MAE-0730: Active detection of asymmetry in turbomachinery via asynchronous excitation High-speed rotors are sensitive to cracks and small deformations which can cause billions of dollars in damages and injuries every year. This invention is the first to accurately identify small cracks and similar deformations in rotating bodies while the machine is running and without requiring disassembly of the machine. Read more...
COM-0995: Ferroelectric stack actuator and shape control algorithm Piezoelectric stack actuators are a common choice for micro- and nano-positioning systems. However, they are limited in terms of travel range (stroke). Our advanced piezoelectric-ferroelectric actuator has a travel range-to-length ratio up to six times greater than traditional piezoelectric stack actuators. Furthermore, the active layers in the advanced stack are controlled separately or in groups and are assigned with either a de-poled or a fully polarized domain state. This feature minimizes vibrations, allows for a controllable and extended travel range, and ensures that the nano-scale positioning accuracy is maintained. Applications vary from microscopy to fuel injectors or from digital cameras to structural systems. Read more...
MAE-0935: Miniature cryogenic compressor Thermal imaging devices, mobile sensing platforms and other advanced equipment require miniature compressors. Piezoelectric actuators have many favorable properties, but have not yet been successfully used in miniature compressors, mainly due to small stroke length. Our technology utilizes the piezoelectric phenomenon together with hydraulics to produce an efficient and reliable miniature-sized gas compressor for various uses, including cryogenics. Read more...
MAE-0632: Increased life for gas filters using acoustic fields Gas filters clog over time: the captured particles gradually build up in layers and clog the filter. This leads to a pressure drop across the filter, which results in increased energy consumption. Common methods of filter cleaning require mechanical vibration, air jets or reverse flow. However, vibration increases filter material wear, and reverse flow methods add complexity and significantly increase price. Our method uses sound waves, in a simple and low cost setup, to extend the service life of gas filters by up to threefold. Read more...
MAE-0862: Highly sensitive, real-time structural monitoring Structures such as aircraft, ships and bridges rely on rivets and joints which are constantly undergoing wear and therefore must be continuously examined. Our technology aims at monitoring the health of critical joints by utilizing wave components previously considered unusable noise. Read more...
MAE-1029: Simplified fuel atomization The multitude of fuels required for different vehicle types causes various logistical problems for large organizations. This limitation could be solved by enabling spark ignition (gasoline) engines to use heavy fuels like kerosene and diesel. Unfortunately, all current approaches have major disadvantages in terms of added weight, cost, or technical complexity. Our method enables the use of diesel and kerosene fuels in gasoline vehicles with much lower material and technical costs. Read more...
MAE-1038: Acoustic particle focusing This device enables acoustic focusing of micron and submicron particles in air. It can be used separately or in combination with aerodynamic lens arrays as an inlet to on-line single-particle analyzers including aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometers, which are widely used in analytical chemistry, atmospheric dust analysis, biological detection, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and engine exhaust-gas analysis. The device allows for the supply of a concentrated (low gas volume, highly loaded) aerosol stream to on-line single-particle analyzers, allowing for a reduction in the required pumping power normally needed to sustain vacuum conditions. Read more...
CHM-0804: Seamless dual-mode ACPD non-destructive testing In many industries, structural integrity is paramount and inspections are a must. Therefore, non-destructive testing or inspection (NDT) is an important part of many production processes and critical for structures and vehicles during their service life. This ACPD (alternating current potential drop) technology is a low-cost NDT method, which improves upon existing ACPD tests that are limited to locating emerging surface cracks, without providing information on their depth. By using the ACPD method in a tomographic-like mode, one can quickly and efficiently map the size and location of cracks anywhere in a conducting structure, based on a seamless integration of thick and thin skin testing configurations. Read more...
