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6725668 Thermodynamic cycles and method for generating electricity  
An apparatus for performing a thermodynamic cycle comprising: a sample having a ferromagnetic phase transition temperature; means to magnetise the sample above the ferromagnetic phase transition...
6713668 Solar energy converter and solar energy conversion system  
A solar energy converter includes: a light-concentrating instrument; an electron emitter in an insulated vacuum vessel, emitting electrons in a vacuum as a temperature rises by sunlight; an...
6698201 Cascaded bimorph rotary actuator  
Linear bimorph actuators are cascaded together in serpentine array structures to achieve large angle rotary displacements. Bimorph units contain single material beams that remain straight when...
6691513 System and method for providing an improved electrothermal actuator for a micro-electro-mechanical device  
A system and method for providing an improved micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) electrothermal actuator is disclosed. In prior art electrothermal actuators an electric current passes through a narrow...
6679055 Electrothermal quadmorph microactuator  
In a microactuator having substantially parallel beams, the free ends of the beams are detached from the substrate and rigidly interconnected with one another. Differential thermal expansion of the...
6657358 Power supply including pyroelectric capacitor  
A regulated power supply includes a pyroelectric capacitor. Such a power supply can be incorporated into an integrated circuit.
6653547 Solar energy converter  
The solar energy converter comprises an electron emitter and an electron collector. They are provided separate from each other in a vacuum vessel. Solar energy in a wide range of sunlight spectrum...
6628039 Microelectromechanical device having single crystalline components and metallic components  
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device is provided that includes a microelectronic substrate, a microactuator disposed on the substrate and formed of a single crystalline material, and at least one...
6583374 Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) digital electrical isolator  
A microelectricalmechanical system (MEMS) digital isolator may be created in which an actuator such as an electrostatic motor drives a beam against a predefined force set, for example, by another...
6552256 Two-stage three-terminal thermionic/thermoelectric coolers  
A multi-stage cooler is formed from monolithically integrated thermionic and thermoelectric coolers, wherein the thermionic and thermoelectric coolers each have a separate electrical connection and...
6528898 Pyroelectric conversion system  
When the temperature of pyroelectric film is increased from low to high near its phase transition temperature its ability to hold electrical charge on its surfaces diminishes, and the charge can be...
6519074 Electrostatically-actuated tunable optical components using entropic materials  
A cost-effective tunable optical component uses entropic, rather than enthalpic, materials to provide a compliant member that supports the optical element and is driven by an electrostatic...
6509669 Microminiature thermionic converters  
Microminiature thermionic converters (MTCs) manufactured using MEMS manufacturing techniques including chemical vapor deposition, and having high energy-conversion efficiencies and variable...
6495749 Hybrid combustion power system  
Hybrid combustion power systems comprising multiple direct energy conversion devices are disclosed, which devices ( 12, 14, 16 ) are preferably combined with a Rankine cycle containing a steam...
6438954 Multi-directional thermal actuator  
A micrometer sized multi-directional thermal actuator capable of repeatable and rapid displacement in a substantially horizontal direction, a substantially vertical direction, and/or a combination...
6417441 Thermoelectric device three for producing an electric current  
The present invention is a thermoelectric cell for supplying an electric current. Two embodiments of the cell each comprise only one active component, a non-metallic electron emitter means, one...
6411007 Chemical vapor deposition techniques and related methods for manufacturing microminiature thermionic converters  
Methods of manufacturing microminiature thermionic converters (MTCs) having high energy-conversion efficiencies and variable operating temperatures using MEMS manufacturing techniques including...
6407477 Thermionic modules  
Modules of assembled microminiature thermionic converters (MTCs) having high energy-conversion efficiencies and variable operating temperatures manufactured using MEMS manufacturing techniques...
6396191 Thermal diode for energy conversion  
Solid state thermionic energy converter semiconductor diode implementation and method for conversion of thermal energy to electric energy, and electric energy to refrigeration. In embodiments of...
6376926 Power generation system  
A power generation system. The system includes a magnetically-actuated turbine having a rotating shaft and a generator connected to the turbine. The generator includes a rotor connected to the...
6367252 Microelectromechanical actuators including sinuous beam structures  
In embodiments of the present invention, a microelectromechanical actuator includes a beam having respective first and second ends attached to a substrate and a body disposed between the first and...
6367251 Lockable microelectromechanical actuators using thermoplastic material, and methods of operating same  
Lockable microelectromechanical actuators include a microelectromechanical actuator, a thermoplastic material that is coupled to the microelectromechanical actuator to lock the...
6360539 Microelectromechanical actuators including driven arched beams for mechanical advantage  
Microelectromechanical actuators include a substrate, spaced apart supports on the substrate and a thermal arched beam that extends between the spaced apart supports and that further arches upon...
6359367 Micromachined ultrasonic spiral arrays for medical diagnostic imaging  
Spiral, sparse spiral, substantially spiral or substantially sparse spiral transducer arrays comprising capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer elements disposed on a silicon substrate, and...
6333583 Microelectromechanical systems including thermally actuated beams on heaters that move with the thermally actuated beams  
Improved microelectromechanical structures include spaced-apart supports on a microelectronic substrate and a beam that extends between the spaced-apart supports and that expands upon application...
