Dual concentric AC motor

• US 7,030,528 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Morgante, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HANH N
• Application Number:
  US10/361,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20040155554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 310/112, 310/114, 310/216, 310/217, 310/254
• US Class Current: 310/112
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/24 Rotor cores with salient poles ; Variable reluctance rotors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/2733 Annular magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/005 Machines with only rotors, e.g. counter-rotating rotors DC commutator machines or universal AC/DC commutator motors having a rotating armature and a rotating excitation field H02K23/60
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/02 Machines with one stator and two or more rotors

Abstract

A dual concentric AC motor allows for two independently operating AC motors that produce the same torque at the same current input as two conventional, separate electric motors while occupying a smaller physical volume. The dual concentric AC motor utilizes a single, hollow cylindrical stator core comprising inner and outer stators and an inner rotor and an outer rotor that operate independently of one another. The inner stator, with windings that face toward the center of the motor, couples to the inner rotor, which rotates inside the single stator core, while the outer stator, with windings that face away from the center of the motor, couples to the outer rotor, which rotates around the single stator core. A back iron, centrally located in the single stator core, physically and magnetically separates the inner and outer stators. The two rotors are coupled to separate, independent output shafts.

Claims

1. A dual concentric electric motor comprising:

a hollow stator core having an axis;

a first rotor concentric with and positioned inside the hollow stator core and electrically driven by said hollow stator core;

a second rotor concentric with and positioned outside the hollow stator core and electrically driven by said hollow stator core;

a first motor shaft coupled to said first rotor;

a second motor shaft coupled to said second rotor; and

wherein the hollow stator core comprises;

a hollow cylindrical inner stator;

a hollow cylindrical outer stator; and

a nonmagnetic isolator positioned between and separating the inner stator and the outer stator.

2. The dual concentric electric motor of claim 1 wherein:

the hollow cylindrical inner stator comprises a plurality of inner stator teeth facing the axis; and

the hollow cylindrical outer stator comprises a plurality of outer stator teeth facing away from the axis.

3. The dual concentric electric motor of claim 1 wherein the first motor shaft and the second motor shaft both exit a same end of the motor.

4. The dual concentric electric motor of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of first slots formed on an outer surface of the first rotor; and

a plurality of second slots formed on an inner surface of the second rotor.

5. The dual concentric electric motor of claim 4 further comprising:

a plurality of first electrically conductive rotor bars positioned in the first slots; and

a plurality of second eclectically conductive rotor bars positioned in the second slots.

6. A dual concentric AC electric motor comprising:

a hollow cylindrical stator core having a central axis, the stator core comprising an inner stator and an outer stator spaced apart by an isolator separating the magnetic flux generated by the inner and outer stator;

a first plurality of stator teeth formed on an inner surface of the inner stator and facing the central axis;

a second plurality of stator teeth fanned on an outer surface of the outer stator and facing outwardly from the ventral axis;

an inner rotor concentric with and positioned inside the inner stator and driven by said inner stator;

an outer rotor concentric with and positioned outside the outer stator and driven by said outer stator;

a plurality of first slots formed in an outer surface of the inner rotor and positioned to face the inner stator, an electrically conductive first rotor bar positioned in each of the plurality of first slots;

a plurality of second slots formed in an inner surface of the outer rotor and positioned to face the outer stator, an electrically conductive second rotor bar positioned in each of the plurality of second slots;

a first motor output shaft coupled to the inner rotor; and

a second motor output shaft coupled to the outer rotor.