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US 12,009,717 B2Granted
Multi-tunnel electric machine
AssigneeLinear Labs, Inc.
InventorsFred E. Hunstable, Michael Van Steenburg, Andrei V. Popov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are various embodiments for an electric machine where the stator is a coil assembly and the rotor is a magnetic toroidal cylindrical tunnel or where the rotor is a coil assembly and the stator is a magnetic toroidal cylindrical tunnel.
Claims20
A rotary electric machine comprising:
- a magnetic toroidal cylinder radially arranged about a motor axis and comprising:
- a first magnetic tunnel segment comprising a first set of magnetic elements defining a first magnetic polarity configuration;
- and
- a second magnetic tunnel segment:
- arranged adjacent the first magnetic tunnel segment;
- and
- comprising a second set of magnetic elements defining a second magnetic polarity configuration, opposite the first magnetic polarity configuration;
- and
- a coil assembly positioned within the magnetic toroidal cylinder, the coil assembly comprising:
- a yoke;
- a set of coil modules radially positioned about the motor axis and coupled to the yoke, wherein each coil module, in the set of coil modules, comprises;
- a coil winding;
- an electrical interface module:
- positioned radially adjacent to an inside face of the coil winding and electrically coupled to the coil winding;
- and
- comprising a connector electrically coupling the coil winding to a controller;
- a stator pole:
- arranged on the circular yoke adjacent to the coil winding;
- comprising a vertical element, an outer face, an inner face, a side face, and an opposing side face;
- and
- defining a recess arranged about the stator pole and configured to partially enclose adjacent coil windings and the electrical interface module.
18 more elements
A rotary electric machine comprising:
- a set of coil modules:
- radially arranged about a motor axis;
- defining an inner radial facet, an outer radial facet, a first axial facet, and a second axial facet opposite the first axial facet;
- and
- comprising a first coil module comprising:
- a first coil winding;
- a first electrical interface module arranged on an inner radial side of the first coil winding and electrically coupled to the first coil winding;
- and
- a first connector coupled to the first electrical interface module and extending from the inner radial side of the first coil winding;
- a set of magnetic elements:
- encompassing the inner radial facet, the outer radial facet, the first axial facet, and the second axial facet of the set of coil modules;
- forming a magnetic toroidal cylinder about the motor axis;
- and
- configured to generate a flux density distribution focused toward the set of coil modules;
- and
- a controller:
- electrically coupled to the first connector of the first coil module;
- and
- configured to drive current through the set of coil modules to generate a toroidal magnetic field tunnel configured to sequentially and magnetically couple the set of magnetic elements.
16 more elements
A system for a rotary electric machine comprising:
- a set of coil modules:
- radially arranged about a motor axis;
- comprising a first coil module comprising:
- a first coil winding;
- a first electrical interface module arranged on an inner radial side of the first coil winding and electrically coupled to the first coil winding;
- and
- a first connector coupled to the first electrical interface module and extending from the inner radial side of the first coil winding;
- a set of magnetic elements arranged about the motor axis and forming a magnetic toroidal cylinder enclosing the set of coil modules;
- and
- a controller:
- arranged within an inner radius of the set of coil modules and electrically coupled to the first connector of the first coil module;
- and
- configured to drive current through the set of coil modules to generate a toroidal magnetic field tunnel configured to sequentially and magnetically couple the set of magnetic elements.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.