John V Gully Deceased4505 Mountain Path Dr, Austin, TX 78759

5285699, Feb 15, 1994

Feb 21, 1992

7/840737

W. Alan Walls - Austin TX
Elvin Estes - Austin TX
Steve M. Manifold - Austin TX
Michael L. Spann - Austin TX
John H. Gully - Austin TX

Board of Regents, University of Texas System - Austin TX

G05G 110
F16F 1522

74572

The maximum safe operating speed or flywheels and shafts made of low tensile strength material is often determined by the speed at which radial tensile stress exceeds a radial tensile stress limit for the material. Circumferentially wound fiber composite material, for example, has a relatively low tensile strength along the radial direction perpendicular to the fibers. To increase the maximum safe operating speed, it is therefore desirable to form a fiber composite flywheel or shaft with radial compressive prestress. Such a prestressed flywheel or shaft has an outer annulus and an inner cylinder disposed in the outer annulus, and an annular layer of solidified bonding agent within an annular region between the outer annulus and the inner cylinder, wherein the outer annulus and the inner cylinder include substantial radial prestress induced by the bonding agent. The rim portion of a flywheel, for example, is formed from an outer ring (the annulus) and an inner ring (the cylinder, which is hollow in this case). Large, thick flywheels preferably have multiple cylindrical sections joined by such layers of bonding agent, and a plurality of the cylindrical sections each including an outer layer of relatively stiff fiber-composite material, and an inner layer of relatively compliant fiber-composite material within an integral matrix material.

4800311, Jan 24, 1989

Jul 2, 1985

6/751459

William F. Weldon - Austin TX
John H. Gully - Austin TX
Mark A. Pichot - Austin TX

Board of Regents - Austin TX

H02K 3102
H02K 128

310178

A homoplanar generator (HPG) having the stator and an inner brush mechanism housed within the machine support structure utilizes a rotor separated into halves electrically insulated from each other, so as to fit around the stator and brush mechanism. A shaft is mounted in the support structure to carry the rotor. A first rotor half is thermally shrunk-fit onto the shaft, and the second rotor half is hydraulically expansion fit thereon. To hydraulically fit the second rotor on the shaft, a shaft is provided having a downward taper from its midpoint toward one end. The shaft also has a circumferential groove and a port therethrough from the end of the taper, for communicating high pressure oil from an external pump to the shaft-rotor interface. High-pressure seals on each side of the groove prevent leakage. The application of high-pressure oil expands the bore in the rotor half and shrinks the shaft diameter.

4884489, Dec 5, 1989

Apr 22, 1987

7/041183

Raymond C. Zowarka - Austin TX
Damon A. Weeks - Austin TX
William F. Weldon - Austin TX
John H. Gully - Austin TX
Jim L. Upshaw - Austin TX
Mike L. Spann - Austin TX
Dennis R. Peterson - Austin TX

Board of Regents University of Texas System - Austin TX

F41F 102

89 8

A railgun operates at high pressure (up to 350 MPa) without structural damage and is readily disassembled for inspection, maintenance and component testing. A rail assembly is pressed into a hoop-wound epoxy fiberglass containment tube and clamped within a steel compression frame. The geometry of the rail assembly permits rail movement without insulator intrusion and achieves bore sealing during rail movement at maximum pressure. The rail assembly also has replaceable insulator inserts which are isolated from rail re-bound shock. Fused quartz insulator inserts provide the best results. A flash tube is provided at the gun muzzle to suppress precursor discharge and commutate precursor current back to the armature. To realize increased velocity without sacrificing in-bore projectile stability, a cut-corner projectile is used having a L/D ratio as small as 0. 65 which reduces the mass by about 11%.

4996016, Feb 26, 1991

Dec 7, 1988

7/281188

W. Alan Walls - Austin TX
Elvin Estes - Austin TX
Steve M. Manifold - Austin TX
Michael L. Spann - Austin TX
John H. Gully - Austin TX

Board of Regents University of Texas System - Austin TX

B29C 4320
B29C 4336
B32B 3106

264229

The maximum safe operating speed of flywheels and shafts made of low tensile strength material is often determined by the speed at which radial tensile stress exceeds a radial tensile stress limit for the material. Circumferentially wound fiber composite material, for example, has a relatively low tensile strength along the radial direction perpendicular to the fibers. To increase the maximum safe operating speed, it is therefore desirable to form a fiber composite flywheel or shaft with radial compressive prestress. Such a prestressed flywheel or shaft is made by placing a cylinder within a fiber composite annulus, injecting a bonding agent under pressure into the interface between the annulus and the cylinder, and maintaining the bonding agent under pressure while the bonding agent solidifies. Preferably, the cylinder and annulus are aligned in a concentric relationship during solidification by a chamber into which the cylinder and annulus are placed. The rim portion of a flywheel, for example, is formed from an outer ring (the annulus) and an inner ring (the cylinder, which is hollow in this case).

