# US 2021/0242804 A1 · Electrostatic motor

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- Number: US 2021/0242804 A1
- Document ID: US20210242804A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/234,485
- Filed: 2021-04-19
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-03
- Assignees: C-Motive Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: C-Motive Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Justin Kyle Reed; Ryan Knippel; William D. Butrymowicz; Graham T. Reitz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242804A1

## CPC

- H02N 1/006: {of the gap-closing type (H02N1/004 takes precedence)}
- H02N 1/002: {Electrostatic motors}
- H02N 1/004: {in which a body is moved along a path due to interaction with an electric field travelling along the path}
- H02N 2/12: Constructional details
- H02N 2/14: Drive circuits; Control arrangements {or methods}
- Y10T 29/49009: Dynamoelectric machine
- Y10T 29/5313: Means to assemble electrical device
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An example electrostatic machine includes a rotor plate and an adjacent stator plate; wherein a first one of the rotor plate or stator plate comprises a coupled bearing; and wherein the other one of the rotor plate or stator plate comprises a race radially aligned with the coupled bearing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
an electrostatic machine comprising a rotor plate and an adjacent stator plate;
wherein a first one of the rotor plate or stator plate comprises a coupled bearing; and
wherein the other one of the rotor plate or stator plate comprises a race radially aligned with the coupled bearing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the coupled bearing on the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate is radially located greater than or equal to 50% of a distance from a shaft to an outer most extent of the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the coupled bearing on the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate is radially located greater than or equal to 90% of a distance from a shaft to an outer most extent of the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the coupled bearing on the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate is located a radial distance from a shaft such that at least half the collective mass of the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate is radially interposed between the shaft and the coupled bearing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the coupled bearing on the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate is radially located greater than or equal to 70% of a distance from a shaft to an outer most extent of the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the coupled bearing is one of a plurality of azimuthally distributed bearings radially aligned with the race.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the coupled bearing has a width with a first contact point on the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate and a second contact point on the race on the other one of the rotor plate or stator plate, wherein the coupled bearing is sized to maintain a minimum separation distance between the rotor plate and the stator plate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the minimum separation distance comprises a value between 0.1 mm and a distance comprising 1% of a stator plate radial extent, inclusive.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the minimum separation distance comprises a value not greater than 3 cm.

### Claim 10

A method for operating an electrostatic machine, comprising:
mounting a coupled bearing in a first one of a rotor plate or a stator plate in the electrostatic machine, wherein the other one of the rotor plate or stator plate comprises a race radially aligned with the coupled bearing, and
operating the rotor plate and the stator plate along a rotational axis of the electrostatic machine, wherein the coupled bearing on the first one of the rotor plate or stator plate and the race on the other one of the rotor plate or stator plate react to enforce a minimum separation distance between the rotor plate and the stator plate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the coupled bearing comprises a bearing and mounting the coupled bearing engages the bearing with the race.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising the coupled bearing including a bearing and the rotor plate and the stator plate are operating freely in a first position wherein the bearing does not engage with the race.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising operably engaging the rotor plate and the stator plate in a second position wherein the bearing is engaging with the race and maintaining a minimum distance between the rotor plate and the stator plate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining a minimum separation distance between the rotor plate and the stator plate corresponding to an axial extension distance of the coupled bearing.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining a minimum separation distance between the rotor plate and the stator plate corresponding to a first axial extension distance of the coupled bearing, and a second axial extension distance of the race.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining a minimum separation distance between the rotor plate and the stator plate corresponding to a first axial extension distance of the coupled bearing, less a second axial retraction distance of the race.

### Claim 17

A system, comprising:
an electrostatic machine comprising a rotor plate and an adjacent stator plate;
wherein the rotor plate comprises a first coupled bearing and the stator plate comprises a first race radially aligned with the first coupled bearing; and
wherein the stator plate comprises a second coupled bearing and the rotor plate comprises a second race radially aligned with the second coupled bearing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first coupled bearing on the rotor plate and the first race on the stator plate and the second coupled bearing on the stator plate and the second race on the rotor plate are located greater than or equal to 50% of a distance from a rotational center of the system to an outer most extent of the rotor plate and stator plate.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first coupled bearing on the rotor plate and the first race on the stator plate and the second coupled bearing on the stator plate and the second race on the rotor plate are located greater than or equal to 90% of a distance from a rotational center of the system to an outer most extent of the rotor plate and stator plate.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first coupled bearing on the rotor plate and the first race on the stator plate and the second coupled bearing on the stator plate and the second race on the rotor plate are located a radial distance from a rotational center of the system to an outer most extent of the rotor plate and stator plate such that half the collective mass of the rotor plate and the adjacent rotor plate lies between the rotational center of the system and the location of the coupled bearing and race.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the first coupled bearing on the rotor plate and the first race on the stator plate and the second coupled bearing on the stator plate and the second race on the rotor plate are located greater than or equal to 70% the distance from the rotational center of the system to the outer most extent of the rotor plate and stator plate.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first coupled bearing and the second coupled bearing are each one of a plurality of azimuthally distributed bearings.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, each of the first coupled bearing and the second coupled bearing are sized to maintain a minimum separation distance between the rotor plate and the stator plate.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the minimum separation distance comprises a value between 0.1 mm and a distance comprising 1% of a stator plate radial extent, inclusive.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The system of claim 23, wherein the minimum separation distance comprises a value of at least 3 cm.