Motor-generator

• US 6,034,492 A
• Filed: 04/28/1998
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Takashi, Kibi, Yukari
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/067,621
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139-150, 318/376, 318/430, 318/801, 290/38 R, 290/1 R, 290/50, 290/1 E, 290/1 C, 307/125, 307/43, 307/64, 307/85, 310/75 B, 310/68 R, 310/254, 310/268, 320/122, 320/167, 320/14, 320/56, 320/15, 320/61, 320/1, 123/179.1, 123/179.3, 123/192.1, 323/282, 180/65.2, 180/65.4
• US Class Current: 318/141
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1415 with a generator driven by a prime mover other than the motor of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/45 for motor vehicles, e.g. car alternators
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/00 Arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output Ward-Leonard arrangements H02P7/34; vector control H02P21/00; feeding a network by two or more generators H02J; for charging batteries H02J7/14

Abstract

A D.C. motor-generator and an electric double layer capacitor are fixedly connected directly to each other and a rotary shaft of the motor-generator is rotated in one direction by an external force to generate D.C. electric energy which is stored in the electric double layer capacitor. By supplying the electric energy from the electric double layer capacitor to the D.C. motor-generator, the stored electric energy can be discharged as mechanical rotation energy. By deriving the stored energy as electric energy, an emergency power source can be provided.

Claims

1. A motor-generator device comprising:

a combination motor-generator, said motor-generator becoming a generator for generating D.C. current in a pair of terminals thereof in one current flow direction when a rotary shaft thereof is rotated in one rotational direction by an external force and becoming a motor for rotating said rotary shaft in the same one rotational direction when D.C. current is supplied to the pair of said terminals in a current flow direction opposite to the current flow direction of the D.C. current generated by said generator direction;

an electric double layer capacitor for storing the D.C. current generated by said motor-generator operating as a generator and supplying the D.C. current to said D.C. motor-generator when said D.C. motor-generator is operating as a motor,

the pair of said terminals of said motor-generator and terminals of said electric double layer capacitor being fixedly connected directly by a pair of conductors; and

,

mechanical means acting on said rotary shaft for permitting said rotary shaft to rotate only in said one rotational direction.

2. A motor-generator device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a voltage limiter circuit operatively provided between the pair of said terminals.

3. A power source device comprising:

a D.C. power source circuit for converting a D.C. current input to D.C. input terminals into a predetermined D.C. power source output; and

means for supplying a D.C. current to said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit,

wherein said supplying means comprises a D.C. generator for generating a D.C. current and an electric double layer capacitor for temporarily storing the D.C. current generated by said D.C. generator and supplying it to said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit,

said D.C. generator and said electric double layer capacitor being connected in series with said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit;

a polarity inverter circuit connected to said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit, for inverting the polarity of said electric double layer capacitor between a charging time and a discharging time,

wherein said D.C. generator is a combination D.C. motor-generator, a flow direction of current generated by said D.C. motor-generator when said D.C. motor-generator operates as a generator being opposite to a flow direction of current supplied when said motor-generator operates as a motor, wherein a rotary shaft of said D.C. motor-generator rotates in the same one rotational direction when said D.C. motor generator operates as a generator as when said D.C. motor-generator operates as a motor; and

further comprising mechanical means for forcibly preventing rotation of said rotary shaft in a direction opposite said one rotational direction.

4. A power source device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a constant voltage circuit connected to said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit.

5. A power source device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a constant current circuit connected to said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit.

6. A power source device comprising:

a D.C. power source circuit for converting a D.C. current input to D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit into a predetermined D.C. power source outptut; and

means for supplying a D.C. current to said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit,

wherein said means for supplying comprises a D.C. generator for generating a D.C. current and an electric double layer capacitor for temporarily storing the D.C. current generated by said D.C. generator and supplying it to said D.C. input terminals, said D.C. generator and said electric double layer capacitor being connected in parallel to said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit;

wherein said D.C. generator is a combination D.C. motor-generator, a flow direction of current generated by said D.C. motor-generator when said D.C. motor-generator operates as a generator being opposite to the flow direction of current supplied when said motor-generator operates as a motor, wherein a rotary shaft of said D.C. motor-generator rotates in the same one rotational direction when said D.C. motor generator operates as a generator as when said D.C. motor-generator operates as a motor; and

further comprising mechanical means for preventing rotation of said rotary shaft in a direction opposite said one rotational direction.

7. A power source device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a rectifier element provided between said D.C. generator and said electric double layer capacitor, for conducting D.C. current generated by said D.C. generator.

8. A power source device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a constant current circuit connected to said D.C. input terminals of said D.C. power source circuit.