Polyphasic multi-coil electric device

• US 9,685,827 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DPM Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EXRO Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Ritchey, Jonathan Gale
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRAN N
• Application Number:
  US14/097,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 310 75 R, 310 78, 310 79, 310 92, 310 96, 310 98, 310100, 310101, 310112, 310114
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/08 Salient poles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/14 Stator cores with salient poles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 21/24 with magnets axially facing the armatures, e.g. hub-type cycle dynamos
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/108 with friction clutches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A polyphasic multi-coil generator includes a drive shaft, at least first and second rotors rigidly mounted on the drive shaft so as to simultaneously synchronously rotate with rotation of the drive shaft, and at least one stator sandwiched between the first and second rotors. A stator array on the stator has an array of electrically conductive coils mounted to the stator in a first angular orientation about the drive shaft. The rotors each have an array of magnets which are circumferentially equally spaced around the rotor and located at the same radially spacing with respect to the centre of the rotor and the drive shaft at a first angular orientation relative to the drive shaft. The arrays of magnets on adjacent rotors are off-set by an angular offset relative to one another.

Claims

1. A mechanism for use in a polyphasic multi-coil generator, the mechanism comprising:

a drive shaft having a rotational axis;

a first rotor disposed circumferentially about the drive shaft and at least coupleable to rotate with the drive shaft, the first rotor having a first array of magnets, the first array of magnets including a plurality of magnets angularly arrayed about the drive shaft;

a second rotor disposed circumferentially about the drive shaft and at least coupleable to rotate with the drive shaft, the second rotor spaced along the drive shaft from the first rotor, the second rotor having a second array of magnets, the second array of magnets including a plurality of magnets angularly arrayed about the drive shaft, the magnets of the second array of magnets angularly offset about the rotational axis of the drive shaft with respect to respective ones of the magnets of the first array of magnets;

a third rotor disposed circumferentially about the drive shaft and at least coupleable to rotate with the drive shaft, the third rotor spaced along the drive shaft from the first and the second rotors, the third rotor having a third array of magnets, the third array of magnets including a plurality of magnets angularly arrayed about the drive shaft, the magnets of the third array of magnets angularly offset about the rotational axis of the drive shaft with respect to respective ones of the magnets of the second array of magnets; and

a fourth rotor disposed circumferentially about the drive shaft and at least coupleable to rotate with the drive shaft, the fourth rotor spaced along the drive shaft from the first, the second, and the third rotors, the fourth rotor having a fourth array of magnets, the fourth array of magnets including a plurality of magnets angularly arrayed about the drive shaft, the magnets of the fourth array of magnets angularly offset about the rotational axis of the drive shaft with respect to respective ones of the magnets of the third array of magnets;

wherein the first rotor, the second, the third and the fourth rotors are selectively coupled to the drive shaft to vary a collective angular orientation of the magnets of the first rotor, the second, the third and the fourth rotors as a unit.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one solenoid selectively operable to vary the collective angular orientation of the magnets of the first rotor, the second, the third and the fourth rotors as a unit.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 wherein the at least one solenoid is selectively operable in response to a current driven sensor.

4. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one clutch selectively operable to vary the collective angular orientation of the magnets of the first rotor, the second, the third and the fourth rotors as a unit.

5. The mechanism of claim 4 wherein the at least one clutch is selectively operable in response to a current driven sensor.

6. The mechanism of claim 4 wherein each of the first, the second, the third and the fourth rotors include a respective hub, and the at least one clutch includes a number of clutches mounted within respective ones of the hubs of the first, the second, the third and the fourth rotors.

7. The mechanism of claim 6 wherein the drive shaft has a splined portion and the clutches are selectively engageable by the splined portion of the drive shaft.

8. A mechanism for use in a polyphasic multi-coil generator, the mechanism comprising:

a drive shaft having a rotational axis;

a first rotor disposed circumferentially about the drive shaft and at least coupleable to rotate with the drive shaft, the first rotor having a first array of magnets, the first array of magnets including a plurality of magnets angularly arrayed about the drive shaft; and

a second rotor disposed circumferentially about the drive shaft and at least coupleable to rotate with the drive shaft, the second rotor spaced along the drive shaft from the first rotor, the second rotor having a second array of magnets, the second array of magnets including a plurality of magnets angularly arrayed about the drive shaft, the magnets of the second array of magnets angularly offset about the rotational axis of the drive shaft with respect to respective ones of the magnets of the first array of magnets;

further comprising a number of clutches selectively operable to vary a collective angular orientation of the magnets of at least the first and the second rotors as a unit.

9. The mechanism of claim 8 wherein the clutches are selectively operable in response to a current driven sensor.

10. The mechanism of claim 8 wherein each of the first and the second rotors includes a respective hub, and the clutches include a first clutch and a second clutch mounted within respective ones of the hubs of the first and the second rotors.

11. The mechanism of claim 10 wherein the drive shaft has a splined portion and the clutches are selectively engageable by the splined portion of the drive shaft.

12. The mechanism of claim 11 wherein the clutches include clutch splines, a clutch arm and clutch shoes, the clutch arm rotatable relative to respective clutch shoes to force the clutch shoes into engagement with the hubs and the clutch arm rotatable with the clutch shoes to bring a rotational speed of said hubs into alignment with a rotational speed of the drive shaft.

13. The mechanism of claim 12 wherein the hubs include splines sized and dimensioned to receive respective ones of the splined portion of the drive shaft, the splined portion of the drive shaft selective engageable with the splines of the hubs when the rotational speed of the hubs matches the rotational speed of the drive shaft.

14. The mechanism of claim 13 wherein the first and the second rotors comprise a first unit and the splined portion of the drive shaft is axially movable by a shifter rod to engage clutches of a number of successive units of rotors on the drive shaft.

15. A mechanism for use in a polyphasic multi-coil generator, the mechanism comprising:

a drive shaft having a rotational axis;

a first rotor disposed circumferentially about the drive shaft and at least coupleable to rotate with the drive shaft, the first rotor having a first array of magnets, the first array of magnets including a plurality of magnets angularly arrayed about the drive shaft; and

a second rotor disposed circumferentially about the drive shaft and at least coupleable to rotate with the drive shaft, the second rotor spaced along the drive shaft from the first rotor, the second rotor having a second array of magnets, the second array of magnets including a plurality of magnets angularly arrayed about the drive shaft, the magnets of the second array of magnets angularly offset about the rotational axis of the drive shaft with respect to respective ones of the magnets of the first array of magnets;

wherein said each array of magnets includes at least one pair of magnets, each of the pairs of magnets including a first magnet and a second magnet, the first magnet of the respective pair of magnets positioned radially closer to the drive shaft than the second magnet of the respective pair, and each of the pairs of magnets are aligned along a common radial axis with each of the pairs of magnets extending radially outwardly of the drive shaft.