Hybrid alternator

• US 6,236,134 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ecoair Corp.
• Original Assignee: Ecoair Corp.
• Inventors: Syverson, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRAN N
• Application Number:
  US08/977,906
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 310/156, 310/114
• US Class Current: 310/181
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/042 using temperature dependent resistors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/06 for dynamo-electric generators; for synchronous capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/067 on occurrence of a load dump control on sudden change of load H02P9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/163 with special means for initiating or limiting the excitation current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/28 using magnetic devices with controllable degree of saturation in combination with controlled discharge tube or controlled semiconductor device
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/24 Rotor cores with salient poles ; Variable reluctance rotors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/2713 the magnetisation axis of the magnets being axial, e.g. claw-pole type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/276 Magnets embedded in the magnetic core, e.g. interior permanent magnets [IPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/2773 consisting of tangentially magnetized radial magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/00 Machines with more than one rotor or stator machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 19/103 Motors having windings on the stator and a variable reluctance soft-iron rotor without windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 19/28 for self-excitation
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 19/36 Structural association of synchronous generators with auxiliary electric devices influencing the characteristic of the generator or controlling the generator, e.g. with impedances or switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 19/365 with a voltage regulator
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 21/042 with permanent magnets and field winding both rotating
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/51 : applicable to rotors only
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/06 : with fans or impellers driven by the machine shaft
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/45 : for motor vehicles, e.g. car alternators
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/006 : Means for protecting the generator by using control H02H7/06 takes precedence; control effected upon generator excitation circuit to reduce harmful effects of overloads or transients H02P9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/305 : controlling voltage H02P9/302 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

A hybrid alternator comprising a stator, and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap. The rotor has a rotor core defining a plurality of magnetic poles wherein adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields. The plurality of magnetic poles comprises a plurality of permanent magnet poles and a plurality of electromagnetic poles. Each permanent magnet pole is defined by a permanent magnet. The plurality of permanent magnet poles comprises two (2) sets of diametrically positioned permanent magnet poles. Each permanent magnet is positioned within the rotor perimeter and associated with a pair of adjacent magnetic poles to form adjacent permanent magnet poles.

Claims

1. An electrical machine comprising:

a generally-annular stator; and

a rotor rotatably mounted within said stator and defining an axis of rotation, said rotor having an axially-extending periphery, said rotor comprising a plurality of wound-field poles disposed about at least one portion of said periphery and a plurality of permanent magnet poles all disposed about at least one circumferentially-different portion of said periphery, said wound-field poles in general axial alignment with said permanent magnet poles;

wherein said wound-field poles are disposed in circumferentially-consecutive pairs.

2. An electrical machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet poles are disposed in circumferentially-consecutive pairs.

3. An electrical machine as recited in claim 2, wherein said pairs of circumferentially-consecutive permanent magnet poles are of opposite magnetic polarity and said pairs of circumferentially-consecutive wound-field poles are of opposite magnetic polarity.

4. An electrical machine as recited in claim 3, wherein:

said rotor further comprises two pole pieces each with generally-circular bodies, the bodies of said poles pieces defining an axis of rotation of said rotor; and

at least some of said wound-field poles extend axially from one of said pole pieces.

5. A hybrid alternator comprising:

a generally-annular stator; and

a rotor rotatably mounted within said stator and defining an axis of rotation, said rotor having an axially-extending periphery, said rotor comprising a plurality of wound-field poles disposed about at least one portion of said periphery and a plurality of permanent magnet poles all disposed about at least one circumferentially-different portion of said periphery, said wound-field poles in general axial alignment with said permanent magnet poles;

wherein said wound-field poles are disposed in circumferentially-consecutive pairs.

6. A hybrid alternator as recited in claim 5, wherein said permanent magnet poles are disposed in circumferentially-consecutive pairs.

7. A hybrid alternator as recited in claim 6, wherein said pairs of circumferentially-consecutive permanent magnet poles are of opposite magnetic polarity and said pairs of circumferentially-consecutive wound-field poles are of opposite magnetic polarity.

8. A hybrid alternator as recited in claim 7, wherein:

said rotor further comprises two pole pieces each with generally circular bodies, the bodies of said poles pieces defining an axis of rotation of said rotor; and

at least some of said wound-field poles extend axially from one of said pole pieces.