Design and methods for electrostatic governor
AssigneeESTAT Actuation, Inc.
InventorsKirby A. Witte, Stuart B. Diller, William S. Lesso
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Abstract
An electrostatic brake or governor uses electrodes separated by a dielectric material and a power supply to affect motion-resisting torque. The power supply can be charged by energy harvesting elements on the brake/governor. In one example, inductively coupled coils, one on a rotating component and one on a stationary component, are used at the energy harvesting device to charge the power supply. Various control methods are used to modulate the motion-resisting torque, some of which can use the relative motion of the components to generate the driving power and to affect the control signals.
Claims27
An electrostatic device comprising:
- at first electrode and a second electrode;
- a dielectric material disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- an energy source for supplying intermittent power to the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- a circuit that controls a flow of power to the first electrode and the second electrode.
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An electrostatic device comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode positioned proximate to the first electrode;
- an inductive coil configured to transmit or receive power;
- and
- a circuit that controls a flow of power to the first electrode and the second electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.