Integrated direct drive starter/generator for turbines

A method of producing power using a starter/generator machine for a turbine with a turbine enclosure, an air duct, and a plurality of fan blades within said air duct, comprising:

• a. providing a plurality of stator elements spaced at intervals in a ring shape adjacent to an air duct in a turbine, shaped to minimize air flow interference, and mounted to interact magnetically with each of a plurality of a number of rotor elements different from a number of said plurality of stator elements to exert a force sufficient to move said rotor elements;
• b. mounting each of said plurality of rotor elements inward of a tip of said fan blades in a location selected to interact magnetically with each of said stator elements;
• c. forming each of said plurality of stator elements to have at least one pole, a U-shaped or C-shaped core with salient poles facing said fan blades, and multiple windings;
• d. forming each of said plurality of rotor elements from a ferro-magnetic material to form flux guides thick enough to carry all of the flux generated by the magnetic interaction of the stator elements and the rotor elements and spacing each of said rotor elements a distance from each of said stator elements to form an air gap on the order of 5-10 mm;
• and
• e. providing electric current to said stator poles to energize said stator element coils, causing said stator elements to interact magnetically with said rotor elements and exert sufficient force to move said rotor elements relative to said stator elements, thereby causing said plurality of fan blades to rotate.