Electromagnetic Actuator System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185455-A1
Application number	US-201414203518-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 8, 2013
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A novel electromagnetic actuator designed to operate at system resonance, used in the construction of a unique vehicle system, is presented herein. An exemplary embodiment of the vehicle system is based on an electromagnetic actuator coupled to a plurality of actuating members of a micro aerial vehicle. Attributes of this type of actuation offer several enhancements over traditional approaches. The unique use of an electromagnetic actuator lends itself to a near unlimited number of coil cross-sectional designs that can be optimized to meet performance requirements while maintaining minimal costs of fabrication.

First claim

1 . An electromagnetic actuator, comprising:
an actuator frame; a rotor disposed within the actuator frame and configured to have direct rotational oscillation about a rotation axis following a predetermined rotational arc having a middle position and operatively within a predetermined oscillation frequency range; a stator disposed within the actuator frame positioned proximate to the rotor and configured to remain stationary, combination of the stator and the rotor configured to generate a net driving torque between the rotor and the stator, where the net driving torque is at its maximum when the rotor's rotational position corresponds to the middle position; at least one restoring element configured to provide a net counter torque to the rotor to bias the rotor to rotate to the middle position, where the net counter torque is at its minimum when the rotor's rotational position corresponds to the middle position; at least one set of excitation terminals configured to provide potential energy to generate the net driving torque; and at least one actuating coupling having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to couple to at least one actuating member and the proximal end configured to couple to the rotor, motion of the rotor causing motion of the at least one actuating member thereby causing motion of the electromagnetic actuator.

2 . The electromagnetic actuator of claim 1 , the potential energy is electrical.

3 . The electromagnetic actuator of claim 1 , the predetermined oscillation frequency range is about a resonant mode defined by the rotor, the at least one restoring element, and the at least one actuating member.

4 . The electromagnetic actuator of claim 1 , the stator includes at least one winding.

5 . The electromagnetic actuator of claim 1 , the rotor includes at least one permanent magnet.

6 . The electromagnetic actuator of claim 1 , the restoring element is at least one permanent magnet.

7 . The electromagnetic actuator of claim 1 , the restoring element includes a mechanical biasing member.

8 . The electromagnetic actuator of claim 1 , the electromagnetic actuator is configured to be communicatively coupled to at least one sensor.

9 . A vehicle system, comprising:
a vehicle frame; at least one electromagnetic actuator, positioned within the vehicle frame, the at least one electromagnetic actuator comprising:
an actuator frame;
a rotor disposed within the actuator frame and configured to have direct rotational oscillation about a rotation axis following a predetermined rotational arc having a middle position and operatively within a predetermined oscillation frequency range;
a stator disposed within the actuator frame positioned proximate to the rotor and configured to remain stationary, combination of the stator and the rotor configured to generate a net driving torque between the rotor and the stator, where the net driving torque is at its maximum when the rotor's rotational position corresponds to the middle position;
at least one restoring element configured to provide a net counter torque to the rotor to bias the rotor to rotate to the middle position, where the net counter torque is at its minimum when the rotor's rotational position corresponds to the middle position;
at least one set of excitation terminals configured to provide potential energy to generate the net driving torque; and
at least one actuating coupling having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to couple to at least one actuating member and the proximal end configured to couple to the rotor, motion of the rotor causing motion of the at least one actuating member thereby causing motion of the electromagnetic actuator;
at least one actuating member, the at least one actuating member configured to couple to the actuating coupling; and a power source, the power source connected to the excitation terminals and providing potential energy to generate the net driving torque.

10 . The electromagnetic actuated vehicle system of claim 9 , the at least one actuating coupling is configured to enable at least one degree of freedom motion in the at least one actuating member.

11 . The electromagnetic actuated vehicle system of claim 9 , the at least one actuating member is an element producing locomotion.

12 . The electromagnetic actuated vehicle system of claim 9 , the electromagnetic actuated vehicle system is configured to be communicatively coupled to at least one sensor.

13 . The electromagnetic actuated vehicle system of claim 12 , the at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor processing and coil drive circuitry unit.

14 . The electromagnetic actuated aerial vehicle system of claim 13 , the at least one sensor processing and coil drive circuitry unit is powered by an electrical source, the electrical source coupled to the frame.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Deng Xinyan
• Cheng Bo
• Roll Jesse Aaron

Classifications

• B64C33/02 Primary

  Wings; Actuating mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• H02K33/16

  with polarised armatures moving in alternate directions by reversal or energisation of a single coil system · CPC title

• B60L2200/10

  Air crafts · CPC title

• H02K7/003

  Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28) · CPC title

• B60L1/00

  Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) · CPC title