Radial flux alternator

• US 9,331,535 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leidos, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Leidos, Inc. (Leidos Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fralick, Charles R., Eckert, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mok, Alex W
• Application Number:
  US13/415,645
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 310/208, 310/156.12, 310/156.13, 310/156.14, 310/214, 310/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/14 Stator cores with salient poles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/274 the rotor consisting of two or more circumferentially positioned magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/278 Surface mounted magnets; Inset magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/12 arranged in slots
• 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 3/325 for windings on salient poles, such as claw-shaped poles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

An energy conversion system includes rotor, stator and shell components configurations for increasing power efficiency and improving replacement and repair efficiency. The system harvests environmental energy for lower power generation and accounts for non-mechanical sources of rotational resistance within the generator.

Claims

1. An energy conversion system comprising:

a cylindrical rotor including a mass and multiple magnets affixed on an outer face thereof and further including non-magnetic portions on the outer face between the multiple magnets;

a cylindrical stator including one or more dielectric components wound with copper wire in a predetermined configuration, the cylindrical rotor being placed within the cylindrical stator;

a ferro-magnetic shell component rotatably connected with the cylindrical rotor, wherein the cylindrical rotor and the cylindrical stator are located within a circumference of the shell component, the ferro-magnetic shell having cutouts in locations opposite the non-magnetic portions of the outer face of the cylindrical rotor; and

a rotatable shaft for simultaneously rotating the cylindrical rotor and the shell component, the rotatable shaft being placed in the center of the cylindrical rotor.

2. The energy conversion system of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical stator includes multiple dielectric components each having a length and width and having notches at a top and bottom of the length thereof;

and

each of the multiple dielectric components includes a piece of copper wire wound around the length of the component through the top and bottom notches.

3. The energy conversion system of claim 2, wherein each of the multiple dielectric components is attached around a periphery of a stator plate.

4. The energy conversion system of claim 1, wherein one or more dielectric components is a dielectric cylinder that includes multiple notches at a top and bottom of a circumference thereof;

and

further wherein the copper wire is wound through the multiple notches.

5. The energy conversion system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined configuration includes multiple coils of copper wire, wherein a single coil includes two horizontal portions and two vertical portions formed by winding the copper wire through four notches;

and

further wherein the vertical portions of the coils face the multiple magnets affixed to the outer face of the cylindrical rotor.

6. The energy conversion system of claim 5, wherein the coils are held in place using at least one of epoxy and a dielectric sleeve.

7. The energy conversion system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined configuration includes multiple coils of copper wire, wherein a single coil includes two horizontal portions and two vertical portions formed by winding the copper wire through four notches;

and

further wherein the vertical portions of the coils face the multiple magnets affixed to the periphery of the cylindrical rotor.

8. The energy conversion system of claim 1, wherein the system generates output power in the range of 2 to 20 watts.

9. The energy conversion system of claim 1, wherein the system generates output power at a rotational speed of 1 to 500 rpm.

10. The energy conversion system of claim 1, wherein there are no conductive materials within an operational range of the rotor, such that non-mechanical resistance to rotation of the rotor is minimized.

11. The energy conversion system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable shaft rotates in response to at least one source of kinetic energy selected from the group consisting of water and wind.

12. The energy conversion system of claim 1, wherein the system does not include gears.

13. An energy conversion system comprising:

a cylindrical rotor including a mass and a round plate with multiple magnets affixed on the periphery thereof by individual L-brackets each of which has a short section and a long section, the individual L-brackets being secured to the plate by threading a short section thereof through individual openings along the periphery and securing one of the multiple magnets to the long section of each L-bracket and the cylindrical rotor further including non-magnetic portions on the periphery thereof between the multiple magnets;

a cylindrical stator including one or more dielectric components wound with copper wire in a predetermined configuration, the cylindrical rotor being placed within the cylindrical stator;

a rotatable shaft for rotating the cylindrical rotor, the rotatable shaft being placed in the center of the cylindrical rotor; and

a ferro-magnetic shell component rotatably connected with the cylindrical rotor via the rotatable shaft, the ferro-magnetic shell having cutouts in locations opposite the non-magnetic portions of the periphery of the cylindrical rotor.

14. The energy conversion system of claim 13, wherein the cylindrical rotor and the cylindrical stator are located within a circumference of the shell component.

15. The energy conversion system of claim 13, wherein the cylindrical stator includes multiple dielectric components each having a length and width and having notches at a top and bottom of the length thereof;

and

each of the multiple dielectric components includes a piece of copper wire wound around the length of the component through the top and bottom notches.

16. The energy conversion system of claim 15, wherein each of the multiple dielectric components is attached around a periphery of a stator plate.

17. The energy conversion system of claim 13, wherein one or more dielectric components is a dielectric cylinder that includes multiple notches at a top and bottom of a circumference thereof;

and

further wherein the copper wire is wound through the multiple notches.

18. An energy conversion system comprising:

a cylindrical rotor including a mass and a round plate with multiple magnets affixed on the periphery thereof by individual L-brackets each of which has a short section and a long section, the individual L-brackets being secured to the plate by threading a short section thereof through individual openings along the periphery and securing one of the multiple magnets to the long section of each L-bracket, the cylindrical rotor further including non-magnetic portions on the periphery thereof between the multiple magnets;

a cylindrical stator including multiple dielectric components each having a length and width and having notches at a top and bottom of the length thereof, wherein each of the multiple dielectric components includes a piece of copper wire wound around the length of the component through the top and bottom notches, the cylindrical rotor being placed within the cylindrical stator;

a ferro-magnetic shell component rotatably connected with the cylindrical rotor, wherein the cylindrical rotor and the cylindrical stator are located within a circumference of the shell component, and further wherein the ferro-magnetic shell has cutouts in locations opposite the non-magnetic portions of the periphery of the cylindrical rotor; and

a rotatable shaft for simultaneously rotating the cylindrical rotor and the shell, the rotatable shaft being placed in the center of the cylindrical rotor.