The elastic motor comprises annular-shaped elastic member, supported by means of a first bracket assembly consisting of a supporting bracket positioned between a first pressing bracket and a second pressing bracket for carrying out the straining of said first elastic member, the brackets being fixed on a base plate, on a circular path according to the projection of the circumference of the elastic member, wherein the distance between the second pressing bracket and the supporting bracket is bigger than the distance between the first pressing bracket and the supporting bracket. The first and the second pressing bracket are provided with some adjusting screws whose rotation determines the translation of a threaded bushing connected with balancers, determining the movement thereof and the straining of said first elastic member and the movement thereof from the second pressing bracket towards the first pressing bracket.

A structural assembly and a structural bracing system including the structural assembly are presented. The structural assembly includes Belleville disks and shape memory alloy (SMA) rods with nonlinear elastic behavior (e.g., Nitinol rods) to resist lateral force. Stacked Belleville disks are placed between plates resulting in nonlinear elastic behavior in compression. Shape memory alloy rods are placed at the corners of the plates and held by nuts at the exterior faces of the plates. The rods are loose when a compression load is applied to the plates and will work in tension when a tensile load is applied to the plates. A shaft (e.g., steel tube) is placed at the center of the Belleville disks to stabilize the assembly. Addition of the assembly with nonlinear elastic behavior in both tension and compression loadings to a structural bracing system improves the structural behavior of the bracing system.

A device for the accumulation of elastic energy and converting it into electrical energy, which provides the highest possible efficiency of energy storage and conversion. The device uses a high load capacity and efficiency of the roller screw mechanism and the ability of disc springs to store and release energy with the greatest possible specific elastic deformation. The device is equipped with a brake, which makes it possible to maintain the accumulation of elastic energy for a long time. In the state of energy storage, the motor-generator works as a motor, and to convert the stored elastic energy into electrical energy, it works as a generator.

A system manages the reactions of fluids to their changes in their environment in order to convert these reactions into energy thereby harvesting the same while protecting the device against destruction or malfunction when the environmental conditions exceed predefined thresholds.

A structural assembly and a structural bracing system including the structural assembly are presented. The structural assembly includes Belleville disks and shape memory alloy (SMA) rods with nonlinear elastic behavior (e.g., Nitinol rods) to resist lateral force. Stacked Belleville disks are placed between plates resulting in nonlinear elastic behavior in compression. Shape memory alloy rods are placed at the corners of the plates and held by nuts at the exterior faces of the plates. The rods are loose when a compression load is applied to the plates and will work in tension when a tensile load is applied to the plates. A shaft (e.g., steel tube) is placed at the center of the Belleville disks to stabilize the assembly. Addition of the assembly with nonlinear elastic behavior in both tension and compression loadings to a structural bracing system improves the structural behavior of the bracing system.

The invention discloses an energy storage device, comprising a mounting seat, a first spring energy storage component, a second spring energy storage component, a one-way limiter, a transmission component, and a generator; the first spring energy storage component comprises a first rotating shaft, a first spring, and a first spring barrel; the second spring energy storage component comprises a second rotating shaft, a second spring, and a second spring barrel. The device uses two spring energy storage components to collect the gravitational potential energy of different dispersion points at the same time, and store it in the corresponding spring, then through the action of the one-way limiter, the energy of the spring with larger energy storage can be released and converted into electrical energy.

Described is an energy converter for converting rotational energy to mechanical strain energy in flat spiral springs, the converter unit including: an axle for operatively mounting a plurality of spiral springs having inner ends and outer ends; at least a first and second spiral spring module, each module including one or more spiral springs operatively mounted at each inner end to the axle, one or more of the springs in each of the spiral spring modules having their outer ends operatively connected together with a link extending between the first and second spiral spring modules, wherein the arrangement of radial spiral windings in the first and second spiral spring modules are substantially reflected or mirrored across a plane disposed between the first and second spiral spring modules.

Apparatuses described herein relate to improving the shape morphing of structures using bistable cells. In one embodiment, an inflatable structure comprises an inflatable membrane with an inner top surface and an inner bottom surface opposite the inner top surface. The inflatable structure further comprises an array of vertically stacked bistable cells with a first end attached to the inner top surface and a second end attached to the inner bottom surface, where each of the bistable cells of the array is configured to change from a first state to a second state according to a change in pressure within the inflatable membrane.

A device for the accumulation of elastic energy and converting it into electrical energy, which provides the highest possible efficiency of energy storage and conversion. The device uses a high load capacity and efficiency of the roller screw mechanism and the ability of disc springs to store and release energy with the greatest possible specific elastic deformation. The device is equipped with a brake, which makes it possible to maintain the accumulation of elastic energy for a long time. In the state of energy storage, the motor-generator works as a motor, and to convert the stored elastic energy into electrical energy, it works as a generator.