Alternator flux shaping
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorsIsaac S. Frampton, Adam Larson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric machine includes a stator, a rotor, and magnets. The stator includes multiple flux members having ferrous material. The rotor is configured to rotate relative to the stator and spaced from the stator by an air gap. The magnets are rigidly mounted to the flux members of the stator. At least a first magnet and a second magnet of the magnets includes an elongated axis parallel to a radius of the rotor and a minor axis perpendicular to the elongated axis, and a first pole of the first magnet having a first polarity and positioned along the minor axis to face a first pole of the second magnet having the first polarity.
Claims19
An electric machine comprising:
- a stator including a plurality of magnetic poles;
- a rotor containing rotor windings and configured to rotate relative to the stator and spaced from the stator by an air gap;
- and
- a plurality of magnets rigidly mounted to a plurality of flux-shaping members of the stator,
- wherein the plurality of magnets includes a first magnet configured to contribute flux to a first electromagnetic pole of the electrical machine and includes a second magnet configured to contribute flux to the first electromagnetic pole of the electrical machine,
- wherein a flux path for the first magnet passes through the first electromagnetic pole of the electrical machine and a second electromagnetic pole of the electric machine,
- wherein the rotor windings are formed as traces on a printed circuit board and the printed circuit board also contains control circuitry to control an excitation current to a controlled field alternator.
An apparatus comprising:
- a stator including at least one flux-shaping member;
- a rotor configured to rotate relative to the stator and spaced from the stator by an air gap;
- a first magnet rigidly mounted to the at least one flux-shaping member;
- a second magnet rigidly mounted to the at least one flux-shaping member, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet have a first magnetic permeability and the at least one flux-shaping member has a second magnetic permeability that is higher than the first magnetic permeability;
- and
- a control system controlling a measured quantity to a target, wherein the rotor and the control system are combined on a single printed circuit board,
- wherein the first magnet and second magnet are positioned to provide additive flux to the rotor through the air gap, the magnetic flux from the first magnet passes through two poles of the rotor and stator and the magnetic flux from the second magnet passes through two poles of the rotor and the stator,
- wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are positioned to shape the flux from the plurality of magnets and increase a flux density delivered to the rotor.
An apparatus comprising:
- a stator including at least one flux-shaping member;
- a rotor configured to rotate relative to the stator and spaced from the stator by an air gap;
- a first magnet rigidly mounted to the at least one flux-shaping member;
- a second magnet rigidly mounted to the at least one flux-shaping member,
- wherein the first magnet and second magnet are positioned to provide additive flux to the rotor through the air gap, the magnetic flux from the first magnet passes through two poles of the rotor and stator,
- wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are positioned to shape the flux from the plurality of magnets and increase a flux density delivered to the rotor;
- and
- a control system controlling a measured quantity to a target, wherein the rotor and the control system are combined on a single printed circuit board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.