US 7,459,822 B1Granted

Rotating electric machine having switched or variable reluctance with flux transverse to the axis of rotation

OwnerWeston C. Johnson, Richard M. Currieinventors

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Abstract

An electric machine, such as a switched reluctance motor (SRM), having one or more transverse flux axes is described. The rotor and stator of the electric machine have more than one phase, not necessarily of even number. Flux guidance regions within the stator are angularly and spatially located such that they may be transverse, or not coinciding with, the plane perpendicular to the axis of shaft rotation. The flux guidance regions are composed so as to contain a magnetic field whose flux is guided in either a loop or coupled configuration. In the loop configuration, multiple flux guidance paths that are able to operate simultaneously exist within each chuck arrangement. In the coupled configuration, a single primary flux guidance path exists within the chuck arrangement. Transverse flux guidance allows for the removal and replacement of stator windings without significant disassembly or removal of the motor.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An electric machine having a rotational axis, the machine comprising:

a rotor assembly comprising:
a rotor hub disposed in a rotational plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis;
and
a plurality of rotor teeth affixed to the rotor hub, the rotor teeth disposed in a substantially circular path about the rotational axis, the rotor teeth including at least a first rotor tooth, a second rotor tooth and a third rotor tooth;
and
one or more stator chuck arrangements disposed around and adjacent the rotor assembly, each stator chuck arrangement comprising a plurality of stator chuck sets including at least a first stator chuck set and a second stator chuck set, each stator chuck set comprising at least a first stator chuck and a second stator chuck, the first and second stator chucks each having a first chuck pole, a second chuck pole and a chuck winding, the first and second chuck poles being disposed adjacent the rotor teeth as the rotor assembly rotates about the rotational axis,
where during operation of the electric machine, a flux path passes from the first chuck pole of the first chuck of the first stator chuck set into the first rotor tooth, through the first rotor tooth and into the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, from the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set to the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, and from the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set into the second rotor tooth,
where during operation the flux path further passes through the second rotor tooth and into the second chuck pole of a first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set, from the second chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set to the first chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set, and from the first chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set into the third rotor tooth.

5 more elements

An electric machine having a rotational axis, the machine comprising:

a rotor assembly comprising:
a rotor hub disposed in a rotational plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis;
and
a plurality of rotor teeth affixed to the rotor hub, the rotor teeth disposed in a substantially circular path about the rotational axis, the rotor teeth including at least a first rotor tooth, a second rotor tooth and a third rotor tooth;
and
one or more stator chuck arrangements disposed around and adjacent the rotor assembly, each stator chuck arrangement comprising a plurality of stator chuck sets including at least a first stator chuck set and a second stator chuck set, each stator chuck set comprising at least a first stator chuck and a second stator chuck, the first and second stator chucks each having a first chuck pole, a second chuck pole and a chuck winding, the first and second chuck poles being disposed adjacent the rotor teeth as the rotor assembly rotates about the rotational axis,
where during operation of the electric machine, a flux path passes from the first chuck pole of the first chuck of the first stator chuck set into the first rotor tooth, through the first rotor tooth and into the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, from the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set to the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, and from the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set into the second rotor tooth,
wherein the stator chuck sets of at least one of the stator chuck arrangements are disposed in a substantially conical relationship about the axis of rotation.

5 more elements

An electric machine having a rotational axis, the machine comprising:

a rotor assembly comprising:
a rotor hub disposed in a rotational plane that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis;
and
a plurality of rotor teeth affixed to the rotor hub, the rotor teeth disposed in a substantially circular path about the rotational axis, the rotor teeth including at least a first rotor tooth, a second rotor tooth and a third rotor tooth, wherein each of the rotor teeth has at least four faces comprising at least two opposing first faces and two opposing second faces;
and
one or more stator chuck arrangements disposed around and adjacent the rotor assembly, each stator chuck arrangement including a plurality of stator chuck sets including at least a first stator chuck set and a second stator chuck set, each stator chuck set comprising at least a first stator chuck and a second stator chuck, the first and second stator chucks each having a first chuck pole, a second chuck pole and a chuck winding, the first and second chuck poles being disposed adjacent the rotor teeth as the rotor assembly rotates about the rotational axis,
wherein the one or more stator chuck arrangements further comprise:
a first stator chuck arrangement comprising stator chuck sets disposed in a substantially cylindrical relationship about the axis of rotation, and having chuck poles that are adjacent the first faces of the rotor teeth;
and
a second stator chuck arrangement comprising stator chuck sets disposed in a substantially conical relationship about the axis of rotation, and having chuck poles that are adjacent the second faces of the rotor teeth,
where during operation of the electric machine, a flux path passes from the first chuck pole of the first chuck of the first stator chuck set into the first rotor tooth, through the first rotor tooth and into the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, from the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set to the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, and from the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set into the second rotor tooth.

8 more elements

An electric machine having a rotational plane perpendicular to a rotational axis, the machine comprising:

a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor teeth disposed in one or more substantially concentric circles that are substantially centered on the rotational axis of the machine, the rotor teeth including at least a first rotor tooth, a second rotor tooth and a third rotor tooth;
and
a plurality of stator chuck sets each comprising at least two stator chucks disposed adjacent the rotor teeth as the rotor assembly rotates about the rotational axis, the stator chuck sets including at least a first stator chuck set and a second stator chuck set, each stator chuck set comprising at least a first stator chuck and a second stator chuck, the first and second stator chucks each having a first chuck pole, a second chuck pole and a chuck winding, the first and second chuck poles disposed adjacent the rotor teeth as the rotor assembly rotates about the rotational axis,
wherein during operation of the electric machine, a portion of a flux path passes from the first chuck pole of the first chuck of the first stator chuck set into the first rotor tooth, through the first rotor tooth and into the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, from the first chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set and into the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set, and from the second chuck pole of the second stator chuck of the first stator chuck set and into the second rotor tooth, through the second rotor tooth and into the second chuck pole of a first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set, from the second chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set to the first chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set, and from the first chuck pole of the first stator chuck of the second stator chuck set into the third rotor tooth.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/128,823Filed 13 May 2005
Granted: 2 Dec 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H02K 1/246
Rotor cores with salient poles ; Variable reluctance rotors: variable reluctance rotors
H02K 16/04
Machines with more than one rotor or stator: machines with one rotor and two stators
H02K 19/20
Having windings each turn of which co-operates only with poles of one polarity, e.g. homopolar generators: with variable-reluctance soft-iron…
H02K 2201/12
Specific aspects not provided for in the other groups of this subclass relating to the magnetic circuits: transversal flux machines