Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02675333 2009-08-12
ELECTRO-MECHANICAL DEVICE WITH UNORTHODOX MAGNETIC
FLUX PATHS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an asymmetrical, electro-mechanical device with
unorthodox
magnetic path which may act as a motor or a generator. In particular, the
invention
relates to an improved and efficient generator/motor.
Of course, electro-mechanical devices which act as motors and generators are
known. It is always important to improve upon the prior electro-mechanical
devices
and, in particular, to improve the efficiency of those devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to at least partially improve
upon the prior
art devices, including the devices disclosed in published PCT application
PCT/CA93/00088, particularly by improving the efficiency of the prior art
devices.
Also, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved alternative
type of electro-
mechanical device, namely an asymmetrical electro-mechanical device with an
unorthodox magnetic path.
Accordingly, in one of its broad aspects, this invention resides in providing
an
asymmetrical, electro-mechanical device 10 in Fig. 1b with unorthodox magnetic
path comprising:
(a) A geometrically-magnetically-asymmetrical stator means 11 in Fig. 1a
comprising:
A non-continuous stator magnetic flux path extending from a first stator
portion 12 to a second stator portion 13;
A stator air gap 14 extending from the second stator portion to the third
stator portion; and
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A stator face 15 having a plurality of conductors 16 extending substantially
transversely across the stator face;
(b) A rotor means 18 having a rotor face 17 and moving along a rotor movement
path;
(c) A rotor/stator air gap 19 between the rotor face and the stator face when
the
rotor face and the stator face are adjacent each other;
(d) A continuous magnetic flux path 20 in Fig. 2 extending along at least a
portion of the stator magnetic flux path, through the stator face, through the
rotor/stator air gap 19, into or out of the rotor face 17, through the rotor
means 18, and through at least one magnetic flux connecting means 21
which enables the magnetic flux path to be continuous;
(e) Magnetic flux generating means 21A for generating or providing, if
permanent magnet, magnetic flux to pass through the continuous magnetic
flux path 20;
(f) Wherein the rotor means is capable of cyclically moving relative to the
stator
means in a direction along a rotor movement path which is outside of the
stator magnetic flux path, wherein:
(i) A first part of the rotor movement path is adjacent to the stator
magnetic path, and a second part of the rotor movement path is not
adjacent to the stator magnetic path such that magnetic flux, except
magnetic flux leakage, cannot pass through the rotor face to or from the
stator magnetic flux path;
(ii) Beginning at time zero in Fig. 2, as shown, until time critical, the
rotor
face 17 moves away from both a first portion of the stator face 15 and
the stator magnetic flux path such that magnetic flux 20, except
magnetic flux leakage, does not pass through the rotor face into or out
of the stator magnetic flux path, then toward a second portion of the
stator face, such that the rotor face is adjacent to and overlapping with
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the stator face such that operational magnetic flux passes through the
rotor face into or out of the stator magnetic flux path in Fig. 1 b, as
shown;
(iii) At time critical, the rotor face 17 in Fig. 1 b moves into a position of
maximal overlap, as shown in Fig. 1 b with the stator face, and
(iv) From time critical until time end of cycle as in Fig. 2, the rotor face
moves along at least a portion of the stator face and adjacent to the
stator face in a direction of the stator magnetic path;
(g) Wherein when the rotor face 17 and the stator face 15 move relative to and
adjacent to each other an electric voltage and when the coil is closed a
current having directions are developed in the plurality of conductors 16 and
in 21 A;
(h) Wherein when the plurality of conductors 16 is closed or under load, the
direction of the armature current reverses at time critical when the rotor
face
moves into a position of maximal overlap with the stator face, without the
magnetic flux reversing direction and without the rotor means reversing
direction; and
(i) Wherein the continuous magnetic flux path is substantially planar when 10
is
"crushed" into a single plane (not shown), or bi-planar, as shown in Figs. 1a,
lb and 2;
(j) In a further aspect, the invention relates to a generator / motor having a
non-
continuous stator magnetic flux path which is planar in that it is
substantially
confined to one plane for easier manufacturing or for other reasons, such as
available space, or bi-planar in two planes, as shown. In a still further
aspect,
the present invention relates to an invention wherein a plurality of stator
portions can be used with a single rotor having a plurality of rotor faces.
