A method for manufacturing a slipring module comprising a plurality of sliding tracks and an insulating body. The method includes: making a monolithic sliding track component preferably by a 3D printing process. The monolithic sliding track component comprises a plurality of sliding tracks, multiple connector for electrically connecting the sliding tracks, and at least one strut for mechanically interconnecting the sliding tracks and the connector to form a monolithic sliding track component; inserting the monolithic sliding track component into a mold; filling the mold with an insulating material such as a plastic material, and curing the plastic material; removing the molded product forming a slipring module from the mold, and removing the at least one strut from the slipring module.

One example embodiment is an apparatus including a ring assembly and a contact assembly. The ring assembly includes a conductive ring having a conductive ring engagement surface. The contact assembly includes a contact block and a contact element having a contact element engagement surface. The contact element is connected with the contact block. The contact element forms a loop around the conductive ring between the ends of the contact element. The contact element engagement surface is engaged with the conductive ring engagement surface along an electrical contact section of the loop. Another example embodiment is a method for assembling a slip ring.

One example embodiment is an apparatus including a ring assembly and a contact assembly. The ring assembly includes a conductive ring having a conductive ring engagement surface. The contact assembly includes a contact block and a contact element having a contact element engagement surface. The contact element is connected with the contact block. The contact element forms a loop around the conductive ring between the ends of the contact element. The contact element engagement surface is engaged with the conductive ring engagement surface along an electrical contact section of the loop. Another example embodiment is a method for assembling a slip ring.

A method of coating a slip ring for use with a surgical instrument is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a slip ring including a plurality of conductive elements, and depositing a material less conductive than the conductive elements onto the conductive elements of the slip ring.

A method of coating a slip ring for use with a surgical instrument is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a slip ring including a plurality of conductive elements, and depositing a material less conductive than the conductive elements onto the conductive elements of the slip ring.

There is provided a hybrid turbine system comprising a plurality of flexible and thin film photovoltaic modules or panels attached to a plurality of blades of a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) for energy generation. Electrical performance of rotating photovoltaic modules or panels is enhanced since rotating photovoltaic modules are self-cooled by rotation of the blades of the wind turbine. It is experimentally shown that voltage of the photovoltaic modules decreases when the photovoltaic modules' temperature increases, and this decrease was modelled by four parameters namely ideality factor, reverse saturation current, short-circuit current, and material band gap. The present invention evidences that the proposed rotating photovoltaic modules increases the output voltage of the photovoltaic modules. Rotation of the photovoltaic modules as a part of the plurality of blades cools down and lowers the operating temperature of the photovoltaic modules and improves overall performance of the hybrid turbine system.

There is provided a hybrid turbine system comprising a plurality of flexible and thin film photovoltaic modules or panels attached to a plurality of blades of a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) for energy generation. Electrical performance of rotating photovoltaic modules or panels is enhanced since rotating photovoltaic modules are self-cooled by rotation of the blades of the wind turbine. It is experimentally shown that voltage of the photovoltaic modules decreases when the photovoltaic modules' temperature increases, and this decrease was modelled by four parameters namely ideality factor, reverse saturation current, short-circuit current, and material band gap. The present invention evidences that the proposed rotating photovoltaic modules increases the output voltage of the photovoltaic modules. Rotation of the photovoltaic modules as a part of the plurality of blades cools down and lowers the operating temperature of the photovoltaic modules and improves overall performance of the hybrid turbine system.

A slip ring for use in a slip ring brush type rotation sensor device, includes a metal ring having an approximately cylindrical shape, and a resin ring that supports the metal ring. Slits extending in an axial direction are formed in respective side surfaces on outer peripheries of the metal and resin rings. The metal ring includes a common part formed on a side surface at one end along the axial direction of the approximately cylindrical shape and segmented by the slits into segments to form common regions, so that adjacent common regions are electrically connectable to each other, and a detection part formed on a side surface at the other end and segmented by the slits into segments to form conducting regions and isolated regions that are alternately provided with the slit interposed between adjacent conducting and isolated regions.

A slip ring for use in a slip ring brush type rotation sensor device, includes a metal ring having an approximately cylindrical shape, and a resin ring that supports the metal ring. Slits extending in an axial direction are formed in respective side surfaces on outer peripheries of the metal and resin rings. The metal ring includes a common part formed on a side surface at one end along the axial direction of the approximately cylindrical shape and segmented by the slits into segments to form common regions, so that adjacent common regions are electrically connectable to each other, and a detection part formed on a side surface at the other end and segmented by the slits into segments to form conducting regions and isolated regions that are alternately provided with the slit interposed between adjacent conducting and isolated regions.

A rotor arrangement for a slip ring assembly, comprising a shaft element and at least one contact ring. The shaft element is at least partially in the form of a hollow shaft with a hollow interior and a casing wall. The shaft element has a middle section and each contact ring is arranged on the shaft element in the middle section and is electrically insulated from the shaft element by means of an insulation. The middle section has at least one cutout through the insulation and the casing wall into the interior. Each contact ring is connected to a cable element which is guided through one of the at least one cutout into the interior. The shaft element has a first end section with an outer circumferential cross section for the rotationally fixed coupling. Furthermore, a rotary coupling arrangement comprising a rotor arrangement of this kind is proposed.