Submerged electrical machines
AssigneeCurrent Kinetics, LLC
InventorJohn Paul SNINSKY
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electrical machines as provided herein can include a shaftless rotor with an annular array of permanent magnets; and a stator with an annular ferromagnetic core and a plurality of electromagnetic inductors about the ferromagnetic core. The stator is located adjacent to and substantially co-axial with the shaftless rotor; and a fluid thrust bearing located in an axially planar gap between the stator and the shaftless rotor. The annular array of the permanent magnets of the shaftless rotor and the annular ferromagnetic core and electromagnetic inductors of the stator have a magnetic attraction that provides a co-axially centering force on the shaftless rotor.
Claims23
An electrical machine, comprising:
- a shaftless rotor comprising an annular array of permanent magnets;
- a stator comprising an annular ferromagnetic core and a plurality of electromagnetic inductors about the ferromagnetic core, the stator being located adjacent to and substantially co-axial with the shaftless rotor;
- and
- a fluid thrust bearing located in an axially planar gap between the stator and the shaftless rotor;
- wherein the annular array of the permanent magnets of the shaftless rotor and the annular ferromagnetic core and electromagnetic inductors of the stator have a magnetic attraction that provides a co-axially centering force on the shaftless rotor.
A stator, comprising:
- a plurality of modules, each module comprising:
- a ferromagnetic core;
- a plurality of electromagnetic inductors;
- and
- a module mount enclosing at least an outer portion of the ferromagnetic core and the electromagnetic inductors;
- and
- a retainer that is attached to a portion of the module mount of each module, the retainer linking the plurality of modules into a radially annular shape.
A method of producing electricity, comprising:
- submerging a plurality of electrical machines in an underwater current, each electrical machine comprising:
- a shaftless rotor comprising an annular array of permanent magnets;
- a stator comprising an annular ferromagnetic core and a plurality of electromagnetic inductors about the ferromagnetic core, the stator being located adjacent to and substantially co-axial with the shaftless rotor;
- and
- a fluid thrust bearing located in an axially planar gap between the stator and the shaftless rotor;
- wherein the annular array of the permanent magnets of the shaftless rotor and the annular ferromagnetic core and electromagnetic inductors of the stator have a magnetic attraction that provides a co-axially centering force on the shaftless rotor;
- coupling the plurality of electrical machines to a power grid or battery bank;
- and
- converting rotation of the shaftless rotors that are rotating in response to the underwater current into electricity by the plurality of electromagnetic inductors of corresponding electrical machines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.