Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8167556 | Method and apparatus for damping tower oscillation in a wind turbine A method of damping tower oscillation in a wind turbine is provided. The method includes the steps of determining a rotor rotational speed of the wind turbine and controlling the rotor rotational speed such that a critical rotor speed is avoided, characterized in th... | 05/01/2012 |
| 8157522 | Calibration method The invention relates to a method for the calibration of at least one sensor (11-14) of a wind power plant (10). The invention also relates to a wind power plant (10). The calibration process according to the invention is captured by the ... | 04/17/2012 |
| 8057174 | Method for controlling a wind turbine using a wind flow model A control device is provided which is adapted for controlling at least one operational parameter of a wind turbine including a machine nacelle and a rotor having at least one rotor blade. The control device includes an input adapted for inputting a signal which is i... | 11/15/2011 |
| 7611329 | Method and device for synchrophasing the propellers of an aircraft with several propulsion units For constant-speed synchrophasing of the propellers (14) of the propulsion units (10) of an aircraft each equipped with an electronic control circuit (20) connected to a communications network (32) of the aircraft, each control circuit of... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7452185 | Blade-pitch-angle control device and wind power generator A blade-pitch-angle control device includes a memory unit in which predetermined parameters that affect the load fluctuation of blades, azimuth angles, and pitch-angle command values are stored in association with each other; an azimuth-angle detecting unit that det... | 11/18/2008 |
| 7351033 | Wind turbine load control method A method for limiting loads in a wind turbine by using measured loads or wind speed to increase the minimum pitch angle for extended periods. The minimum pitch angle will be allowed to relax down to the default when load excursions diminish. The method will allow tu... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7334939 | Method and device for verifying a temperature value at a destination altitude of an aircraft The device comprises a means for measuring a dynamic temperature on the outside of the aircraft, a means for determining a static temperature around the aircraft, using said dynamic temperature, a means for determining, using said static temperature and a thermodyna... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7232287 | Controlling a plurality of devices Four actuators are instructed to move to a condition indicated by a demand line 81. Their actual conditions are indicated by four arrows. The method determines if the range 84 of actual conditions exceeds a threshold value, representing an unacceptable... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7175389 | Methods and apparatus for reducing peak wind turbine loads A method for reducing peak loads of wind turbines in a changing wind environment includes measuring or estimating an instantaneous wind speed and direction at the wind turbine and determining a yaw error of the wind turbine relative to the measured instantaneous win... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7147438 | Electric turbine An electric turbine includes a fan with a plurality of blades each with a tip having a permanent magnet positioned in the tip. The fan is mounted for rotation about an axis with the blades extending radially outwardly from the axis of rotation and with the tips adja... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7086230 | Pop-off valve for an aircraft engine having a turbocharger control system and propeller control system by stepper motor A pop-off valve that, in one embodiment, provides overboost protection for an aircraft engine, is described. The pop-off valve includes a housing adapted for connection to a portion of a drive device containing a pressure medium. It also includes a pressure body mov... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7086834 | Methods and apparatus for rotor blade ice detection A method for detecting ice on a wind turbine having a rotor and one or more rotor blades each having blade roots includes monitoring meteorological conditions relating to icing conditions and monitoring one or more physical characteristics of the wind turbine in ope... | 08/08/2006 |
| 6942458 | Variable pitch fan An improved variable pitch fan comprising a fan hub, with fan blades extending radially outward from the fan hub and mounted for rotation about respective radially extending axes corresponding to each fan blade. Each fan blade has a blade surface extending perpendic... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6938418 | Turbocharger control system and propeller control system by stepper motor An aircraft control system includes a propeller governor in which a stepper motor is used to apply a compression force on a speeder spring, and a turbocharger in which a stepper motor is used to actuate a needle valve associated with a diaphragm cell. An electronic ... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6921248 | System for controlling the torsional stability of the drivetrain of a machine, in particular of a helicopter System for controlling the torsional stability of the drivetrain of a machine, in particular of a helicopter. The system (1) comprises a means (7) for acting on the speed of an engine (5) of the power train of the machine, a means (8 | 07/26/2005 |
| 6652233 | Control system for a turbo-charged diesel aircraft engine In the control system for a turbo-charged diesel aircraft engine, the engine speed and the fuel injection amount are controlled by a single control lever. However, when the control lever is operated to accelerate the engine, the fuel injection amount imme... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6611748 | Engine synchronization system An engine synchronization system for a pair of turbo jet engines in a twin jet aircraft includes a subsystem for selecting a power output, a signal generator for producing a first output signal in response to the speed of a first engine and a signal gener... | 08/26/2003 |
| 6525518 | Method for measuring and controlling oscillations in a wind turbine A method for measuring and controlling oscillations in a wind turbine with the wind turbine control system using spectrum analysis, to determine the existence and amplitude of vibrations on the basis of existing sensor/transducer signals relating to the c... | 02/25/2003 |
| 6506010 | Method and apparatus for compressor control and operation in industrial gas turbines using stall precursors An apparatus for monitoring the health of a compressor including at least one sensor operatively coupled to measure the dynamic pressure of gases flowing through the compressor, a processing system coupled to at least one sensor, the processor system reco... | 01/14/2003 |
