Brushed electric motor/generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10284029-B2
Application number	US-201514866787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 20, 2012
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for an improved generator/motor and a method of generating current, the method comprising providing a circular rotation path, generating a concentrated magnetic field around a portion of the circular rotation path; rotating a coil along the circular path and through the concentrated magnetic field; generating current within the coil as a result of the rotating, and extracting the current from the coil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A DC generator/motor, comprising:
a stator, comprising
a first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel enclosing a first portion of a circular rotation path, the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel defined by

a first partial circular magnetic wall positioned about a longitudinal axis having a first circumferential slot defined therein,
a first partial opposing circular magnetic wall positioned at a predetermined lateral distance from the first circular magnetic wall,
a first magnetic side wall positioned within the lateral distance, and
a first opposing side wall positioned at a first longitudinal distance from the first magnetic side wall and within the lateral distance;
wherein the first magnetic circular wall, the first opposing magnetic circular wall, the first side wall, and the first opposing side wall each have a surface and a corresponding magnetic pole of a first polarity that points towards an interior of the first partial magnetically closed tunnel that generates flux forces within the partial magnetically closed tunnel;
a rotor comprising
a center shaft positioned along the longitudinal axis;
a rotor hub coupled to the center shaft and having a portion sized to rotate within the first circumferential slot;
a plurality of coils coupled to the rotor hub and positioned radially about the rotor hub such that the plurality of coils are moveable along the circular rotation path; and
a plurality of magnets fixedly coupled to the rotor hub and positioned proximal to the first circumferential slot, the plurality of magnets having a polarity orientated to redirect flux forces back into the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel.

2. The DC generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel has an arc length of greater than 180 degrees.

3. The DC generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein flux forces generated by the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel flow from interior faces of the partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel towards the interior of the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel, then flow in a direction generally parallel to the first portion of the circular rotation path.

4. The DC generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of magnets fixedly coupled to the rotor hub are positioned along a center axis of the rotor hub.

5. The DC generator/motor of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of commutator segments electrically connecting the individual coils of the plurality of coils to each other in series.

6. The DC generator/motor of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of brushes mechanically coupled to the stator and in electrical communication with the commutator segments.

7. The DC generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein a space radially and laterally adjacent to the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel forms a throat.

8. The DC generator/motor of claim 7 , wherein a second partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel is positioned within the throat.

9. The DC generator/motor of claim 7 , wherein a partial toroidal nonmagnetic tunnel is positioned within the throat.

10. A generator/motor, comprising:
a stator, comprising
a first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel enclosing a first portion of a circular rotation path, the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel defined by

a first partial circular magnetic wall positioned about a longitudinal axis having a first circumferential slot defined therein,
a first partial opposing circular magnetic wall positioned at a predetermined lateral distance from the first circular magnetic wall,
a first magnetic side wall positioned within the lateral distance, and
a first opposing side wall positioned a first longitudinal distance from the first magnetic side wall and within the lateral distance;
wherein the first magnetic circular wall, the first opposing magnetic circular wall, the first side wall, and the first opposing side wall each have a surface and a corresponding magnetic pole of a first polarity that points towards an interior of the first partial magnetically closed tunnel;
a second partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel enclosing a second portion of the circular rotation path, the second partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel defined by
a second partial circular magnetic wall positioned about the longitudinal axis having a second circumferential slot defined therein,
a second partial opposing circular magnetic wall positioned at a predetermined lateral distance from the second circular magnetic wall,
a second magnetic side wall positioned within the lateral distance,
a second opposing side wall positioned within the lateral distance;

wherein the second magnetic circular wall, the second opposing magnetic circular wall, the second side wall, and the second opposing side wall each have a surface and a corresponding magnetic pole of a second polarity that faces towards an interior of the second partial magnetically closed tunnel;
wherein the magnetic pole of a first polarity is opposite from the magnetic pole of the second polarity and the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel has an arc length of greater than 180 degrees and the second partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel has an arc length of less than 180 degrees;
a rotor comprising
a center shaft positioned along the longitudinal axis;
a rotor hub coupled to the center shaft and having a portion sized to rotate within the first circumferential slot and the second circumferential slot; and
a plurality of coils coupled to the rotor hub and positioned radially about the rotor hub along the circular rotation path.

11. The generator/motor of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of magnets fixedly coupled to the rotor hub and positioned proximal to the first circumferential slot or the second circumferential slot, the plurality of magnets having a polarity orientated to redirect flux forces flowing back into either the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel or the second partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel.

12. The generator/motor of claim 10 , wherein flux forces generated by the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel flow from interior faces of the partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel towards the interior of the first partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel, then flow in a direction generally parallel to the first portion of the circular rotation path.

13. The generator/motor of claim 10 , wherein flux forces generated by the second partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel flow from interior faces of the partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel towards the interior of the second partial toroidal magnetically closed tunnel, then flow in a direction generally parallel to the second portion of the circular rotation path.

14. The generator/motor of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of commutator segments electrically connecting the individual coils of the plurality of coils to each other in series.

15. The generator/motor of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of brushes in electrical communication with the commutator segments.

16. A method of generating current, the method comprising:
providing a circular rotation path,
generating a first concentrated magnetic field along a first portion of the circular rotation path by a first closed toroidal magnetic tunnel positioned around the first portion of the circular rotation path; the first closed toroidal magnetic tunnel defined by
a first circular magnetic

Assignees

• Linear Labs Inc
• Linear Labs Llc

Inventors

• Hunstable Fred E

Classifications

• H02K1/17 Primary

  Stator cores with permanent magnets · CPC title

• H02K23/30

  having lap or loop windings · CPC title

• H02K23/04

  having permanent magnet excitation · CPC title

• H02K1/223 Primary

  Rotor cores with windings and permanent magnets (for additional excitation in synchronous motors or generators H02K21/042; in synchronous motors having additional short-circuited winding for starting as an asynchronous motor H02K21/46) · CPC title

• H02K23/40

  characterised by the arrangement of the magnet circuits · CPC title