Power generator assembly for rotating applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018019641-A1
Application number	US-201615546760-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Feb 9, 2015
Publication date	Jan 18, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power generator assembly including a rotating part and a non-rotating part is provided. It is proposed that the rotating part includes first and second, circumferentially adjacent generator units. Each generator unit includes at least one coil, at least one permanent magnet and two pole shoes having pole surfaces facing radially outward. The non-rotating part includes an arc-shaped saddle adaptor of ferromagnetic material arranged with a radial distance to the pole surfaces. The saddle adaptor is configured to close a magnetic circuit passing via the pole shoes through the coil in a rotational position where the saddle adaptor overlaps with the pole shoes of a generator unit. According to the invention, a pole shoe of the first generator unit and an adjacent pole shoe of the second generator unit have the same magnetic polarity.

First claim

1 . A power generator assembly including a rotating part and a non-rotating part, wherein
the rotating part includes first and second, circumferentially adjacent generator units, wherein each generator unit includes at least one coil, at least one permanent magnet and two pole shoes having pole surfaces facing radially outward, wherein the non-rotating part includes an arc-shaped saddle adaptor of ferromagnetic material arranged with a radial distance to the pole surfaces, wherein the saddle adaptor is configured to close a magnetic circuit passing via the pole shoes through the coil in a rotational position where the saddle adaptor overlaps with the pole shoes of a generator unit, and wherein a pole shoe of the first generator unit and an adjacent pole shoe of the second generator unit have the same magnetic polarity.

2 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotating part includes an additional permanent magnet arranged between the adjacent pole shoes of the first and second generator units, wherein the additional permanent magnet is configured to avoid magnetic flux leakage between magnetic flux circuits pertaining to the first and second generator units.

3 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the generator units includes a shunt magnet arranged in proximity to the magnetic field of the at least one generator unit, wherein the shunt magnet generates an oppositely oriented magnetic field.

4 . The power generator assembly according to claim 3 , wherein
the shunt magnet is arranged radially inward of the at least one generator unit.

5 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the circumferential lengths of the generator units and of the saddle adaptor are such that at least one rotational position exists where the saddle adaptor does not overlap with the pole shoes of a generator unit.

6 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotating part is configured to be mounted on an end cap configured to hold a bearing of a train axle and the saddle adaptor is configured to be mounted on a railway bogie side frame.

7 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotating part ( 16 a ) comprises at least one counterweight unit configured to compensate for imbalances created by the generator units.

8 . The power Power generator assembly according to claim 5 , characterized in that the counterweight unit comprises a further generator unit having at least one permanent magnet ( 22 a, 22 b ), at least one coil ( 20 ) and two pole shoes, the further generator unit being arranged at an angular interval to the first and second generator units ( 18 a - 18 d ).

9 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the saddle adaptor includes a main body part and at least one additional piece configured to increase the surface area of the saddle adaptor and/or decrease the air gap provided between the saddle adaptor and the pole surfaces.

10 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
a radially inner surface of the saddle adaptor, which faces the pole surfaces, has a toothed profile such that varying radial gap exists between the pole surfaces and saddle adapter.

11 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotating part includes power harvesting electronics configured to accumulate AC power generated by the oscillating magnetic field passing through the coil of each generator unit.

12 . The power generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotating part includes means for monitoring an output signal from the generator units.

13 . The power generator assembly according to claim 12 , further comprising means for processing the monitored signal in order to determine at least the rotational speed of the rotating part.

14 . A railway bogie side frame including a power generator assembly having a rotating part and a non-rotating part wherein
the rotating part includes first and second, circumferentially adjacent generator units, wherein each generator unit includes at least one coil, at least one permanent magnet and two pole shoes having pole surfaces facing radially outward, wherein the non-rotating part includes an arc-shaped saddle adaptor of ferromagnetic material arranged with a radial distance to the pole surfaces, wherein the saddle adaptor is configured to close a magnetic circuit passing via the pole shoes through the coil in a rotational position where the saddle adaptor overlaps with the pole shoes of a generator unit, and wherein a pole shoe of the first generator unit and an adjacent pole shoe of the second generator unit have the same magnetic polarity.

15 . The railway bogie side frame according to claim 14 , further comprising an axle with a first end and a second end that are respectively provided with a first and a second power generator assembly, wherein
the rotating part includes power harvesting electronics configured to accumulate AC power generated by the oscillating magnetic field passing through the coil of each generator unit, and further comprising: means for comparing a first output signal from the first assembly with a second output signal from the second assembly, for detecting a sideways movement of the bogie side frame.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Mcgoogan Gerard
• Angelis Georgo
• Kuijpers Toon
• Mehendale Aditya
• Nijsse Gerard Johannes Pieter
• Sahin Nomaler Funda
• Van Der Ham Andreas Clemens

Classifications

• H02K11/042

  Rectifiers associated with rotating parts, e.g. rotor cores or rotary shafts · CPC title

• H02K7/04

  Balancing means · CPC title

• B61D43/00

  Devices for using the energy of the movements of the vehicles · CPC title

• G01M17/10

  Suspensions, axles or wheels · CPC title

• H02K7/1861

  driven by animals or vehicles (H02K7/1853 takes precedence) · CPC title