Efficient high-speed electric device using low-loss materials
AssigneeLight Engineering, Inc.
InventorsAndrew D. Hirzel, Jeffrey A. Day, Burley C. Semones, Mathew R. Johnston
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Abstract
The invention relates generally to an electric device, such as an electric motor, a generator, or a regenerative motor, having a wound stator core made from advanced low-loss material. In preferred embodiments, the electric device is an axial airgap-type configuration. The invention provides an electric device having a high pole count that operates at high commutating frequencies, with high efficiency and high power density. Advanced low-loss materials exploited by the present invention include amorphous metals, nanocrystalline metals, and optimized Si—Fe alloys.
Claims42
An electro-magnetic device comprising:
- (a) at least one stator assembly including a unitary magnetic core formed from a low-loss soft-magnetic material, wherein said unitary magnetic core includes a number of slots, and wherein said slots are wound with stator windings;
- and
- (b) at least magnetic field assembly including a plurality of poles, said magnetic field assembly arranged and disposed for magnetic interaction with the at least one stator,
- wherein the low loss soft-magnetic material is characterized by a core loss less than “L” where L is given by the formula L=12·f·B1.5+30·f2.3·B2.3, where
- L is the loss in W/kg,
- f is the frequency in KHz, and
- B is the magnetic flux density in peak Tesla;
- and
- wherein a frequency of said electro-magnetic device is higher than 300 Hz during operation of the device.
A method of manufacturing an electro-magnetic device comprising:
- (a) selecting a low loss soft-magnetic material that is characterized by a core loss less than “L” where L is given by the formula
- L=12·f·B1.5+30·f2.3·B2.3, where
- L is the loss in W/kg,
- f is the frequency in KHz, and
- B is the magnetic flux density in peak Tesla;
- (b) providing at least one stator assembly including a unitary magnetic core formed from the low-loss soft-magnetic material;
- (c) providing stator windings in said slots;
- and
- (d) providing at least one magnetic field assembly, the at least one magnetic assembly including a plurality of poles for magnetically interacting with the stator windings.
An electro-magnetic device comprising:
- (a) at least one stator assembly including a unibody magnetic core formed from a low-loss soft-magnetic material, wherein said unibody magnetic core includes a number of slots, and wherein said slots are wound with stator windings;
- and
- (b) at least one magnetic field assembly including a plurality of poles, said magnetic field assembly arranged and disposed for magnetic interaction with the at least one stator,
- wherein the low loss soft-magnetic material is characterized by a core loss less than “L” where L is given by the formula L=12·f·B1.5+30·f2.3·B2.3, where
- L is the loss in W/kg,
- f is the frequency in KHz, and
- B is the magnetic flux density in peak Tesla;
- and
- wherein a frequency of said electro-magnetic device is higher than 300 Hz during operation of the device.
A method of manufacturing an electro-magnetic device comprising:
- (a) selecting a low loss soft-magnetic material that is characterized by a core loss less than “L” where L is given by the formula
- L=12·f·B1.5+30·f2.3·B2.3, where
- L is the loss in W/kg,
- f is the frequency in KHz, and
- B is the magnetic flux density in peak Tesla;
- (b) providing at least one stator assembly including a unibody magnetic core formed from the low-loss soft-magnetic material;
- (c) providing stator windings in said slots;
- and
- (d) providing at least one magnetic field assembly, the at least one magnetic field assembly including a plurality of poles for magnetically interacting with the stator windings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.