Buckling wave disk

A power conversion device, comprising:

• a buckled wave disk having an axis and being radially compressed between a hub and a wave ring, the buckled wave disk being buckled in the radial direction to form circumferential waves which are displaced in the axial direction and extending around the buckled wave disk with radial lines of outward displacement extending between the hub and wave ring, the wave ring being outwardly radially displaced at nodes corresponding to the radial lines of outward displacement;
• a wave propagation actuator cooperating with the buckled wave disk for driving a wave and the radial lines of outward displacement around the buckled wave disk;
• and
• an outer ring surrounding the wave ring, the outer ring being driven by or driving the wave ring at the nodes.

A method of power conversion, comprising:

• providing a buckled wave disk having an axis and being radially compressed between a hub and a wave ring, the buckled wave disk being buckled in the radial direction to form circumferential waves which are displaced in the axial direction and extending around the buckled wave disk with lines formed of inflection points of the circumferential waves extending between the hub and wave ring, the wave ring being outwardly radially displaced at nodes corresponding to lines formed of inflection points of the circumferential waves;
• causing a wave propagation actuator to cooperate with the buckled wave disk to drive or be driven by a wave and the lines formed of inflection points of the circumferential waves around the buckled wave disk;
• and
• further providing an outer ring surrounding the wave ring, the outer ring being driven by or driving the wave ring at the nodes.