Wound field rotating machine with capacitive power transfer
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsDaniel Colin Ludois, Justin Kyle Reed, Kyle Hanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrical rotating machine, such as a generator or motor, communicates power from a stationary location to the rotating rotor of the rotating machine via opposed pairs of capacitor plates, one plate of each pair rotating with the rotor and one plate of each pair fixed not to rotate. In one embodiment, separation between the plates of the pair is provided by a cushion of entrapped air.
Claims17
An electrical rotating machine comprising:
- a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis and including at least one electrical coil having a coil axis with a component perpendicular to the axis, the electrical coil comprising a conductor having first and second conductor ends;
- at least one first capacitor plate, attached to rotate with the rotor and electrically communicating with the rotor;
- and
- at least one second capacitor plate, mounted to a frame so as not to rotate with the rotor and positioned for capacitive coupling with the first capacitor plate;
- wherein the first and second capacitor plates are positioned to transfer power between the electrical coil and a stationary conductor at a range of angular positions of the rotor about the axis.
A method of operating a wound field electrical rotating machine having a rotor mounted for rotation about an axis and including at least one electrical coil having a coil axis with a component perpendicular to the axis, the electrical coil comprising a conductor having first and second conductor ends electrically communicating with a first and second capacitor plate attached to rotate with the rotor, and having a third and fourth capacitor plate mounted to a frame so as not to rotate with the rotor and positioned for capacitive coupling with a respective first and second capacitor plate, the method comprising the step of:
- applying an alternating voltage across the third and fourth capacitor plate to induce current flow in the electrical coil to cause continuous rotation of the rotor by capacitive coupling between the first and third and between the second and fourth capacitor plates over a range of angular positions of the rotor about the axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.