Reluctance sensor for detection of position of a rotor in an electric machine
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorsIsaac S. Frampton, Adam Larson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric machine includes at least a printed circuit board and a magnetically permeable element. The printed circuit board includes a reluctance coil configured to generate a voltage in presence of a magnetic flux. The magnetically permeable element has a first end positioned adjacent to a rotor of the electrical machine and a second end positioned adjacent to the coil of the printed circuit board. In some examples, rotation of the rotor causes a change in the magnetic flux through the magnetically permeable element and generation of the voltage across the reluctance coil.
Claims18
An electric machine comprising:
- a printed circuit board including traces that form a reluctance coil configured to generate a voltage in presence of a magnetic flux;
- and
- a first magnetically permeable element having a first end positioned adjacent to a rotor of the electrical machine and a second end positioned adjacent to the coil of the printed circuit board;
- a second magnetically permeable element having a first end positioned adjacent to the rotor of the electrical machine and a second end positioned adjacent to the coil of the printed circuit board;
- an air gap between the first magnetically permeable and second magnetically permeable element;
- wherein rotation of the rotor causes a change in the magnetic flux through the first magnetically permeable element, second magnetically permeable element, and the air gap, and generation of the voltage across the reluctance coil.
A method for detection of a rotor of an electric machine, the method comprising:
- receiving data indicative of a current generated by a reluctance sensor of the electric machine, wherein the current generated by the reluctance sensor is proportional to the reluctance of a magnetic circuit including a first permeable element, a second permeable element, and an air gap and between the first permeable element and the second permeable element, wherein the first permeable element includes a first end positioned adjacent to a rotor of the electrical machine and a second end positioned adjacent to the reluctance sensor;
- performing a comparison of the data indicative of the current in the reluctance sensor to a threshold;
- and
- determining a speed of the rotor or a position of the rotor based on the comparison.
A reluctance sensor for an electric machine, the reluctance sensor comprising:
- a printed circuit board including a reluctance coil configured to generate a voltage in presence of a magnetic flux;
- a first magnetically permeable element having a first end positioned adjacent to a rotor of the electrical machine and a second end positioned adjacent to the coil of the printed circuit board;
- a second magnetically permeable element having a first end positioned adjacent to a rotor of the electrical machine and a second end positioned adjacent to the coil of the printed circuit board;
- and
- an air gap between the first magnetically permeable and second magnetically permeable element;
- wherein rotation of the rotor causes a change in the magnetic flux through the first magnetically permeable element, the second magnetically permeable element and generation of the voltage across the coil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.