Control moment gyro having spherical rotor with permanent magnets

• US 5,476,018 A
• Filed: 12/15/1994
• Issued: 12/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Mitsukane, Adachi, Ando, Yohei, Nakanishi, Teruo, Sakakibara, Kiyokatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonck, Rodney H.
• Application Number:
  US08/356,645
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 74/5.46, 74/5.7, 310/90.5, 310/156, 310/266
• US Class Current: 74/5.7
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/30 Driving arrangements; Transmissions; Couplings; Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/32 Driving arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/04 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/18 providing movement of rotor with respect to its rotational axes G01C19/20, G01C19/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/24 using magnetic or electrostatic fields
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/72 with counter-rotating light beams in a passive ring, e.g. fibre laser gyrometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/18 Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/031 of the permanent magnet type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/085 radially supporting the rotary shaft at only one end of the rotor H02K7/086, H02K7/09 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1218 Combined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/125 by magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1282 with rotor drive

Abstract

A multi-freedom electric motor has a broad operational range and a wide space for accommodating an article. The electric motor includes a spherical rotor, a plurality of magnets disposed on an outer surface of the rotor with polarities of the respective adjacent magnetic poles being different from one another, a stator provided along the outer surface of the rotor, and a plurality of magnets opposed to the magnets disposed on an inner surface of the stator. The rotor is supported by a spherical bearing provided on the stator. Either the magnets on the rotor or the magnets on the stator are electromagnets. Electric current are supplied to the electromagnets as controlled by a controller. The multi-freedom electric motor can be employed in a space stabilizer for maintaining the spherical attitude of an article, a control moment gyro for performing an attitude control in space, and an agitating apparatus.

Claims

1. A control moment gyro comprising:

a spherical flywheel;

a plurality of permanent magnets arrayed along a series of intersecting lines and embedded in the outer surface of said flywheel to thereby constitute a rotor with said flywheel, and all adjacent magnetic poles of said permanent magnets having polarities opposite to one another;

a gimbal extending along the outer surface of said flywheel and supporting said flywheel in such a manner that said flywheel is rotatable relative to said gimbal about first and second axes orthogonal to one another, said gimbal being supported in the gyro so as to be rotatable about a third axis orthogonal to said first and second axes, and said gimbal having an inner surface confronting the outer surface of said spherical flywheel;

a plurality of electromagnets disposed on said inner surface of said gimbal to thereby constitute a stator with said gimbal; and

a controller connected to said electromagnets.