Motor having multiple independent armature winding sets

• US 20070278978A1
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kroeger, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,365,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/161
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/28 Layout of windings or of connections between windings windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/02 Additional mass for increasing inertia, e.g. flywheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids

Abstract

A motor is provided that includes multiple sets of independent stator windings that are not magnetically coupled, which allows the motor to be driven by multiple independent current drivers, and thereby increases the overall torque generated by the motor. In one embodiment, the motor is a brushless DC motor that includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor is configured for rotation, and the stator surrounds at least a portion of the rotor and has multiple sets of independent stator windings wound thereon. Each set of independent stator windings is configured to be independently energized and, when energized, magnetically independent of the other sets of independent stator windings.

Claims

1. A brushless DC motor, comprising:

a rotor configured for rotation;

a stator surrounding at least a portion of the rotor and having multiple sets of independent stator windings wound thereon, each set of independent stator windings configured to be independently energized and, when energized, magnetically independent of the other sets of independent stator windings.

2. The motor of claim 1, wherein the rotor is a permanent magnet rotor.

3. The motor of claim 1, wherein each set of independent stator windings is wound on the stator in a three-phase winding configuration.

4. The motor of claim 3, wherein each set of independent stator windings is electrically connected in a Y-configuration.

5. The motor of claim 1, wherein:

the rotor is configured as an N-pole rotor, where N is an integer greater than one; and

each set of independent stator windings is wound on the stator to define M-number of poles, where M is an integer that is a factor of N.

6. The motor of claim 5, wherein N is equal to 8, and M is equal to 2.

7. The motor of claim 1, wherein:

the stator comprises a stator core having a total number of stator winding slots formed therein; and

each set of independent stator windings is wound in only a subset of the total number of stator winding slots.

8. The motor of claim 7, wherein:

the stator core has 48 stator winding slots formed therein; and

each set of independent stator windings is wound in either 16 or 17 of the stator winding slots.

9. The motor of claim 8, wherein:

each set of independent stator windings is wound in 16 of the stator winding slots each set of independent stator windings includes an outer coil, an intermediate coil, and an inner coil;

the outer coil of each set is wound with a 5-slot pitch;

the intermediate coil of each set is wound with a 3-slot pitch; and

the inner coil of each set is wound with a 1-slot pitch.

10. The motor of claim 8, wherein:

each set of independent stator windings is wound in 17 of the stator winding slots

each set of independent stator windings includes an outer coil, an intermediate coil, and an inner coil;

the outer coil of each set is wound with a 6-slot pitch;

the intermediate coil of each set is wound with a 4-slot pitch; and

the inner coil of each set is wound with a 2-slot pitch.

11. A brushless DC motor system, comprising:

a rotor configured for rotation;

a stator surrounding at least a portion of the rotor and having multiple sets of independent stator windings wound thereon, each set of independent stator windings configured to be independently energized and, when energized, magnetically independent of the other sets of independent stator windings; and

a plurality of independent motor drivers, each motor driver coupled to one of the sets of independent stator windings and configured to selectively energize and commutate the set of independent stator windings to which it is coupled.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the rotor is a permanent magnet rotor.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein each set of independent stator windings is wound on the stator in a three-phase winding configuration and electrically connected in a Y-configuration.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the rotor is configured as an N-pole rotor, where N is an integer greater than one; and

each set of independent stator windings is wound on the stator to define M-number of poles, where M is an integer that is a factor of N.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein N is equal to 8, and M is equal to 2.

16. The motor of claim 11, wherein:

the stator comprises a stator core having a total number of stator winding slots formed therein; and

each set of independent stator windings is wound in only a subset of the total number of stator winding slots.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the stator core has 48 stator winding slots formed therein; and

each set of independent stator windings is wound in either 16 or 17 of the stator winding slots.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

each set of independent stator windings is wound in 16 of the stator winding slots each set of independent stator windings includes an outer coil, an intermediate coil, and an inner coil;

the outer coil of each set is wound with a 5-slot pitch;

the intermediate coil of each set is wound with a 3-slot pitch; and

the inner coil of each set is wound with a 1-slot pitch.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein:

each set of independent stator windings is wound in 17 of the stator winding slots each set of independent stator windings includes an outer coil, an intermediate coil, and an inner coil;

the outer coil of each set is wound with a 6-slot pitch;

the intermediate coil of each set is wound with a 4-slot pitch; and

the inner coil of each set is wound with a 2-slot pitch.

20. An attitude control system, comprising:

a plurality of rotationally mounted flywheels, each flywheel adapted to receive a rotational drive force;

a main control unit adapted to receive torque commands and operable, in response thereto, to selectively supply a plurality of independent speed commands;

a plurality of motor control units, each motor control unit coupled to receive selected ones of the independent speed commands and, upon receipt thereof, to selectively supply a plurality of motor activation signals; and

a plurality of motors, each motor coupled to one of the flywheels to supply the rotational drive force thereto, each motor including;

a rotor, and

a stator surrounding at least a portion of the rotor and having multiple sets of independent stator windings wound thereon, each set of independent stator windings coupled to receive, and be independently energized in response to, selected ones of the activation signals, each set of independent stator windings configured, upon being energized, to be magnetically independent of the other sets of independent stator windings.