Electrical machine having a rotor specially adapted to high speeds

• US 20040004407A1
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conception ET Developpement Michelin S.A. (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Conception ET Developpement Michelin S.A. (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Laurent, Daniel, Pegoraro, Giancarlo
• Granted Patent: US 6,967,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/156.48
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/2773 consisting of tangentially magnetized radial magnets

Abstract

An electrical rotating machine having a rotor comprising a shaft made from nonmagnetic material, a plurality of pole pieces made from magnetic material and surrounding the shaft, with permanent magnets fixed in receivers by wedges cooperating with the pole pieces to block radially outward movement of the magnets.

Claims

1. An electrical rotating machine comprising an external stator and an internal rotor, having an air gap between the rotor and the stator, in which the rotor comprises:

a shaft mounted on the stator by means of bearings, at least the outer casing of the shaft being made of non-magnetic material, and the bearings defining the axis of rotation of the shaft;

a plurality of pole pieces of magnetic material surrounding the shaft, each pole piece having a radially inner edge in contact with the surface of the shaft and a radially outer edge adjacent to the air gap, the pole pieces delimiting circumferentially-spaced receivers therebetween;

a lateral flange at either axial side of the pole pieces, with the shaft passing through each lateral flange by means of a central recess in the lateral flange;

at least one tie rod for each pole piece, the tie rod clamping each pole piece between the lateral flanges;

a permanent magnet installed in each receiver; and

a wedge cooperating with shoulders disposed on the longitudinal surfaces of adjacent pole pieces so as to block radially outward movement of the magnet installed in the receiver between said adjacent pole pieces.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which each shoulder is formed by means of a groove which is parallel to the axis of the rotor and is hollowed out of the longitudinal faces of the adjacent pole pieces at a point close to the outer edge of each pole piece.

3. A machine according to claim 1, in which each wedge is made from nonmagnetic material.

4. A machine according to claim 3, in which the wedge non-magnetic material is selected from the group formed by composite materials, aluminum alloys, non-magnetic steels, ceramics and titanium.

5. A machine according to claim 1, in which each wedge is made from a material which conducts electricity and is formed by a thin base elongated in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the shaft and topped by a plurality of blocks which are longitudinally adjacent and not in contact with one another.

6. A machine according to claim 1, in which each wedge is formed by a plurality of adjacent blocks which are aligned longitudinally, made from a material which conducts electricity, and cemented to one another by means of a material which does not conduct electricity.

7. A machine according to claim 1, in which the rotor has no cement between each magnet and the adjacent parts.

8. A machine according to claim 1, in which the shaft, seen in section perpendicular to the axis of rotation, is in the shape of a convex polygon having planar faces separated by edges.

9. A machine according to claim 1, in which each pole piece is comprised of a stack of ferromagnetic sheets, each sheet being disposed substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the shaft.

10. A machine according to claim 1, in which the permanent magnets are in direct contact with the shaft.