Further aspects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the
following
detailed description and the drawings which illustrate the invention and one
of the
preferred embodiments together with the operation of the invention.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS, THE GAPHS AND THE OPERATION
The drawings and gaphs illustrate the embodiments of the invention and the
operation while at least one of the coils 16 or 21 A is closed:
- Figure 1 (b) is a schematic view of one embodiment of the invention with the
rotor
inserted, when coil means 21 A and 16 in Fig. 2 are omitted for clearer view;
- Figure 1 (a) is the same as Figure 1 (b) without the rotor, with coil means
21 A and
16 included;
- Figure 2 is a schematic view of the invention shown in Figures 1 (a) and 1
(b)
showing one segment of the armature and rotor combination;
- Figures 3 (a) and 3 (b) are gaphs of the flux through air gap 19 and the
generated
A.C. Voltage potential in coil 21 A and/or coil 16 in Fig. 2 when the rotor 18
is
rotating and 10 is excited with currents in coils 21 A and/or 16, or excited
with
permanent magnets inserted in 21;
- Figures 4 (a), 4 (b), 4 (c) and 4 (d) are the generated base harmonics of
Voltage
potential or Ugac, the alternating A.C. Voltage potential in coils 21 A and/or
16 and
the respective currents in 21 A and/or in 16, when currents are pure
inductive,
capacitive or ohmic, respectively;
The fluxes generated by inductive, capacitive and ohmic A.C. currents for
example in
coil 21 A in Fig. 2 are in phase with each other, that is:
The inductive A.C current is in phase with ct flux;
The capacitive A.C current is in phase with 4) flux;
The ohmic A.C current is in phase with cD flux, in Figs. 4b, 4c, and 4d,
respectively;
The rotor 18 in Fig. 2 is at time end of cycle, just before moving into time
critical, that
is just before moving under the stator face 15 to begin its next cycle; These
timings in
Figures 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4c and 4b are denoted with zero (0), as shown;
Referring to
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Figures 1b, 3a, 4b, 4c and 4d, the following are apparent for those who are
trained
in the respective art:
That during the time intervals of the shaded areas in Figures 4b, 4c and 4d
the
fluxes generated by the respective currents for example in coil 21 A or 16:
(a) During time intervals shown in these Figures:
(i) Before T1/2 in Fig. 4b, helps he rotor move along its shown direction in
the rotational path, and
(ii) After T1/2 and before T1 in Fig. 4b, it brakes or retards the rotor to
move
along its shown direction in the rotational path, cancelling out the "help"
given in (i) of (a) above;
(b) Similarly to (a) above, during the same time intervals:
(i) In Fig. 4c the generated flux by current in coils 21 A or 16 cancelling
the
effects out: Retards the rotor before T'/2 and helps the rotor after T'/2 and
before T1,
(ii) In Fig. 4d the generated flux by current in coils 21 A or 16 retards the
rotor both before and after T% (and retards the rotor before Tj) as shown;
Thus it retards or brakes the rotor completly;
To improve the efficiency of the presently available electro-mechanical
devices or
devices similar to the ones shown in Figs. 1 a, 1 b and 2, be the "planar" or
"bi-planar"
in construction, the current in coils 21 A and/or 16 should generate flux to
help the
rotor in its movement path and direction during both before T% and T1,
respectively;
It is also apparent for those trained in respective art that other preferred
embodiments similar to Figs. 1a and 1b, when coil 16 is closed and coil 21 A
is left
open and, in addition, when both coils 16 and 21 A are closed with appropriate
combination of inductive, capacitive and/or ohmic means, these will result in
advantageous results and will improve the efficiency of currently available
electro-
mechanical devices, or devices similar to the ones shown in Figs. 1a, 1b and
2. It is
also apparent for those trained in the respected art that by changing the
number of
stator segments 12 and 13, with or without changing the rotor segment 17 in
18, with
closed or open coils 16 and/or 21 A the flux pattern shown in Fig. 3a will
change, due
to changes in the phase and patterns of currents in 16 and /or 21 A,
respectively and
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due to the relative position of the rotor 18 to the position of the stator
segments 12
and 13; Thus, the improvements in the efficiency of the comparable electro-
mechanical devices to the ones shown in Figs. 1a, 1b and 2, will change
accordingly;
It is further apparent for those trained in the respective art that the
magnetic flux
connecting means 21 can be made from or combined with permanent magnet(s) to
provide the excitation and to create the magnetic flux for the invention; As
well, the
functions of the stator sections 12 and 13 and the rotor 18 are
interchangeable as
long as at least one of them or both move or rotate; In addition the rotation
of the
respective stator/rotor components of the invention can be changed to linear
or for
other cyclical pattern to provide for the improvement in the efficiency of the
electro-
mechanical devices;
Figure 5 illustrates the magnetic conductivity and flux pattern through airgap
19
during rotation of rotor 18 of one of the built and operating experimental
devices
shown in Figs. 1a and 1b; For illustrative purposes, conductors 21 A are fed
by D.C.
