Skewed halbach array rotor

• US 10,122,227 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2017
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wisk Aero LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Long, Geoffrey Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, John K
• Application Number:
  US15/627,800
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 31015638, 31015643, 31015645, 31015647
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/27 Rotor cores with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/2783 with magnets arranged in Halbach arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/28 Means for mounting or fastening rotating magnetic parts on to, or to, the rotor structures
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/03 having permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/06 Magnetic cores, or permanent magnets characterised by their skew

Abstract

In various embodiments, a skewed Halbach array rotor as disclosed herein includes (1) a plurality of magnets arranged and oriented relative to adjacent ones of the magnets to form a substantially cylindrical Halbach array the combined magnetic field of which is concentrated on one side of the array, wherein the substantially cylindrical Halbach array has a rotational axis and each of at least a subset of the magnets is oriented in a fixed position such that the longitudinal axis of the magnet is at a prescribed skew angle to the rotational axis; and (2) a retaining structure adjacent to at least a subset of the magnets comprising the plurality of magnets and configured to hold one or more of said subset of magnets in place.

Claims

1. A rotor assembly, comprising:

a plurality of magnets each having a long dimension and a longitudinal axis associated with the long dimension, the plurality of magnets each having a corresponding magnetic pole orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and the magnets being arranged and oriented relative to adjacent ones of the magnets to form a substantially cylindrical Halbach array the combined magnetic field of which is concentrated on an outer cylindrical surface side of the substantially cylindrical Halbach array, wherein the substantially cylindrical Halbach array has a rotational axis and each of at least a subset of the magnets is oriented in a fixed position such that the longitudinal axis of the magnet is at a prescribed skew angle to the rotational axis; and

a retaining structure adjacent to at least a subset of the magnets comprising the plurality of magnets and configured to hold one or more of said subset of magnets in place;

wherein each of the magnets has a first end at a first extreme of the longitudinal axis and a second end at a second extreme of the longitudinal axis; and

the retaining structure comprises an end plate that includes a plurality of evenly spaced angled block structures, each angled block structure including a ramp or wedge portion to receive the first end of a magnet included in the plurality of magnets and hold the magnet at the prescribed skew angle.

2. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the retaining structure further comprises one or more of epoxy, other polymer, and other structural adhesive materials.

3. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the retaining structure further comprises a magnet guide.

4. The rotor assembly of claim 3, wherein the magnet guide comprises a plastic.

5. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the end plate comprises aluminum.

6. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the retaining structure comprises or is adapted to receive and be fixedly coupled to a shaft or other power takeoff structure comprising the rotor assembly.

7. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the magnets are substantially rectangular in shape.

8. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the angled block structure further comprises an end tab to prevent the magnet from slipping out of the angled block structure.

9. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the retaining structure further comprises a retainer ring.

10. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the retainer ring is positioned at the second end of the respective magnets comprising the plurality of magnets.

11. The rotor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fasteners to secure the retainer ring to the end plate to secure the plurality of magnets between the end plate and the retainer ring.