4459504, Jul 10, 1984

May 26, 1982

6/381925

William F. Weldon - Austin TX
John H. Gully - Austin TX
Kurth P. Bousman - Austin TX

Board of Regents, University of Texas System - Austin TX

H02K 1300

310243

A homopolar generator having a rotor with a slip ring surface utilizes an inflatable diaphragm to force the current-collecting brushes into contact with the rotor slip ring. The diaphragm is molded around a metal core. An opening in the metal core directs pressurized gas into a diaphragm cavity to expand the diaphragm against the back of the brush.

4858304, Aug 22, 1989

Oct 14, 1988

7/247046

William F. Weldon - Austin TX
John H. Gully - Austin TX
Mark A. Pichot - Austin TX

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System - Austin TX

H02K 1502

29598

A homopolar generator (HPG) having the stator and an inner brush mechanism housed within the machine support structure utilizes a rotor separated into halves electrically insulated from each other, so as to fit around the stator and brush mechanism. A shaft is mounted in the support structure to carry the rotor. A first rotor half is thermally shrunk-fit onto the shaft, and the second rotor half is hydraulically expansion fit thereon. To hydraulically fit the second rotor on the shaft, a shaft is provided having a downward taper from its midpoint toward one end. The shaft also has a circumferential groove and a port therethrough from the end of the taper for communicating high pressure oil from an external pump to the shaft-rotor interface. High-pressure seals on each side of the groove prevent leakage. The application of high-pressure oil expands the bore in the rotor half and shrinks the shaft diameter.

4562368, Dec 31, 1985

May 26, 1982

6/381926

William F. Weldon - Austin TX
John H. Gully - Austin TX
William A. Walls - Austin TX

Board of Regents - Austin TX

H02K 3100

310178

A homopolar generator includes a stator producing a magnetic field and a rotor which rotates in the stator magnetic field to generate electrical discharge current. The current is available from a slip ring surface defined on the rotor, and a plurality of brush mechanisms are provided to collect and transfer the discharge current from the rotor slip ring. Each brush mechanism includes a brush pad for contacting the rotor slip ring. The brush pad is attached to one end of a laminated trailing arm brush strap. A brush actuator forces the brush pad into contact with the rotor slip ring against the yieldable brush lifting force of the brush strap. To compensate for the reaction between adjacent brush straps due to the magnetic fields set up by the discharge current being transferred by each, a conductor strap is electrically connected to the end of the brush strap opposite the attached brush. The conductor strap receives current from the brush strap and directs it oppositely to the direction of the current in the brush strap.

4544874, Oct 1, 1985

May 26, 1982

6/381927

William F. Weldon - Austin TX
John H. Gully - Austin TX

The Board of Regents, The University of Texas - Austin TX

H02K 3100
H02P 900

322 10

A high-energy, high-current homopolar generator pulsed power supply system that is compact and field portable. The power supply system includes a hompolar generator (HPG), an auxiliary supply and drive system, both mounted on a skid frame, and a control system coupled to the HPG and drive system. The homopolar generator has a split rotor with insulation between the halves and a recess in the periphery. A stator ring and field coil, for producing a magnetic field through which the rotor halves make two simultaneous voltage-generating passes, are disposed within the recess in the rotor. Air-actuated brush mechanisms inside and outside the recess contact surfaces of the rotor and collect discharge current. The auxiliary supply and drive system includes a motoring system comprising hydraulic motors for driving the HPG to speed, a bearing lubrication system, a generator for energizing the field coil, and a brush actuator air supply system, all of which are driven by a prime mover. The control system comprises a logic controller for executing a prescribed sequence of steps including turning on the prime mover, initiating motoring of the HPG, energizing the field coil, and initiating the discharge of electrical current.