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US 11,081,996 B2Granted
Variable coil configuration system control, apparatus and method
AssigneeDpm Technologies Inc.
InventorJonathan Gale Ritchey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This application generally relates to electric machines with coils or windings (e.g., generators and motors), and more particularly to systems, apparatus, and methods that configure coils or windings of electric machines, for instance dynamically in response to operational condition and under load.
Claims25
A system comprising:
- a switching assembly including:
- a first substrate;
- a first set of electrical contacts carried by the first substrate;
- a first set of conductors to electrically coupleable the first set of electrical contacts with coils of an electric machine;
- a second substrate;
- and
- a second set of electrical contacts carried by the second substrate,
- wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is movable relative to the other of the first substrate and the second substrate such that a plurality of subsets of the first set of electrical contacts are selectively, electrically coupleable to at least a portion of the second set of electrical contacts to change an effective winding configuration of the electric machine,
- wherein the switching assembly is operable to selectively electrically couple the coils of the electric machine in at least a series combination of coils and a parallel combination of coils;
- and
- wherein the switching assembly is operable to selectively electrically couple the coils of the electric machine in a first Wye configuration and a first Delta configuration, the first Wye configuration in which one set of three coils are coupled in a single Wye configuration and the first Delta configuration in which one set of three coils are coupled in a single Delta configuration.
8 more elements
A system comprising:
- a switching assembly including:
- a first substrate;
- a first set of electrical contacts carried by the first substrate;
- a first set of conductors to electrically coupleable the first set of electrical contacts with coils of an electric machine;
- a second substrate including an outer tube having at least one side wall that delineates an interior of the outer tube from an exterior thereof, the at least one side wall of the outer tube having an inner surface;
- a second set of electrical contacts carried by the second substrate,
- wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is movable relative to the other of the first substrate and the second substrate such that a plurality of subsets of the first set of electrical contacts are selectively, electrically coupleable to at least a portion of the second set of electrical contacts to change an effective winding configuration of the electric machine,
- wherein the first substrate includes an inner tube received at least partially in the interior of the outer tube and mounted for rotation with respect to the outer tube about at least one rotational axis, the inner tube having at least one side wall that delineates an interior of the inner tube from an exterior thereof, the at least one side wall of the inner tube having an outer surface, and
- wherein rotation of the inner tube relative to the outer tube selectively engages one of the plurality of subsets of the first set of electrical contacts carried by the inner tube with at least a portion of the second set of electrical contacts carried by the outer tube.
6 more elements
A system comprising:
- a switching assembly including:
- a first substrate;
- a first set of electrical contacts carried by the first substrate;
- a first set of conductors to electrically coupleable the first set of electrical contacts with coils of an electric machine;
- a second substrate;
- a second set of electrical contacts carried by the second substrate, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate is movable relative to the other of the first substrate and the second substrate such that a plurality of subsets of the first set of electrical contacts are selectively, electrically coupleable to at least a portion of the second set of electrical contacts to change an effective winding configuration of the electric machine;
- and
- a control system communicatively coupled to control relative movement of the first substrate and the second substrate during operation of the electric machine while under load.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.