Electrical generator for rotating structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725179-B2
Application number	US-201313768900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2013
Priority date	Feb 17, 2012
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

An electrical generator assembly including a central rotatable shaft ( 12 ) having a winding assembly ( 26 ) mounted thereto for rotation therewith, a rotatable permanent magnet assembly ( 28 ) surrounding the winding assembly ( 26 ) adjacent thereto and in use cooperating therewith to induce a current in the winding assembly ( 26 ), and a drive system ( 38, 138, 238, 338, 438 ) drivingly interconnecting the central shaft ( 12 ) and the permanent magnet assembly ( 28 ), the drive system ( 38, 138, 238, 338, 438 ) defining a relative rotational speed between the permanent magnet assembly ( 28 ) and the winding assembly ( 26 ) which is greater than an absolute rotational speed of the winding assembly ( 26 ). A method of powering an electrical system ( 22 ) on a rotating rotor blade ( 18 ) supported by a rotating mast ( 12 ) is also discussed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrical generator assembly comprising:
a central rotatable shaft having first and second winding assemblies mounted thereto for rotation therewith, the central shaft being a hollow helicopter mast;
a first rotatable permanent magnet assembly adjacent the first winding assembly and in use cooperating therewith to induce a current in the first winding assembly;
a second rotatable permanent magnet assembly adjacent the second winding assembly and in use cooperating therewith to induce a current in the second winding assembly; and
a drive system drivingly interconnecting the central shaft and the first permanent magnet assembly and interconnecting the central shaft and the second permanent magnet assembly, the drive system defining a relative rotational speed between the first permanent magnet assembly and the first winding assembly which is greater than an absolute rotational speed of the first winding assembly, the drive system defining a relative rotational speed between the second permanent magnet assembly and the second winding assembly which is greater than an absolute rotational speed of the second winding assembly;
wherein the drive system is a belt drive including:
a plurality of belts,
first and second mast pulleys connected to the central shaft to rotate therewith,
a first magnet assembly pulley connected to the first permanent magnet assembly to rotate therewith,
a second magnet assembly pulley connected with the second permanent magnet assembly and additional pulleys drivingly engaged to one another, and
first, second, third and fourth support shafts each receiving a large pulley interconnected with a small pulley smaller than the large pulley;

wherein the belts drivingly interconnect:
each mast pulley to the small pulley of a respective one of the first and third opposed support shafts, the mast pulley being larger than the small pulley,
each large pulley of the first and third opposed support shafts to the small pulley of a respective one of the second and fourth opposed shafts, and
each large pulley of the second and fourth support shaft to a respective one of the magnet assembly pulleys, the magnet assembly pulleys being smaller than the large pulleys.

2. The generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet assembly is annular and surrounds the winding assembly.

3. The generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the drive system drives the rotatable permanent magnet assembly in a direction opposite of that of the rotation of the central shaft.

4. The generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the drive system drives the rotatable permanent magnet assembly in a same direction as that of the rotation of the central shaft.

5. The generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the relative rotational speed between the permanent magnet assembly and the winding assembly is at least 9 times greater than the absolute rotational speed of the winding assembly.

6. The generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the winding assembly and permanent magnet assembly define a transverse flux generator.

7. The generator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the winding assembly and the rotatable permanent magnet assembly form a generator having at least three phases.

8. An electrical generator assembly comprising:
a central rotatable shaft having a winding assembly mounted thereto for rotation therewith, the central shaft being a hollow helicopter mast;
a rotatable permanent magnet assembly adjacent the winding assembly and in use cooperating therewith to induce a current in the winding assembly; and
a drive system drivingly interconnecting the central shaft and the permanent magnet assembly, the drive system defining a relative rotational speed between the permanent magnet assembly and the winding assembly which is greater than an absolute rotational speed of the winding assembly;
wherein the drive system is a belt drive including:
a plurality of belts,
a mast pulley connected to the central shaft to rotate therewith,
a magnet assembly pulley connected to the permanent magnet assembly to rotate therewith,
a first large pulley interconnected with a first small pulley smaller than the first large pulley to rotate together around a first support shaft; and
a second support shaft receiving a second small pulley and a second large pulley interconnected to rotate together around the second support shaft, the second large pulley larger than the second small pulley;

wherein the belts drivingly interconnect:
the mast pulley to the first small pulley to drive the pulleys of the first support shaft at a rotational speed greater than that of the mast, the first small pulley smaller than the mast pulley,
the first large pulley to the second small pulley to drive the pulleys of the second support shaft at a rotational speed greater than that of the pulleys of the first support shaft, and
the second large pulley to the magnet assembly pulley to drive the magnet assembly at a rotational speed greater than that of the pulleys of the second support shaft, the magnet assembly pulley smaller than the second large pulley.

9. The generator assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the permanent magnet assembly is annular and surrounds the winding assembly.

10. The generator assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the drive system drives the rotatable permanent magnet assembly in a direction opposite of that of the rotation of the central shaft.

11. The generator assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the drive system drives the rotatable permanent magnet assembly in a same direction as that of the rotation of the central shaft.

12. The generator assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the relative rotational speed between the permanent magnet assembly and the winding assembly is at least 9 times greater than the absolute rotational speed of the winding assembly.

13. The generator assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the winding assembly and permanent magnet assembly define a transverse flux generator.

14. The generator assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the winding assembly and the rotatable permanent magnet assembly form a generator having at least three phases.

15. A helicopter including a generator assembly according to claim 8 , a plurality of rotor blades supported by the rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, and a blade de-icing system on each blade electrically connected to the winding assembly.

16. An electrical generator assembly comprising:
a central rotatable shaft having a winding assembly mounted thereto for rotation therewith, the central shaft being a hollow helicopter mast;
a rotatable permanent magnet assembly adjacent the winding assembly and in use cooperating therewith to induce a current in the winding assembly; and
a drive system drivingly interconnecting the central shaft and the permanent magnet assembly, the drive system defining a relative rotational speed between the permanent magnet assembly and the winding assembly which is greater than an absolute rotational speed of the winding assembly;
wherein the drive system is a belt drive including:
a plurality of belts,
a mast pulley connected to the central shaft to rotate therewith,
a magnet assembly pulley connected to the permanent magnet assembly to rotate therewith, and
a large pulley interconnected with a small pulley smaller than the large pulley to rotate together around a support shaft; and

wherein the belts drivingly interconnect:
the mast pulley to the small pulley of the support shaft, the mast pulley la

Assignees

• Bell Helicopter Textron Inc
• Univ Du Quebec A Chicoutimi

Inventors

• Aubert Roger
• Truchon Martin
• Sinusas Eric
• Boussetoua Mohammed
• Ouhrouche Mohand
• Fortin Guy
• Mercier Carol
• Perron Jean

Classifications

• B64D15/12 Primary

  by electric heating (heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas H05B3/84) · CPC title

• H02K7/116

  with gears · CPC title

• H02K16/005

  Machines with only rotors, e.g. counter-rotating rotors (DC commutator machines or universal AC/DC commutator motors having a rotating armature and a rotating excitation field H02K23/60) · CPC title

• H02K7/1004

  with pulleys · CPC title

• B64C27/12

  Rotor drives · CPC title