Multi-tunnel electric machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12009717-B2
Application number	US-202217962076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2022
Priority date	Aug 26, 2019
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for an electric machine 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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotary electric machine comprising:
a magnetic toroidal cylinder radially arranged about a motor axis and comprising:
a first magnetic tunnel segment comprising a first set of magnetic elements defining a first magnetic polarity configuration; and
a second magnetic tunnel segment:
arranged adjacent the first magnetic tunnel segment; and
comprising a second set of magnetic elements defining a second magnetic polarity configuration, opposite the first magnetic polarity configuration; and

a coil assembly positioned within the magnetic toroidal cylinder, the coil assembly comprising:
a yoke;
a set of coil modules radially positioned about the motor axis and coupled to the yoke, wherein each coil module, in the set of coil modules, comprises;
a coil winding;
an electrical interface module:
positioned radially adjacent to an inside face of the coil winding and electrically coupled to the coil winding; and
comprising a connector electrically coupling the coil winding to a controller;

a stator pole:
arranged on the circular yoke adjacent to the coil winding;
comprising a vertical element, an outer face, an inner face, a side face, and an opposing side face; and
defining a recess arranged about the stator pole and configured to partially enclose adjacent coil windings and the electrical interface module.

2. The rotary electric machine of claim 1 :
wherein the first set of magnetic elements comprises:
a first inner radial magnetic wall;
a first outer radial magnetic wall;
a first upper axial magnetic wall; and
a first lower axial magnetic wall, cooperating with the first inner radial magnetic wall, the first outer radial magnetic wall, and the first upper axial magnetic wall to form the first magnetic tunnel segment enclosing the set of coil modules; and

wherein the second set of magnetic elements comprises:
a second inner radial magnetic wall;
a second outer radial magnetic wall;
a second upper axial magnetic wall; and
a second lower axial magnetic wall, cooperating with the second inner radial magnetic wall, the second outer radial magnetic wall, and the second upper axial magnetic wall to form the second magnetic tunnel segment, adjacent the first magnetic tunnel segment, and enclosing the set of coil modules.

3. The rotary electric machine of claim 2 :
wherein the first set of magnetic elements comprises a NNNN magnetic polarity configuration; and
wherein the second set of magnetic elements comprises a SSSS magnetic polarity configuration.

4. The rotary electric machine of claim 1 :
wherein each coil module, in the set of coil modules, comprises an alignment feature arranged on an inner side of the coil module; and
further comprising an alignment ring comprising a set of spokes coupling the alignment feature, of each coil module in the set of coil modules, to locate the alignment ring radially enclosed within the set of coil modules.

5. A rotary electric machine comprising:
a set of coil modules:
radially arranged about a motor axis;
defining an inner radial facet, an outer radial facet, a first axial facet, and a second axial facet opposite the first axial facet; and
comprising a first coil module comprising:
a first coil winding;
a first electrical interface module arranged on an inner radial side of the first coil winding and electrically coupled to the first coil winding; and
a first connector coupled to the first electrical interface module and extending from the inner radial side of the first coil winding;

a set of magnetic elements:
encompassing the inner radial facet, the outer radial facet, the first axial facet, and the second axial facet of the set of coil modules;
forming a magnetic toroidal cylinder about the motor axis; and
configured to generate a flux density distribution focused toward the set of coil modules; and

a controller:
electrically coupled to the first connector of the first coil module; and
configured to drive current through the set of coil modules to generate a toroidal magnetic field tunnel configured to sequentially and magnetically couple the set of magnetic elements.

6. The rotary electric machine of claim 5 , wherein the magnetic toroidal cylinder comprises:
a first magnetic tunnel segment comprising a first subset of magnetic elements, in the set of magnetic elements, defining a first magnetic polarity configuration; and
a second magnetic tunnel segment:
arranged adjacent the first magnetic tunnel segment; and
comprising a second subset of magnetic elements, in the set of magnetic elements, defining a second magnetic polarity configuration opposite the first magnetic polarity configuration.

7. The rotary electric machine of claim 5 , wherein the set of magnetic elements comprises:
a first subset of magnetic elements defining a NNNN magnetic polarity configuration and comprising:
a first inner radial magnetic wall;
a first outer radial magnetic wall;
a first upper axial magnetic wall; and
a first lower axial magnetic wall, cooperating with the first inner radial magnetic wall, the first outer radial magnetic wall, and the first upper axial magnetic wall to form the first magnetic tunnel segment enclosing the set of coil modules; and

a second subset of magnetic elements defining a SSSS magnetic polarity configuration and comprising:
a second inner radial magnetic wall;
a second outer radial magnetic wall;
a second upper axial magnetic wall; and
a second lower axial magnetic wall, cooperating with the second inner radial magnetic wall, the second outer radial magnetic wall, and the second upper axial magnetic wall to form the second magnetic tunnel segment, adjacent the first magnetic tunnel segment, enclosing the set of coil modules.

8. The rotary electric machine of claim 5 :
wherein the first coil module further comprises:
a first pole structure tapering toward the motor axis; and
a second pole structure:
tapering toward the motor axis;
radially offset the first pole structure to define a radial interstice between the first pole structure and the second pole structure; and
cooperating with the first pole structure to generate a three-dimensional flux path between the first pole structure and the second pole structure; and

wherein the first coil winding is arranged in the radial interstice between the first pole structure and the second pole structure.

9. The rotary electric machine of claim 8 :
wherein the first pole structure comprises:
a first set of flat magnetic elements arranged to form a first crescent shape; and
a second set of flat magnetic elements arranged to form a second crescent shape coupled to the first crescent shape to form a first radial slot within the first pole structure;

wherein the second pole structure comprises:
a third set of flat magnetic elements arranged to form a third crescent shape; and
a fourth set of flat magnetic elements arranged to form a fourth crescent shape coupled to the third crescent shape to form a second radial slot within the second pole structure in radial alignment with the first radial slot of the first pole structure; and

further comprising a cylindrical yoke arranged about the motor axis and located within the first radial slot of the first pole structure and the second radial slot of the second pole structure.

10. The rotary electric machine of claim 8 :
wherein the first pole structure comprises:
a first set of magnetic elements arranged to form a first rectangular wedge tapered toward the motor axis; and
a first radial slot arranged on a center of the first rectangular wedge;

wherein the second pole structure comprises:
a second set of magnetic elements arrange

Assignees

• Linear Labs Inc

Inventors

• Hunstable Fred E
• Van Steenburg Michael
• Popov Andrei V

Classifications

• H02K15/32

  Manufacture of terminal arrangements; Connecting the terminals to external circuits · CPC title

• H02K2211/03

  Machines characterised by circuit boards, e.g. pcb · CPC title

• H02K2203/12

  Machines characterised by the bobbins for supporting the windings · CPC title

• H02K2201/12

  Transversal flux machines · CPC title

• H02K21/145

  having an annular armature coil (with homopolar co-operation H02K21/20) · CPC title