Linear electric generator having an improved magnet and coil structure, and method of manufacture

• US 20030234585A1
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunyen Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sunyen Company Limited
• Inventors: Tu, Yu-Ta, Yeh, Show-Jong
• Granted Patent: US 6,936,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/12.12
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/021 Construction of PM H01F7/0278 takes precedence; PM compositions H01F1/032
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/0273 Magnetic circuits with PM for magnetic field generation
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/00 Generators with reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating coil system, magnet, armature or other part of the magnetic circuit arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with generators H02K7/00, e.g. H02K7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 39/00 Generators specially adapted for producing a desired non-sinusoidal waveform

Abstract

Linear electric generators include stationary windings and armature magnets arranged to reciprocate axially relative to the windings, or stationary magnet structures and movable windings arranged to reciprocate relative to the stationary magnet structures. The armature magnets or stationary magnet structures are in the form of multiple pole magnets made up of a plurality of individual pole structures, each pole structure including a pair of magnets joined to each other with facing poles of like polarity. In addition, the windings may be in the form of a double winding structure including at least one first clockwise winding and at least one second counterclockwise winding arranged in a multi-layered stacked arrangement.

Claims

1. A linear electric generator, comprising:

a plurality of windings aligned along an axis;

at least one magnetic armature arranged to be moved relative to the windings along the axis upon application of an external force; and

at least one accelerating element provided at an end of said axis to apply a force to the magnetic armature in order to reverse its direction of travel and accelerate its motion,

wherein said magnetic armature includes at least one magnetic pole structure having poles of N-S alternating polarities arranged in series.

2. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetic pole structure comprises a pair of individual parallelepiped shaped dipole magnets having two ends and lateral faces, said dipole magnets in said pairs being joined together at said lateral faces such that like poles face each other, and said pairs being joined together at said ends of said individual dipole magnets to form said magnetic pole structures.

3. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by an adhesive.

4. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by welding or soldering.

5. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by sintering.

6. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by bonding.

7. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined together by an adhesive.

8. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined by sintering.

9. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 2, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined by bonding.

10. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said windings are wound in alternating clockwise and counterclockwise directions when viewed in a direction of said axis, and wherein said windings have at least one, each of said windings are arranged in a multi-layered stacked arrangement.

11. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accelerating element is made of a resilient material.

12. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 11, wherein said accelerating element is made of rubber.

13. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 11, wherein said accelerating element is made of a spring.

14. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accelerating element includes a magnetic material or system which generates a repulsive force to said magnetic elements.

15. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 14, wherein said accelerating element further includes a resilient member.

16. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 14, wherein said accelerating element includes a magnet having the same polarity as that of a pole structure at an end of a corresponding armature, whereby when the magnetic elements move close thereto, the magnetic elements are repulsed thereby.

17. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one said accelerating element is provided at each end of said axis.

18. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 1, including a plurality of said armatures.

19. A method of constructing a magnet for use in the linear electric generator of claim 1, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one pair of individual parallelepiped shaped dipole magnets each having a pair of end faces;

joining the lateral faces of said individual dipole magnets to form said pairs, such that like poles face and are adhered to each other;

joining the end faces of said magnets to form a serially connected magnet arrangement including at least two opposite poles of N-S alternating polarity.

21. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 1 or 20, wherein said magnetic structure includes a first multiple pole magnet extending along said axis through said windings.

22. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 21, wherein said magnetic structure includes at least one additional multiple pole magnet extending parallel to said first multiple pole magnet on an exterior side of said windings.

23. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first multiple pole magnet is constructed of two of half cylindrical structures joined together and said at least one additional multiple pole magnet is a hollow cylindrical structure having two arc-shaped structures joined together and coaxial with said first multiple pole magnet.

24. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 22, wherein said first multiple pole magnet is a solid cylinder and said at least one additional multiple pole magnet has a semi-circular cross section.

20. A linear electric generator, comprising:

at least one stationary magnetic structure;

a plurality of windings arranged to be moved relative to the magnetic structure parallel to an axis of the structure upon application of an external force; and

at least one accelerating element provided at an end of said axis to apply a force to the windings in order to reverse their direction of travel of the windings and accelerate their motion,

wherein said magnetic structure includes at least one magnetic pole structure having poles of N-S alternating polarities arranged in series.

25. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 20, wherein said magnetic pole structures each comprises a pair of individual parallelepiped shaped dipole magnets having two ends and lateral faces, said dipole magnets in said pairs being joined together at said lateral faces such that like poles face each other, and said pairs being joined together at said ends of said individual dipole magnets to form said magnetic pole structure.

26. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 25, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by an adhesive.

27. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 25, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by welding or soldering.

28. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 25, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by sintering.

29. A liner electric generator as claimed in claim 25, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by bonding.

30. A liner electric generator as claimed in claim 25, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined together by an adhesive.

31. A liner electric generator as claimed in claim 25, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined by sintering.

32. A liner electric generator as claimed in claim 25, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined by bonding.

33. A liner electric generator as claimed in claim 20, wherein said windings are wound in alternating clockwise and counterclockwise directions when viewed in a direction of said axis, and wherein said windings have at least one, each of said windings are arranged in a multi-layered, stacked arrangement.

34. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 20, wherein said accelerating element is made of a resilient material.

35. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 34, wherein said accelerating element is made of rubber.

36. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 34, wherein said accelerating element is made of a spring.

37. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 20, wherein said accelerating element includes a magnetic material or system which generates a repulsive force to said windings.

38. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 37, wherein said accelerating element further includes a resilient member.

39. A linear electric generator as claimed in claim 20, wherein at least one said accelerating element is provided at each end of said axis.

40. A method of constructing a magnet for use in the linear electric generator of claim 20, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one pair of individual parallelepiped shaped dipole magnets each having a pair of end faces and a pair of lateral faces;

joining the lateral faces of said individual dipole magnets to form said pairs, such that like poles face and are adhered to each other;

joining the end faces of said magnets to form a serially connected magnet having at least two magnetic poles of N-S alternating polarity.

41. A magnet structure for a linear electric generator, comprising:

at least one magnetic pole structure having alternating polarities arranged in series,

wherein said magnetic pole structure comprises at least a pair of individual parallelepiped shaped dipole magnets having two ends and lateral faces, said dipole magnets in said pairs being joined together at said lateral faces such that like poles face each other, and said pairs being joined together at said ends of said individual dipole magnets to form said magnetic pole structure.

42. A magnet structure as claimed in claim 41, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by an adhesive.

43. A magnet structure as claimed in claim 41, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by welding or soldering.

44. A magnet structure as claimed in claim 41, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by sintering.

45. A magnet structure as claimed in claim 41, wherein said individual dipole magnets are joined by bonding.

46. A magnet structure as claimed in claim 41, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined by an adhesive.

47. A magnet structure claimed in claim 41, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined by sintering.

48. A magnet structure as claimed in claim 41, wherein said magnetic pole structures are joined by bonding.

49. A winding structure for a linear electric generator, comprising:

a plurality of windings having at least one winding, wherein each of said windings is formed in at least one layer of a multi-layered stacked arrangement, said windings including at least one first clockwise winding and at least one second counterclockwise winding.