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US 2022/0190770 A1Published application
Fault tolerant rotating electric machine
AssigneeDpm Technologies Inc.
InventorJonathan Gale Ritchey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed technology provides systems and methods to employ fault tolerance for rotating electric machines operating as motors or generators. A unique system architecture and control elements allow rotating electric machines the ability to isolate faulted conditions and continue to operate.
Claims24
An electrical system comprising:
- a rotating electric machine, the rotating electric machine comprising:
- a rotor that is rotatable about a rotor axis;
- a stator positioned so as to enclose a portion of the rotor such that the rotor is rotatable about the rotor axis relative to the stator;
- a plurality of coils supported by either the rotor or the stator such that rotation of the rotor relative to the stator generates a flux through each of the plurality of coils;
- and
- a subset of the plurality of coils including at least two of the plurality of coils that are coupled together such that upon occurrence of a fault in one of the subset of the plurality of coils, all of the coils within the subset are isolatable from the remainder of the plurality of the coils,
- wherein flux generated by each coil of the isolated subset of the plurality of coils caused by rotation of the rotor relative to the stator is reduced compared to flux generated by each coil of the subset prior to being isolated;
- and
- a control system that includes a plurality of switches, the switches operable to transition one or more of the coils of the plurality of coils into at least three types of connections at respective times, a first type of the at least three types of connections being a series connection of two or more of the coils, a second type of connection of the at least three types of connections being a hairpin connection of two or more of the coils, and a third type of connection of the at least three types of connections being a parallel connection of two or more of the coils.
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A method of operating a rotating electric machine, the method comprising:
- rotating a rotor of the electric machine relative to a stator of the electric machine, thereby rotating at least one permanent magnet attached to one of the rotor and the stator relative to a plurality of coils that are attached to the other of the rotor and the stator, wherein the rotating electric machine outputs a first capacity;
- operating a plurality of switches to selectively transition one or more of the coils of the plurality of coils into at least three types of connections at respective times, a first type of the at least three types of connections being a series connection of two or more of the coils, a second type of connection of the at least three types of connections being a hairpin connection of two or more of the coils, and a third type of connection of the at least three types of connections being a parallel connection of two or more of the coils;
- detecting a fault in at least one of the plurality of coils;
- isolating a number of the plurality of coils, the number of the plurality of coils including the at least one of the plurality of coils, thereby reducing flux generated by the number of the plurality of coils by rotation of the at least one permanent magnet relative to the plurality of coils;
- and
- subsequent to isolating the at least one of the plurality of coils, continuing to rotate the rotor relative to the stator such that the rotating electric machine outputs a second capacity that is lower than the first capacity.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.