Reluctance synchronous machines without permanent magnets
AssigneeLinear Labs, Inc.
InventorsAndrei Popov, Michael Van Steenburg, Fred Hunstable
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are various embodiments for reluctance synchronous machines having a rotor comprising a plurality of rotor core assemblies configured to form a reluctance torque tunnel having at least a first reluctance tunnel segment and a second reluctance tunnel segment and a stator having a plurality of coils configured to form a coil winding assembly, the coil winding assembly positioned within the reluctance torque tunnel, such that at least one of the plurality of coils is surrounded by the first reluctance tunnel segment or the second reluctance tunnel segment, alternatively the rotor may be the coil winding assembly and the stator may be the reluctance torque tunnel.
Claims20
A switched reluctance machine comprising:
- a toroidal cylinder arranged about a longitudinal axis and comprising:
- an inner rotor core concentrically positioned about the longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of flux shaping salient magnetic poles configured to concentrate flux linkage;
- a first axial rotor core concentrically positioned about the longitudinal axis and comprising:
- a plurality of flux shaping salient magnetic poles configured to concentrate flux linkage;
- and
- a first axial rotor core inner edge positioned adjacent to a first end of inner rotor core;
- a second axial rotor core concentrically positioned about the longitudinal axis comprising
- a plurality of flux shaping salient magnetic poles configured to concentrate flux linkage;
- and
- a second axial rotor core inner edge positioned adjacent to a second end of the inner rotor core;
- and
- a coil winding assembly:
- positioned within the toroidal cylinder;
- comprising a plurality of coils;
- configured to locate a first or second reluctance tunnel segment of the toroidal cylinder surrounding at least one of the plurality of coils;
- and
- configured to rotate the inner rotor core, the first axial rotor core, and the second axial rotor core to minimize the reluctance of the switched reluctance machine when the plurality of coils of the coil winding assembly are energized.
A method of producing electric power with a switched reluctance machine comprising:
- positioning a toroidal cylinder about a central longitudinal axis of the switched reluctance machine, the toroidal cylinder forming a rotor core defined by:
- an inner rotor core comprising a plurality of flux shaping salient magnetic poles configured to concentrate flux linkage;
- a first axial rotor core comprising a plurality of flux shaping salient magnetic poles configured to concentrate flux linkage, the first axial rotor core comprising an inner edge positioned adjacent to a first end of inner rotor core;
- and
- a second axial rotor core comprising a plurality of flux shaping salient magnetic poles configured to concentrate flux linkage, the second axial rotor core inner edge coupled to a second end of the inner rotor core, the rotor core configured to rotate about the central longitudinal axis;
- positioning a coil winding assembly within the toroidal cylinder about the central longitudinal axis within a rotational path of the rotor core assemblies, the coil winding assembly comprising a plurality of coils;
- applying current to the plurality of coils in a sequence that continuously impacts torque to turn the rotor core in a desired direction, relative to the coil winding assembly, the rotor core configured to rotate to minimize the reluctance of the switched reluctance machine when the plurality of coils of the coil winding assembly are sequentially energized.
An electric machine comprising:
- a first axial rotor core:
- arranged about a motor axis;
- and
- comprising a first set of arched magnetic elements configured to induce flux linkage about the first axial rotor core;
- a second axial rotor core:
- arranged about the motor axis and opposite the first axial rotor core;
- and
- comprising a second set of arched magnetic elements configured to induce flux linkage about the second axial rotor core;
- an inner rotor core:
- arranged about a rotor axis and interposed between the first axial rotor core and the second axial rotor core;
- comprising an inner set of arched magnetic elements configured to induce flux linkage about the inner rotor core;
- and
- cooperating with the first axial rotor core and the second axial rotor core to form a cylindrical tunnel;
- and
- a set of coil assemblies:
- arranged within the cylindrical tunnel;
- and
- configured to inductively couple the inner rotor core, the first axial rotor core, and the second axial rotor core to rotate the cylindrical tunnel about the rotor axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.