6313562 Microelectromechanical ratcheting apparatus  
A microelectromechanical (MEM) ratcheting apparatus is disclosed which includes an electrostatic or thermal actuator that drives a moveable member in the form of a ring gear, stage, or rack. Motion...
6310419 Resistor array devices including switch contacts operated by microelectromechanical actuators and methods for fabricating the same  
Resistor networks, digital potentiometers and microelectromechanical structures that include a plurality of resistors selectable by a plurality of microelectromechanical actuators are provided....
6285111 Axis alignment method  
An apparatus and method for determining the rate of angular rotation of a moving body and, in particular, for alignment of the dither motion and the Coriolis acceleration sensing direction in a...
6275320 MEMS variable optical attenuator  
A MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) variable optical attenuator is provided that is capable of optical attenuation over a full range of optical power. The MEMS variable optical attenuator...
6255757 Microactuators including a metal layer on distal portions of an arched beam  
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device is provided that includes a microelectronic substrate and a thermally actuated microactuator and associated components disposed on the substrate and formed as...
6242841 Stepper motor with shaped memory alloy rotary-driver  
A stepper motor includes the following. A rotatable hub. A first shaped memory alloy (abbreviated to SMA) rotary-driver, which when heated undergoes a shape change to rotationally couple with the...
6232546 Microcavity apparatus and systems for maintaining a microcavity over a macroscale area  
A microcavity apparatus and systems for maintaining microcavity spacing over a macroscopic area. An application of this invention is a microscale generator. This microscale generator includes a...
6229083 Thermionic generator  
A method for building a thermionic converter comprises providing an electrode and creating a central depression of substantially uniform depth on a face of the electrode. A surface of the central...
6222112 Thermionic converter temperature controller  
A method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a thermionic reactor over a wide range of operating power, including a thermionic reactor having a plurality of integral cesium reservoirs,...
6181049 Multiple cell thermionic converter having apertured tubular intercell connectors  
A multiple cell thermionic converter having a generally tubular member of electrically conductive refractory metal with an internal cavity and a coaxial tubular envelope of electrically conductive...
6137206 Microelectromechanical rotary structures  
MEMS (Microelectromechanical System) structures are provided that are designed to rotate in response to thermal actuation or the like. In one embodiment, the MEMS rotary structure includes a hub...
6127765 Micro-electromechanical device  
A micro-electromechanical device, such as a micro-sensor or micromachine, includes a movable part in the form of a cantilever or diaphragm, which is formed on a substrate. In order to recover...
6127766 Paired-tube thermoelectric couple  
A thermionic paired tube bank (100) designed for use as a tubular heat exchanger for generating electricity, preferably heated by combustion products after they leave the combustor of a power plant...
6124662 Actuator using electrical contacts pressed in abutment  
An actuator for selectively exerting a force responsive to an increase or decrease in applied electrical energy, including an electrically conductive member slideably seated within an electrically...
6100621 Thermionic converter with differentially heated cesium-oxygen source and method of operation  
A thermionic converter having an emitter, a collector, and a source of cesium vapor is provided wherein the source of cesium vapor is differentially heated so that said source has a hotter end and...
6064137 Method and apparatus for a vacuum thermionic converter with thin film carbonaceous field emission  
A Vacuum Diode is constructed in which the electrodes of the Vacuum Diode are coated with a thin film of diamond-like carbonaceous material. The cathode and anode are separated by spacers and a...
6053163 Stove pipe thermoelectric generator  
A stovepipe thermoelectric generator. The unit fits in a stovepipe of a coal or wood stove. At least one thermoelectric module is sandwiched between a hot side fin unit with fins extending into the...
6037697 Thermionic converter and method of making same  
A multiple cell thermionic converter having a generally tubular member of electrically conductive refractory metal with an internal cavity and a tubular envelope of electrically conductive...
6023121 Thermal arched beam microelectromechanical structure  
A MEMS actuator is provided that produces significant forces and displacements while consuming a reasonable amount of power. The MEMS actuator includes a microelectronic substrate, spaced apart...
6020671 In-line thermoelectric module  
A thermoelectric module with a plurality of electricity generating units each having a first end and a second end, the units being arranged first end to second end along an in-line axis. Each unit...
5994638 Method and apparatus for thermionic generator  
An improved thermionic generator constructed using microenginerring techniques is described. This device is easy to construct in large numbers, efficient, and inexpensive. A preferred embodiment...
5974002 Electronic watch using a thermoelement  
An electronic timepiece comprises a casing formed of a thermally conductive material and having a first outer case portion and a second outer case portion connected together to define a space...
5959376 Microelectromechanical reciprocating-tooth indexing apparatus  
An indexing apparatus is disclosed that can be used to rotate a gear or move a rack in a precise, controllable manner. The indexing apparatus, based on a reciprocating shuttle driven by one or more...
5955818 Machine structures fabricated of multiple microstructure layers  
Machine structures each comprising a stack of a plurality of micromachine layers laminated together are presented, along with fabrication methods therefore. Each machine structure includes a...
5949176 Electron heat converter  
A device that utilizes the difference in NEAF values between two plates to generate voltage is disclosed. The difference in NEAF values is created by shaping or varying the thickness of two plates...