Spherical motion simulator
AssigneeContraves Goerz Corporation
InventorsRobert E. Lordo, Lloyd W. McSparran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flight motion simulator includes a unit under test supported on a stationary frame for angular and translational movement along pitch, roll, and yaw axes. A rotor element is secured to the unit under test and has a spherical configuration. Magnetic bearings supported by the stationary frame support the rotor element in three degrees of freedom of movement. A drag-cup induction motor is mounted on the frame and connected to the unit under test to generate three degrees of freedom of movement by generating a rotating magnetic flux in a stator assembly to induce a corresponding flow of currents in the rotor element to produce torque and motion in the unit under test in the same direction as the flux movement in the stator assembly.
Claims35
A flight motion simulator comprising,
- a unit under test,
- a stationary frame for supporting the unit under test for angular and translational movement,
- a rotor element secured to said unit under test, said rotor element having a spherical configuration,
- magnetic bearing means supported by said stationary frame for supporting said rotor element for angular and translational movement,
- drive means mounted on said stationary frame and connected to said unit under test for generating torque in three angular degrees of freedom of movement, and
- means for sensing the position of the unit under test relative to said stationary frame to control said drive means to generate torque for moving the unit under test in a selected one of the three degrees of freedom of angular movement.
Apparatus for generating three degrees of movement in a motion simulator comprising,
- a movable member,
- a stationary member,
- bearing means for supporting said movable member on said stationary member for rotational movement in three orthogonal axes,
- a rotor element having a spherical surface, said rotor element fixed to said movable member,
- a stator assembly secured to said stationary member and positioned in close proximity to one surface of said rotor element, said stator assembly having a configuration conforming to the configuration of said rotor element,
- a magnetic flux carrying member secured to said stationary member and positioned in close proximity to an opposite surface of said rotor element,
- said stator assembly including a plurality of polyphase electrical windings, each of said electrical windings being positioned orthogonal to one another on said stator assembly, and
- said windings upon the supply of polyphase current thereto generating a rotating magnetic flux in said stator assembly to induce a corresponding flow of currents in said rotor element to produce torque and motion in said movable member in the same direction as the flux movement in said stator assembly.
A method for simulating motion in a test unit comprising the steps of,
- positioning a test unit on a stationary frame,
- supporting the test unit for angular and translational movement on the stationary frame,
- sensing the position of the test unit relative to the stationary frame,
- mounting a rotor element on the test unit,
- securing a stator assembly to the stationary frame in close proximity to the rotor element,
- supporting first and second electrical windings on the stator assembly to extend in an orthogonal relationship to one another,
- injecting polyphase current through the first and second electrical windings to generate a rotating magnetic flux in the stator assembly, and
- inducing flow of currents in response to the rotating magnetic flux in the rotor element to produce torque and motion in the test unit in the same direction as the flux movement in the stator assembly.
A linear induction motor comprising,
- a stationary frame,
- a conductive member supported for translational movement in two degrees of freedom on said stationary frame,
- a stator element supported by said frame in spaced relation to one side of said conductive member,
- a magnetic flux carrying element positioned adjacent to the opposite side of said conductive member,
- a pair of polyphase current windings supported in orthogonal relationship on said stator element, and
- a source of AC power supplied to said windings to generate a magnetic flux in said stator element and induce electrical current in said conductive member to produce a translational force acting in two degrees of freedom between said conductive member and said stationary frame.
A magnetic suspension system comprising,
- a stationary frame,
- a magnetic flux carrying rotor member positioned relative to said frame, said rotor member having a spherical surface,
- a plurality of electromagnets supported by said frame and spaced around the periphery of said rotor member to generate three dimensional forces of attraction on said rotor member,
- each of said electromagnets having a coil and a pole face,
- each of said pole faces being positioned in close proximity to said surface of said rotor member to form an air gap therebetween,
- power means for supplying said electromagnet coils with current to generate a magnetic force upon said rotor member and position said rotor member in a levitated state relative to said frame,
- air gap sensing means for detecting the three dimensional relative position between said rotor member and said stationary frame, and
- means for controlling the current to each of said electromagnet coils to adjust the magnetic force exerted by each of said electromagnets and maintain said rotor member positioned in a preselected translational relationship relative to said frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.