Magnetic arrays
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsDavid L. Trumper, Won-jong Kim, Mark E. Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electromagnet arrays which can provide selected field patterns in either two or three dimensions, and in particular, which can provide single-sided field patterns in two or three dimensions. These features are achieved by providing arrays which have current densities that vary in the windings both parallel to the array and in the direction of array thickness.
Claims16
An electromagnet array which extends in a first direction and has a thickness dimension in a second direction the second direction being normal to the first direction, the array comprising:
- a plurality of adjacent electromagnet segments which extend in at least one dimension having a selected winding pattern;
- and
- means for selectively applying varying current to said electromagnet segment windings;
- said winding patterns being such that the current density for the segments varies in both the first and second directions.
A two-dimensional magnetic array comprising:
- a plurality of magnet segments arranged in a two-dimensional matrix array of rows and columns, with each segment having at least one adjacent row segment and at least one adjacent column segment, each of said segments having a three dimensional magnetic orientation which is the vector sum of a nominal magnetic orientation for the segment's row and a nominal magnetic orientation for the segment's column, adjacent segments in each column having a nominal magnetic orientation about a row axis which is rotated in a selected direction by an angle of not more than 90.degree. in a selected direction from the nominal column magnetic orientation of each adjacent segment in the column, and adjacent segments in each row having a nominal magnetic orientation about a column axis which is rotated in a selected direction by an angle of not more than 90.degree. in a selected direction from the nominal row magnetic orientation of each adjacent segment in the row.
An electromagnet array which extends in a first direction and has a thickness dimension in a second direction the second direction being normal to the first direction, the array comprising:
- a repetitive pattern of electromagnet windings;
- and means for selectively applying varying current to said windings;
- the pattern of the windings being such that when current is applied thereto, the current density in the windings varies in both the first and the second directions as a selected sum of sinusoids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.