 343/758, 343/766, 343/878, 343/882
• US Class Current: 343/757
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/08 for varying two co-ordinates of the orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0464 Annular ring patch
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/36 with top loading

Abstract

An azimuth drive for a radar array comprises an electromagnetic track mounted to a wheel on which the radar array is mounted; and a magnetized carriage assembly operatively coupled to the electromagnetic track and capable of moving along the track in a tangential direction in response to electromagnetic force from select portions of the track to thereby relocate the center of mass of the wheel on which the radar array is mounted, wherein a moment produced from relocation of the center of mass is used to rotate the wheel.

Claims

1. An azimuth drive for a radar array, comprising:

an electromagnetic track mounted to a wheel on which the radar array is mounted;

a magnetized carriage assembly operatively coupled to the electromagnetic track and capable of moving along the track in a tangential direction in response to electromagnetic force from select portions of the track to thereby relocate the center of mass of the wheel on which the radar array is mounted, wherein a moment produced from relocation of the center of mass is used to rotate the wheel.

2. The azimuth drive of claim 1, wherein movement of the magnetized carriage assembly causes the wheel to roll along a path under operation of gravity and revolve about a platform.

3. The azimuth drive of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic track is circular and disposed about a perimeter on the circumference of the wheel.

4. The azimuth drive of claim 1, wherein the carriage assembly is radially positioned proximate to a circumference of the wheel.

5. The azimuth drive of claim 1, further comprising a servomechanism that controls movement of the carriage assembly.

6. The azimuth drive of claim 5, wherein the servomechanism is driven by a constant angular velocity servo to cause the radar array to revolve about a platform with a constant angular velocity.

7. The azimuth drive of claim 5, wherein the servomechanism is driven by a positional servo to cause the radar array to revolve about a platform to a specific desired position.

8. The azimuth drive of claim 5, wherein the servomechanism operates to selectively energize electromagnetic segments of said track in response to positional data associated with said array to generate an electromagnetic force to induce motion of said carriage assembly about said track.

9. An azimuth drive for a radar array, comprising:

a circular electromagnetic track mounted to a wheel of an array assembly that includes the radar array; and

a magnetized carriage assembly that is coupled to the circular track and capable of moving along the track in the tangential direction in response to energization of portions of said electromagnetic track for generating a force to attract or repel said carriage assembly from said energized portions and thereby move said carriage assembly along said track, and thereby to relocate the center of mass of the wheel of the array assembly, wherein a moment produced from relocation of the center of mass is used to rotate the wheel along a path about a platform.

10. The azimuth drive of claim 9, wherein the circular electromagnetic track is mounted to an interior portion of the wheel of an array assembly.

11. The azimuth drive of claim 9, wherein the circular electromagnetic track is divided into a plurality of individually addressable electromagnetic segments.

12. The azimuth drive of claim 9, wherein the carriage assembly includes rollers from moving said assembly along said electromagnetic track.

13. A radar system, comprising:

a radar array mounted on a wheel;

a circular electromagnetic track mounted to the interior of the wheel opposite the radar array; and

a magnetized carriage assembly that is coupled to the circular track and capable of moving along the track in the tangential direction in response to energization of portions of said electromagnetic track for generating a force to attract or repel said carriage assembly from said energized portions and thereby move said carriage assembly along said track, and thereby to relocate the center of mass of the wheel of the array, wherein a moment produced from relocation of the center of mass causes the wheel to roll along a path on a platform under operation of gravity and revolve about the platform.

14. The radar system of claim 13, wherein the path includes a platform track, along which the wheel rolls.

15. The radar system of claim 13, wherein said electromagnetic track is divided into a plurality of individually addressable electromagnetic segments for selective energization via control circuitry.

16. The radar system of claim 15, wherein said control circuitry includes a servomechanism responsive to array sensor data to selectively energize said addressable electromagnetic segments.

17. The radar system of claim 15, wherein said individually addressable electromagnetic segments are of uniform size.