MAE-0682: Electrostatic modulation of surface roughness The roughness of surfaces is an important parameter, affecting many issues. For example, smooth planar surfaces may be used to reflect and redirect a beam of light. In contrast, rough surfaces may be used to disperse a light beam. This innovative technology uses electrostatic forces to change the roughness properties of a surface creating a mechanism for on and off switching of surface roughness creating a desirable enabling technology that can be used in many fields for optical applications, drag reduction applications and many more. This technology can be used to make a micro-mechanical switch with nanosecond response times and no moving parts. Read more...
COM-1389: Hyper-redundant robot with two active degrees of freedom mechanism An elephant-like robotic trunk having large workspace, which can curl up in free space carrying heavy loads and bypassing obstacles can be used for search and rescue applications and bomb disposal while mounted on a mobile platform.
The basic mechanism is composed of two motors independently rotating two cylinders which act as a mechanical "exoskeleton" for carrying heavy loads and ensuring high rigidity and accuracy at the edge of the mechanism.
The mechanism can be reduced in size and used also in medical applications where there is a need for accurately reaching and looking around obstacles while maintaining a rigid structure for delivering surgical tools inside the body. Read more...
MAE-1447: Linear compressor for stirling-type cryocoolers activated by piezoelectric elements in resonance Mechanical compressors are used in various systems for a wide range of applications. Linear compressors are more energy-efficient, quieter and produce less heat and vibration than conventional rotary reciprocating compressors. Rotary compressors and conventional linear compressors also tend to have higher maintenance requirements that can reduce the machine lifetime as well as adding outgas from lubricant breakdown that degrade the working gas. On the other hand, linear piezoelectric compressors offer the highest efficiency, fastest speed of operation and highest power density relative to other compression systems activated by inductive electrical motors. Read more...
MAE-1127: Combustion chamber discharging condensed mass Rocket-type thrusters produce thrust by expelling a jet of gases through an exhaust nozzle. This invention is designed to attain much larger impulse and impact efficiency for the same amount of propellant and chemical energy by discharging condensed mass (solid mass, liquid gel or powder) through an exhaust tube instead of combustion gases. This augmentation of the overall impulse results in better utilization of propellant energy providing increased efficiency and better performance for space vehicle and missile propulsion and control. This is ideal for applications that require a large impulse from a relatively small amount of propellant. Read more...
MAE-1485: ICon - inflated connector Connections between elements of flexible structures that are subjected to dynamic motion are currently done using rigid steel or plastic clamps or rope connections. Rigid Clamps are subjected to high loads due to insufficient flexibility and rope connections quality depends on the skills of the knots-man and are very hard to release after tensioning by the applied loads. The presented technology is an inflatable cushion fastener formed from elastomer that solves connection issues between flexible structures. The connector is specifically advantageous in dynamic conditions as it uniformly distributes the holding pressure to the connected elements and is fast and easy to connect and disconnect. Read more...
ENE-1475: Homogeneous charge compression ignition management Due to the multi-regime nature (cold startability, momentary change of load etc.) of the internal combustion engine's (ICE) operation in motor vehicles, current systems designs have many drawbacks and are inefficient. The presented technology is a system design of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) management together with waste heat recovery; the easy control of the fuel composition allows control of the burning velocity, thus overcoming the major challenge of HCCI process. The reformer-ICE concept makes possible a control of the reforming products composition in a wide range by variation of the water/fuel ratio and the reforming temperature, thus changing auto-ignition point and burning velocity of the mixture. Read more...
MAE-1481: Inflatable bridge for large multi hull vessels Multi-hull vessels (Catamarans, Trimarans, etc.) are typically composed of slender hulls connected via a cross structure. The existing rigid cross structures provide the required stability however they are expensive and not sufficiently robust, thus in very high seas the mono-hull is considered superior. The presented technology is an inflatable flexible structure to connect between the hulls of multi-hull vessels. The technology has the ability to limit the loads applied to the cross structure and allow for more free relative motion of the hulls, this will dramatically reduce slamming loads on the structure as well as increase is robustness and allow for control of the structure rigidity via pressure. Read more...
