Multi-tunnel electric motor/generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11258320-B2
Application number	US-201916601529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2019
Priority date	Jun 28, 2015
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a motor/generator where the stator is a coil assembly and the rotor is a magnetic toroidal cylindrical tunnel or where the rotor is a coil assembly and the stator is a magnetic toroidal cylindrical tunnel, and where the magnetic toroidal cylindrical tunnel comprises magnets having a NNSS or SSNN pole configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotary motor/generator comprising:
a toroidal magnetic cylinder comprising a first magnetic tunnel segment radially arranged about an axial axis to form a circular path, wherein the first magnetic tunnel segment comprises:
a first side magnetic wall having a magnetic pole orientation that points generally towards an interior of the first magnetic tunnel segment;
a first opposing side magnetic wall having a magnetic pole orientation that points generally towards the interior of the first magnetic tunnel segment and positioned along the axial axis a predetermined distance from the first side magnetic wall;
a first inner magnetic wall generally spanning between the first side magnetic wall and the first opposing side magnetic wall in a generally axial direction and having a magnetic pole orientation that points generally towards the interior of the first magnetic tunnel segment;
a first outer magnetic wall generally spanning between the first side magnetic wall and the first opposing side magnetic wall in a axial direction, positioned radially away from the first inner magnetic wall, and having a magnetic pole orientation that points generally towards the interior of the first magnetic tunnel segment;
wherein like magnetic poles of magnets forming the first inner magnetic wall and magnets forming the first side magnetic wall are orientated in an opposite direction from the like poles of magnets forming the first outer magnetic wall and magnets forming the first opposing ring magnetic wall, and wherein at least one of the magnetic walls includes a slot configured to receive a support structure; and

a coil assembly positioned within the circular path and adapted to move relative to the toroidal magnetic cylinder, wherein the coil assembly is positioned to the toroidal magnetic cylinder by the support structure, and
a controller in communication with the coil assembly and configured to control current flow within the coil assembly.

2. The rotary motor/generator of claim 1 , wherein the toroidal magnetic cylinder further comprises a second magnetic tunnel segment radially arranged about the axial axis positioned adjacent to the first magnetic tunnel segment to form a circular path, wherein the second magnetic tunnel segment comprises:
a second side magnetic wall having a magnetic pole orientation that points generally towards an interior of the second magnetic tunnel segment;
a second opposing side magnetic wall having a magnetic pole orientation that points generally towards the interior of the second magnetic tunnel segment and positioned along the axial axis the predetermined distance from the second side magnetic wall;
a second inner magnetic wall generally spanning between the second side magnetic wall and the second opposing side magnetic wall in a generally axial direction and having a magnetic pole orientation that points generally towards the interior of the second magnetic tunnel segment;
a second outer magnetic wall generally spanning between the second side magnetic wall and the second opposing side magnetic wall in a axial direction, positioned radially away from the second inner magnetic wall, and having a magnetic pole orientation that points generally towards the interior of the second magnetic tunnel segment;
wherein like magnetic poles of magnets forming the second inner magnetic wall and magnets forming the second side magnetic wall are orientated in an opposite direction from the like poles of magnets forming the second outer magnetic wall and magnets forming the second opposing ring magnetic wall, and
the like magnetic poles of magnets forming the second magnetic tunnel segment are orientated in an opposite direction from the like magnet poles of the magnets forming the first magnetic tunnel segment.

3. The rotary motor/generator of claim 1 , wherein the coil assembly further comprises:
a ring-like core;
a plurality of teeth radially positioned about the ring-like core and extending from the ring-like core to form a plurality of slots; and
a plurality of coil windings wherein each coil winding in the plurality of winding is positioned within a slot within the plurality of slots.

4. The rotary motor/generator of claim 1 , further comprising a back iron circuit generally surrounding the toroidal magnetic cylinder.

5. The rotary motor/generator of claim 4 , further comprising longitudinal grooves defined in the back iron circuit for positioning and supporting the magnets forming the first outer magnetic wall and the first inner magnetic wall.

6. The rotary generator/motor of claim 1 , further comprising a hub coupled to the coil assembly and a shaft coupled to the hub.

7. The rotary generator/motor of claim 1 , further comprising a hub coupled to the toroidal magnetic cylinder and a shaft coupled to the hub.

8. The rotary generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein the slot is an exterior circumferential slot defined in the toroidal magnetic cylinder to allow for passage of the support structure and/or electrical conductors.

9. The rotary generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein the slot is an interior circumferential slot defined in the toroidal magnetic cylinder to allow for passage of the support structure and/or electrical conductors.

10. The rotary generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein the slot is a side circular slot defined in the toroidal magnetic cylinder to allow for passage of the support structure and/or electrical conductors.

11. The rotary generator/motor of claim 8 , further comprising a means for preventing the magnetic flux forces within the interior of the tunnel from escaping through the slot.

12. The rotary generator/motor of claim 10 , further comprising:
a support ring coupled to the coil assembly and partially extending through the side circular slot; and
a first end plate coupled to the support ring.

13. The rotary generator/motor of claim 12 , further comprising:
a shaft coupled to the toroidal magnetic cylinder;
a second end plate coupled rotatably coupled to the shaft;
a means for connecting the first end plate to the second end plate.

14. The rotary generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein the first inner magnetic wall, the first outer magnetic wall, the first ring magnetic wall and the first opposing ring magnetic wall may be formed from electromagnets.

15. The rotary generator/motor of claim 1 , wherein a tangential magnetic force is generated on all sides of individual coils in the plurality of coils when the individual coil is positioned within the first magnetic tunnel segment or second magnetic tunnel segment.

16. The rotary motor/generator of claim 1 wherein the controller causes current to be applied to the coil assembly in a sequence that continuously impacts torque to turn the magnetic toroidal cylinder in a desired direction relative to the coil assembly.

17. The rotary motor/generator of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to decode a position of the coil assembly relative to the magnetic toroidal cylinder from signals received from position sensors.

18. The rotary motor/generator of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to decode a position of the coil assembly relative to the magnetic toroidal cylinder position based on current draw.

Assignees

• Linear Labs Llc
• Linear Labs Inc

Inventors

• Hunstable Fred E

Classifications

• H02K1/145

  having an annular coil, e.g. of the claw-pole type · CPC title

• H02K1/30

  using intermediate parts, e.g. spiders · CPC title

• H02K3/28

  Layout of windings or of connections between windings (windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32) · CPC title

• H02K21/22

  with magnets rotating around the armatures, e.g. flywheel magnetos · CPC title

• H02K1/02

  characterised by the magnetic material · CPC title