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US 10,381,871 B2Granted
High power transfer through load-supporting bearings
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsDaniel Colin Ludois, Jiejian Dai, Skyler Hagen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for power transfer to a movable platform makes use of a capacitive interface in moving elements of load-supporting bearings for power transfer. Tank circuits associated with each bearing increase power transfer by reducing effective impedance of the small bearing capacitances.
Claims19
A system for high-power electrical transfer comprising:
- at least a first and second bearing each providing a first and second electrically conductive element movable with respect to each other as separated by an electrical insulator, the first and second electrically conductive elements for each of the first and second bearings forming a respective first and second capacitance;
- a first and second tank circuit associated with the first and second bearing, respectively, the first and second tank circuit providing electrical elements forming first and second series-resonant circuits with the respective first and second capacitances, the first and second series-resonant circuits having a resonant frequency;
- and
- a power supply having a frequency matching the resonant frequency and supplying alternating current along a path from the power supply through the first tank circuit and first bearing to load and then through the second bearing and second tank circuit to provide a power to the load of at least 10 watts.
1 more element
A method of high-power electrical transfer to a moving structure comprising the steps of:
- (a) supporting the moving structure on at least a first and second bearing each providing a first electrically conductive element movable with respect to a second electrically conductive element as separated by an electrical insulator to form a first and second capacitance with respect to the first and second bearing;
- (b) tuning a first and second tank circuit associated with the first and second bearing respectively to provide first and second series-resonant circuits with respective of the first and second capacitances, the first and second series-resonant circuits having a resonant frequency;
- and
- (c) applying power supply through the first tank circuit, first bearing and load on the moving structure and then through the second bearing and second tank circuit to provide a power to the load of at least 10 watts wherein the power has a frequency matching the resonant frequency.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.