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US 8,558,424 B2Granted
Suspended rotors for use in electrical generators and other devices
OwnerClifford Neal Auteninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatuses employing suspended rotors are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a housing forming an internal cavity and a rotor disposed in the internal cavity of the housing. The rotor has a first end and a second end. The apparatus also includes a first end ring coupled to the first end of the rotor and a second end ring coupled to the second end of the rotor. The first end ring and the second end ring are each magnetically repulsed from the housing to cause the rotor to be suspended relative to the housing.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing forming an internal cavity;
- a rotor disposed in the internal cavity of the housing, the rotor having a first end and a second end;
- a first end ring coupled to the first end of the rotor;
- and
- a second end ring coupled to the second end of the rotor, wherein the first end ring and the second end ring are each magnetically repulsed from the housing to cause the rotor to be suspended relative to the housing;
- wherein the first end ring comprises an inner-facing surface, a circumferential surface, and an outer-facing surface;
- wherein the first end ring has a magnetic polarity;
- wherein the second end ring comprises an inner-facing surface, a circumferential surface, and an outer-facing surface;
- wherein the second end ring has the magnetic polarity;
- wherein the housing has a first end adapted to face the inner-facing surface of the first end ring, the first end of the housing comprising a first housing magnet having the same magnetic polarity as the first end ring;
- wherein the housing has a second end adapted to face the inner-facing surface of the second end ring, the second end of the housing comprising a second housing magnet having the same magnetic polarity as the second end ring;
- wherein the apparatus further comprises a first rotor interface adjacent the first end of the rotor, the first rotor interface comprising a first circumferential interface magnet and a first outer interface magnet, the first circumferential interface magnet facing the circumferential surface of the first end ring and having the same magnetic polarity as the first end ring, the first outer interface magnet facing the outer-facing surface of the first end ring and having the same magnetic polarity as the first end ring;
- and
- wherein, the apparatus further comprises a second rotor interface adjacent the second end of the rotor, the second rotor interface comprising a second circumferential interface magnet and a second outer interface magnet, the second circumferential interface magnet facing the circumferential surface of the second end ring and having the same magnetic polarity as the second end ring, the second outer interface magnet facing the outer-facing surface of the second end ring and having the same magnetic polarity as the second end ring.
11 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing forming an internal cavity, the housing comprising one or more coils;
- a rotor disposed in the internal cavity of the housing, the rotor having a first end and a second end, the rotor having an internal surface forming an internal flow passage, the rotor comprising one or more rotor magnets;
- a fin coupled to the internal surface of the rotor;
- a first end ring coupled to the first end of the rotor;
- and
- a second end ring coupled to the second end of the rotor;
- wherein the first and second end rings are magnetically repulsed from the housing to cause the rotor to be suspended relative to the housing;
- wherein the fin is operable to engage with fluid flowing through the internal flow passage to cause the rotor to rotate and the one or more rotor magnets to move relative to the one or more coils;
- wherein the fin is a spiraling plane having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, the first longitudinal edge and the second longitudinal edge fixedly coupled to the internal surface of the rotor;
- and
- wherein the fin longitudinally bisects the internal flow passage.
8 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing forming an internal cavity, the housing comprising one or more coils;
- a rotor disposed in the internal cavity of the housing, the rotor having a first end and a second end, the rotor having an internal surface forming an internal flow passage, the rotor comprising one or more rotor magnets;
- a fin coupled to the internal surface of the rotor;
- a first end ring coupled to the first end of the rotor;
- and
- a second end ring coupled to the second end of the rotor;
- wherein the first and second end rings are magnetically repulsed from the housing to cause the rotor to be suspended relative to the housing;
- wherein the fin is operable to engage with fluid flowing through the internal flow passage to cause the rotor to rotate and the one or more rotor magnets to move relative to the one or more coils;
- wherein the housing has an internal surface forming the internal cavity;
- wherein the rotor is suspended relative to the housing such that an outer flow space is formed between the rotor and the internal surface of the housing;
- and
- wherein the outer flow space is operable to transmit fluid in the same direction as the fluid flowing through the internal flow passage.
9 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing having an internal surface forming an internal cavity;
- a rotor disposed in the internal cavity of the housing, the rotor having an internal surface forming an internal flow passage;
- and
- a fin coupled to the internal surface of the rotor such that the fin is at least partially disposed in the internal flow passage;
- wherein the rotor is magnetically suspended within the internal cavity of the housing to form an outer flow space between the rotor and the internal surface of the housing;
- wherein the internal flow passage and the outer flow space are operable to transmit fluid in a same direction;
- and
- wherein the fin is operable to engage with fluid flowing through the internal flow passage to cause the rotor to rotate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.