Wayne Mitchell Brown

US Patent:

20120216522, Aug 30, 2012

Filed:

Dec 30, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/340886

Inventors:

Alan L. Browne - Grosse Pointe MI, US
Nancy L. Johnson - Northville MI, US
Paul W. Alexander - Ypsilanti MI, US
John Andrew Shaw - Dixter MI, US
Christopher Burton Churchill - Ann Arbor MI, US
Andrew C. Keefe - Encino CA, US
Geoffrey P. McKnight - Los Angeles CA, US
Guillermo A. Herrera - Winnetka CA, US
Nilesh D. Mankame - Ann Arbor MI, US
Richard J. Skurkis - Lake Orion MI, US
Wayne Brown - Costa Mesa CA, US

Assignee:

GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC - Detroit MI
The Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor MI
DYNALLOY, INC. - Tustin CA

International Classification:

F03G 7/06

US Classification:

60527

Abstract:

An energy harvesting system for converting thermal energy to mechanical energy includes a heat engine that operates using a shape memory alloy active material. The shape memory alloy member may be in thermal communication with a hot region at a first temperature and a cold region at a second temperature lower than the first temperature. The shape memory alloy material may be configured to selectively change crystallographic phase between martensite to austenite and thereby one of contract and expand in response to the first and second temperatures. A thermal conduction element may be in direct contact with the SMA material, where the thermal conduction element is configured to receive thermal energy from the hot region and to transfer a portion of the received thermal energy to the SMA material through conduction.

US Patent:

20120216526, Aug 30, 2012

Filed:

Dec 30, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/340942

Inventors:

Alan L. Browne - Grosse Pointe MI, US
Nancy L. Johnson - Northville MI, US
John Andrew Shaw - Dexter MI, US
Christopher Burton Churchill - Ann Arbor MI, US
Andrew C. Keefe - Encino CA, US
Geoffrey P. Mc Knight - Los Angeles CA, US
Paul W. Alexander - Ypsilanti MI, US
Peter Maxwell Sarosi - Royal Oak MI, US
Nilesh D. Mankame - Ann Arbor MI, US
Wayne Brown - Costa Mesa CA, US
Guillermo A. Herrera - Winnetka CA, US
Richard J. Skurkis - Lake Orion MI, US

International Classification:

F03G 7/06

US Classification:

60529

Abstract:

An energy harvesting system in thermal communication with a hot region and a cold region includes a hot end heat engine in thermal communication with the hot region, a cold end heat engine in thermal communication with the cold region, and an intermediate heat engine disposed between the hot end heat engine and the cold end heat engine. The hot end heat engine includes a hot end shape memory alloy (SMA) element, the cold end heat engine includes a cold end SMA element disposed, and the intermediate heat engine includes an intermediate SMA element. A hot side of the intermediate SMA element is in thermal communication with a cold side of the hot end SMA element. A cold side of the intermediate SMA element is in thermal communication with a hot side of the cold end SMA element.

US Patent:

20130011806, Jan 10, 2013

Filed:

Jul 7, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/177599

Inventors:

Xiujie Gao - Troy MI, US
Alan L. Browne - Grosse Pointe MI, US
Paul W. Alexander - Ypsilanti MI, US
Nancy L. Johnson - Northville MI, US
Wayne Brown - Costa Mesa CA, US

Assignee:

DYNALLOY, INC. - Costa Mesa CA
GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC - Detroit MI

International Classification:

F27D 19/00

US Classification:

432 37

Abstract:

A device and method for controlling a phase transformation temperature of a shape memory alloy is provided. The device includes a primary wire composed of the shape memory alloy. The primary wire defines first and second ends, the first end being attached to a fixed structure and the second end being able to displace. An activation source is thermally coupled to the wire and is operable to selectively cause the primary wire to reversibly transform from a Martensitic phase to an Austenitic phase during a cycle. A loading element is operatively connected to the primary wire and configured to selectively increase a tensile load on the primary wire when an ambient temperature is at or above a threshold temperature, thereby increasing the phase transformation temperature of the primary wire.