current by current generator means for excitation (not shown), or the
excitation is
done by permanent magnets, such as a samarium-cobalt or any other permanent
magnets, and conductors 16 are closed with appropriate combination of
inductive,
capacitive and ohmic means, where a,, a2, a3 and a4 are the consecutive
positions
in the cylindrical path of rotor 18, measured from the zero to end of cycle
a4;
Figure 6 shows the actual response or resultant current and the Fourier base
harmonic, respectively in conductors 16 and thus the additional resultant
magnetic
flux pattern through airgap 19; The total capacitive means, for example, in
the circuit
of conductors 16 are four (4) microfarad (4 mF), and
Figure 7 shows the current (flux) responses and Fourier Base Harmonic under
identical circumstance to Fig. 6, except here the total capacitive means in 16
are one
million microfarad (106 mF), respectively;
In both Figures 6 and 7 the positions of rotor 18 are the same at: a,, a2, a3
and a4;
It is obvious for those who are trained in the respective art, that one, and
only one of
the additional resultant currents, in addition to the current generated by the
excitation
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means, and thereby the created fluxes in Fig. 6 and 7 can be selected to
improve
the efficiency of the embodiment of or of similar embodiments to Figs. 1 a and
1 b;
This is due to the fact that in Fig. lb the rotational direction shown in the
cylindrical
movement of the rotor 18 is being aided both just before at the beginning of
time zero
(a o=00) and just before and at the beginning of the end of the cycle (a
4=900); The
other selection brakes or retards the movement of rotor 18 and thus decreases
the
efficiency of the device;
The relative size of the "helping" component of the currents in conductors 16
(and
thereby created fluxes) which drives rotor 18 (that is: the additional
magnetic fluxes
provided by such currents are added to the excitation fluxes) can be varied by
appropriate selection and combination of the inductive, capacitive and ohmic
means
in such circuits/conductors without increasing the needed outside driving
force, if
any, which helps or is driving rotor 18; Therefore the efficiency of these
electro
mechanical embodiments 10 or similar embodiments can be significantly
increased to
predetermined upper limit, provided the mass of the iron built into the
embodiment/device is appropriately increased as well;
The torque in Newton-Metre for a given built embodiment 10 equipped with fixed
appropriate inductive, capacitive and ohmic means is constant; Therefore the
efficiency of such devices can be further increased by increasing their
rotational (or
linear) speed, provided the structural design has taken this into account, and
the
inductive, capacitive and ohmic means in the circuits are appropriately
adjusted;
Similarly to the above, two additional tested arrangements achieved similar
comparable results to the foregoing; That is improved substantially the
efficiency of
the devices tested, as follows:
(a) When conductors 16 were left open, and conductors 21 A were closed with
appropriate inductive, capacitive and ohmic means, and
(b) When both conductors 16 and 21 A were closed with appropriate inductive,
capacitive and ohmic means;
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THE PSEUDO SYNCHRONOUS MOTORIC OPERATION AND TEST RESULTS
To make certain that the appropriately phased and timed currents with
inductive,
capacitive and ohmic means generated in conductors 16 and/or 21 A to improve
the
efficiency of the invention in actual practice, the following were first
computer
simulated and later carried out, using a built test Unit shown in Figs. 1a and
1b:
(a) Excitation is provided by means of currents in conductors 21 A and
alternatively by permanent magnets inserted in 21, while rotor 18 is being
rotated by an outside driver at 50 Hertz network frequency;
(b) Into the circuitry of conductors 16 were inserted appropriate combination
of
inductive capacitive and ohmic means and 16 hooked into a standard sinusoid
power supply of 50 Hz frequency;
(c) It is obvious for those trained in the respective art, that rotor 18 of
the
embodiment / device in Figs. 1a and 1b could/should not be rotated by such
current generated flux of the power source described in (b) above, even if
rotor
18 is speeded up to synchronous 50 Hz speed, as there could not be
synchronous rotating magnetic field present in the stator to drag or drive the
rotor at synchronous rotational speed, or at any speed;
(d) Yet, after speeding up, rotor 18 started to rotate and kept rotating at
synchronous rotational speed under load; The efficiency of the Unit was
deliberately varied by the changing sizes of the inserted inductive,
capacitive
and ohmic means in the circuitry of conductors 16;.
(e) Rotor 18 in this experiment was driven by the appropriately phased current
in
16 shown in Fig. 6: Both before T1/2 and before end of cycle T1, the
additional
generated flux generated by such current in conductor 16 drove rotor 18,
thereby increasing the efficiency of the device shown in Figs. 1a and 1b
without having a rotating electromagnetic field present, which is used in
standard synchronous motors/generators;
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(f) The fact is that the appropriately phased current used in the foregoing
test
made it possible, without additional extra force being employed on the rotor,
to
drive the device, and thus increase the efficiency of the EBM device to the
upper limit determined by the built-in mass of steel and the rotational speed
of
the rotor of this and similar embodiments.
It is understood that the invention is not limited to a particular size of air
gap 14 or
particular relative phases of the stator and rotor pole positions, be they
cylindrical or
linear construction. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments and
functional
electrical mechanical equivalents where the air gap, relative phases and
position
could be used with the other features of the invention. Furthermore, it is
understood
that the invention is not limited to a particular magnitude of the magnetic
fluxes
created by the generator supplied currents and/or by the fluxes of permanent
magnets used by the invention. Rather, the invention is broad enough to
encompass
embodiments where the magnitude of the magnetic fluxes created by the
generator
supplied currents or by the fluxes of permanent magnets vary as would be
appreciated by a person skilled in the art.
It will be understood that, although various features of the invention have
been
described with respect to one or another of the embodiments of the invention,
the
various features and embodiments of the invention may be combined or used in
conjunction with other features and embodiments of the invention as described
and
illustrated herein.
Although this disclosure has described and illustrated certain preferred
embodiments
of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted
to these
particular embodiments. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments, which
are
functional, electrical or mechanical equivalents of the specific embodiments
and
features that have been described and illustrated herein.
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