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AssigneesGM Global Technology Operations LLC, U.S.A. as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorsDonald R. Davis, Nicolaus A. Radford, Frank Noble Permenter, Adam H. Parsons
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An electromagnetic braking system and method is provided for selectively braking a motor using an electromagnetic brake having an electromagnet, a permanent magnet, a rotor assembly, and a brake pad. The brake assembly applies when the electromagnet is de-energized and releases when the electromagnet is energized. When applied the permanent magnet moves the brake pad into frictional engagement with a housing, and when released the electromagnet cancels the flux of the permanent magnet to allow a leaf spring to move the brake pad away from the housing. A controller has a DC/DC converter for converting a main bus voltage to a lower braking voltage based on certain parameters. The converter utilizes pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate the braking voltage. A calibrated gap is defined between the brake pad and permanent magnet when the brake assembly is released, and may be dynamically modified via the controller.
A motor assembly comprising:
An electromagnetic brake assembly for use with a motor assembly having a rotor and a stator operable for causing rotation of the rotor when the stator is energized, the electromagnetic brake assembly comprising:
A method for optimizing the efficiency of an electromagnetic brake assembly having a moveable brake pad adapted for selectively braking a rotor of a motor assembly, and having a housing containing an electromagnet and a permanent magnet, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.