Mechanically commutated linear alternator

A device for generating an alternating electrical current comprising:

• a magnetically conductive stator forming a magnetic circuit having a first member and a second member,
• said stator having an electrical winding about said first member responsive to an input field current for generating a magnetic flux field through said stator, and
• said stator further having an inductive output coil about said second member, said inductive output coil having a central axis and defining an electrical circuit;
• said magnetic flux field through said stator substantially coinciding with said central axis of said inductive output coil to alternately complete at least a first magnetic circuit and a second magnetic circuit, and
• at least two reciprocating elements having specific regions of magnetically conductive material and having at least a first and second position to alternatingly form operative elements of said first magnetic circuit and said second magnetic circuit;
• said reciprocating elements establishing said first magnetic circuit and said second magnetic circuit by alternating between said first and second positions and alternatingly introducing into said first magnetic circuit and said second magnetic circuit said magnetically conductive regions so as to reverse the direction of magnetic flux field flow through said central axis of said inductive output coil to generate an alternating electrical current within said inductive output coil.

A device for generating an alternating electrical current, comprising:

• a magnetically conductive stator further comprising a body portion and a core portion, said body portion and core portion cooperating to establish a first and a second magnetic circuit;
• said body portion adapted to operatively accept an input electrical winding responsive to an input electric current to generate a linearly variable magnetic flux field through said stator;
• said core portion adapted to accept an inductive output coil having a central axis and defining an electrical circuit;
• said core portion arranged so that said first and second magnetic circuits pass through said core portion to substantially coincide with said central axis of said inductive output coil;
• said body portion and said core portion being separated by a plurality of air gaps, each of said air gaps forming translational apertures within which at least two reciprocating elements may be reciprocated;
• said reciprocating elements having at least a first and second position;
• said reciprocating elements having an axial portion being generally constructed of a non-magnetically conductive material, and a first of said reciprocating elements having at least two magnetically conductive regions and a second of said reciprocating elements having at least one magnetically conductive region located at positions along the axial portion of said reciprocating elements alternatingly establishing said first magnetic circuit and said second magnetic circuit, each of said magnetically conductive regions of each of said reciprocating elements being axially staggered relative to each other;
• and
• said reciprocating elements moving within said apertures to establish said first and second magnetic circuits by introducing into said air gaps said magnetically conductive regions to alternately reverse the direction of magnetic flux flow through said central axis of said inductive coil to generate an alternating electrical current.

A device for generating an alternating electrical current comprising:

• an electrical winding for providing a magnetic flux field source,
• a magnetically conductive stator having at least two magnetic circuits,
• an inductive output coil having a central axis, and
• at least two reciprocating elements;
• said stator further comprising a first member and a second member, said second member substantially forming a first and a second magnetic circuit;
• said electrical winding being positioned with respect to said stator for generating a linearly variable magnetic flux field through each of said first and second magnetic circuits;
• said stator being further adapted to operatively accept said inductive output coil about said second member, said magnetic flux field passing through said central axis of said inductive output coil for both said first and second magnetic flux circuits;
• said first member further having at least two sets of polar regions and said second member further having at least two sets of corresponding polar regions, wherein each of said first member polar regions and each of said second member polar regions are located proximate its oppositely polarized corresponding polar region and separated by a plurality of air gaps;
• said air gaps defining translational apertures within which said reciprocating elements may be moved between a first and second position;
• said reciprocating elements having an axial portion and each generally constructed of non-magnetically conductive material;
• one of said reciprocating elements comprised of two magnetically conductive regions and a second of said reciprocating elements having one magnetically conductive region, said conductive regions being staggered along the axial portion of said reciprocating elements, said reciprocating elements alternatingly establishing a portion of one of said first and second magnetic circuits;
• and
• translation of said pair of reciprocating elements between said first and second positions being effective to alternatingly align said magnetically conductive regions with alternatively one polar region of said first member polar regions and with an oppositely polarized polar region of one polar region of said second member polar regions to establish said first or second magnetic circuits and to alternately reverse the direction of magnetic flux field flow through said central axis of said inductive output coil to generate an alternating electrical current.