| 6422816 | Variable pitch propeller control system Maintenance requirements on a variable pitch propeller control system are minimized by eliminating the need for mechanical elements, such as a flyweight, mechanism in a secondary control for the variable pitch propeller. The system includes a secondary co... | 07/23/2002 |
| 6379114 | Method for selecting the pitch of a controllable pitch marine propeller A control algorithm provides a method for selecting a pitch magnitude for a controllable pitch propeller. The pitch magnitude is selected as a function of the difference between a desired engine speed and an actual engine speed in addition to the actual p... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6196797 | Electronic self-powered propeller governor An electronic self-powered propeller governor driven off the aircraft engine includes a drive shaft which drives a hydraulic pump to produce pressurized oil to move a hydraulically controlled piston connected to the propeller blade for changing the blade ... | 03/06/2001 |
| 5997250 | Method and apparatus for controlling pitch of an aircraft propeller A propeller pitch control apparatus for an aircraft in which the vector sum of the aircraft forward speed and the propeller rotational tip speed is a selected fraction of the speed of sound, the fraction based on percent power and altitude, to maximize ef... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5931637 | Propeller with variable rate of pitch change A propeller is controlled to change pitch at at least two different rates. In one embodiment, an electric motor is provided with a high or low voltage for driving a pitch change mechanism at a high or low change rate. Preferably the rate is selected autom... | 08/03/1999 |
| 5921752 | Flat spine scorer and saddle stitcher An improved saddle stitching apparatus has dual scoring disks which cooperate with a scoring drum to create a flat spine on a cover. In one embodiment, a split ring is provided with two clamp arms, so that the ring can be releasably secured to the scoring... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5779446 | Air driven turbine including a blade pitch control system An air driven turbine having variable pitched blades is provided that includes a pitch change mechanism and associated control circuits for automatically adjusting the pitch of the blades during either rotating or non-rotating operational modes of the air... | 07/14/1998 |
| 5715162 | Correlative filter for a synchrophaser A synchrophaser for a multi-engine, propeller-driven aircraft including a filter that automatically compensates for misalignment of blade position sensor tabs through derivation and application of a correlation coefficient. The correlation coefficient is ... | 02/03/1998 |
| 5415523 | Control system for variable-pitch boat propeller A marine drive has a propeller rotatable about a drive axis and having a plurality of blades themselves pivotable about respective blade axes projecting generally radially from the drive axis and each movable between a low-pitch end position extending gen... | 05/16/1995 |
| 5413461 | Method and apparatus for controlling a propulsion engine output based on the net axial force on a propeller shaft A method and apparatus for controlling a propulsion engine output in a vessel, based on the net axial force on a propeller shaft in the vessel. The apparatus includes a regulating loop with a computer which continuously controls the delivery of fuel to th... | 05/09/1995 |
| 5299911 | Electric pitch control apparatus for variable-pitch propeller An electric pitch control apparatus for a variable-pitch propeller equipped with a pitch control mechanism having an electrically controlled actuator for controlling a pitch angle of the propeller blade in accordance with a control current applied thereto... | 04/05/1994 |
| 5284418 | Electric pitch control apparatus for variable pitch propeller capable of controlling the pitch angle based instantaneous operational conditions of the propeller An electric pitch control apparatus for a variable-pitch propeller capable of properly controlling the pitch angle of the propeller blade in accordance with instantaneous operational conditions of the propeller and of effecting adjustment of the pitch ang... | 02/08/1994 |
| 5224664 | Adaptive control system input limiting A control system, having an input command signal and driving a prime mover, is provided with variable magnitude and/or rate input signal limiting that is adjusted by maps 68,70,72,74 which set the limits for a variable magnitude limiter 14 and a variable ... | 07/06/1993 |
| 5209640 | Pitch control apparatus for variable pitch propeller A pitch control apparatus for a variable pitch propeller for drive connection to an aircraft engine, wherein an optimum rotation number of the engine is calculated in relation to a flight speed of the aircraft, an opening degree of the engine throttle and... | 05/11/1993 |
| 5170365 | Propeller speed and phase sensor A speed and phase sensor counterrotates aircraft propellers. A toothed wheel is attached to each propeller, and the teeth trigger a sensor as they pass, producing a sequence of signals. From the sequence of signals, rotational speed of each propeller is c... | 12/08/1992 |
| 5093791 | Variable gain synchrophasing An aircraft engine propeller synchrophasing system (4) has a gain stage (8) which varies the gain of the system (4) according to the magnitude of the difference between the preferred propeller relative phase and the measured propeller relative phase.... | 03/03/1992 |
| 5042965 | Propeller synchrophaser control with trajectory logic An apparatus for controlling the phase of a slave propeller relative to that of a master propeller is shown and described. A logic means having a trajectory function, F($c;E), which defines the region for phase holding, i.e. where the error ... | 08/27/1991 |
| 5029091 | Ground mode control of aircraft propeller speed and pitch A ground mode pitch position logic and control is shown and described in this invention. A method for scheduling and limiting the pitch actuator reference signal in accordance with the actuator commanded schedule, propeller overspeed and propeller undersp... | 07/02/1991 |
| 5027277 | Method for synchrophaser measurement and synchrophaser control A method and apparatus for providing improved phase error measurement as shown and described. The measured phase error ($c;E) is used as an input to a SYNCHROPHASER.RTM. control which provides for phase control of a slave propeller with resp... | 06/25/1991 |
| 5019006 | Aircraft engine propeller overspeed protection technical field An aircraft engine propeller autofeather system (4) has a feather solenoid (8) which is actuated by either a signal provided by an engine power loss detector (10) or a signal provided by an engine overspeed detector (12). The overspeed detector (12) detec... | 05/28/1991 |
| 5017089 | Propeller speed governor having a derivative inhibit at high flight speeds A propeller speed governor having a derivative feedback of propeller speed and having a means such as a switch to open the derivative feed back loop when airspeed exceeds a predetermined amount is shown and described. This derivative inhibit is used to pr... | 05/21/1991 |
