4738results about "Structural association" patented technology

The invention includes an electric machine having a rotor, stator and at least one winding in the stator adapted to conduct a current, and a secondary winding, electrically isolated from the first winding and inductively coupled to the first winding, which may be used to control at least one of the output voltage and current of the first winding.

A method and circuit for determining the speed and/or counting the revolutions of brush and commutator motors is described. The method and circuitry detects signals present on the windings of the motor due to commutation that occurs at the brushes and commutator of the motor. This method can be used to simply monitor & indicate the motor speed and revolutions or to form the basis of a motor control.

An inductive power supply system for providing power to one or more inductively powered devices. The system includes a mechanism for varying the physical distance or the respective orientation between the primary coil and secondary coil to control the amount of power supplied to the inductively powered device. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an inductive power supply system having a primary coil and a receptacle disposed within the magnetic field generated by the primary coil. One or more inductively powered devices are placed randomly within the receptacle to receive power inductively from the primary coil. The power supply circuit includes circuitry for adjusting the power supplied to the primary coil to optimize operation based on the position and cumulative characteristics of the inductively powered device(s) disposed within the receptacle.

An inductive power supply system for providing power to one or more inductively powered devices. The system includes a mechanism for varying the physical distance or the respective orientation between the primary coil and secondary coil to control the amount of power supplied to the inductively powered device. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an inductive power supply system having a primary coil and a receptacle disposed within the magnetic field generated by the primary coil. One or more inductively powered devices are placed randomly within the receptacle to receive power inductively from the primary coil. The power supply circuit includes circuitry for adjusting the power supplied to the primary coil to optimize operation based on the position and cumulative characteristics of the inductively powered device(s) disposed within the receptacle.

A device for monitoring a rotating shaft is provided. The device measures strain in the shaft and provides angular velocity and torque in the shaft. The device includes a sensor, sensor conditioning circuitry, a microprocessor, and a transmitter, all located on a rotating shaft. The device obtains power by harvesting mechanical energy of the rotating shaft itself. Coils are provided rotating with the shaft and permanent magnets are mounted adjacent the rotating shaft so electrical energy is induced in the coils as they rotate through the magnetic field of the permanent magnets. A battery or capacitor is connected to the coils for storing energy. A microprocessor is connected to the sensors, the storage device, and the transmitter for managing power consumption and for monitoring the amount of electrical energy stored in the storage device and for switchably connecting the storage device to the transmitter when the stored energy exceeds a threshold.

The throttle of an engine in an engine driven generator system operating subject to a wide and rapidly variable load, as in supplying current to a welder, is operated such that control signals are sent to a throttle actuator for adjusting the engine throttle position in response to load changes. The throttle actuator may be a solenoid pulling against a spring in accordance with the average current through the solenoid coil. In this embodiment, the processor causes pulse width modulated signals to be applied across the solenoid coil with throttle position changes being reflected in changes to the width of the pulses, such changes in the pulse width being delayed for at least the predetermined time since the last preceding adjustment to the throttle. Alternatively, the throttle actuator may be a stepper motor which is stepped by throttle position change signals from a processor which monitors engine speed and generator load to determine whether the throttle should be adjusted and, if so, in which direction and to what extent for optimum response.

An improved system for monitoring vibration of an electric machine is disclosed. According to one embodiment, sensors are positioned in a plane orthogonal to the motor shaft and each sensor detects vibration along at least one axis of the motor. The sensors are oriented such that the polarity of each sensor is reversed. The pairs of sensors may be used to isolate specific vibrations within the motor. According to another embodiment, a sensor may be mounted directly to the motor shaft. The sensor on the motor shaft directly detects vibrations along the motor shaft. Optionally, a second sensor may be mounted to a fixed location within the motor housing, and the combination of the sensor on the motor shaft and the sensor at a fixed location may be used to isolate specific vibrations within the motor. A motor controller may adjust operation of the motor to reduce the isolated vibration.

An equipment fan has a housing (22) that externally defines an air passage opening (41) provided in the fan (20). The fan has a motor (21) for rotatably driving blades (40) about a rotation axis (23), as well as a carrier element (51), provided between the motor (21) and the housing (22), which extends transversely to the passage (41) and is configured as a trough (53) that serves to receive an electrical lead (52) and guides the lead along a predetermined path from the motor (21) to a location (64) on the housing (22). The fan also has a deflection device (50) which, by deflecting the lead (52) at a first deflection location (55) and at a second deflection location (84) and in at least two planes extending at a predetermined angle with respect to one another, effects strain relief for the lead (52) that proceeds to the motor (21).

A drive unit includes an electric motor as a power source, and a simplified coolant circuit for cooling the electric motor. The drive unit further includes, in the drive unit case, a circulation passage L for coolant for cooling the motor M. A circulation passage F for a second coolant is provided separate from the circulation passage L for coolant. A heat exchange portion C within the circulation passage L for the first coolant is provided in the drive unit case for heat exchange with the second coolant in the circulation passage F, and the first coolant for cooling the electric motor is cooled by heat transfer to the second coolant in that heat exchange portion C. Accordingly, the coolant circuit in the drive unit case is simplified.

The present invention relates to a method for operating a wind turbine with an electrical generator, drivable by a rotor, for supplying electrical power to an electric grid, in particular to the loads connected thereto. The object of the present invention is to define a method for operating a wind turbine and to provide a wind turbine and/or a wind farm that is capable, even when the output of non-reactive power fluctuates, of reducing or at least of insignificantly increasing the unwanted fluctuation in voltage at a predefined point in the grid compared to the situation with no wind turbine(s). Method for operating a wind turbine with an electrical generator, drivable by a rotor, for supplying electrical power to an electric grid, in particular to the loads connected thereto, characterized in that the phase angle φ is changed in response to at least one voltage measured in the grid.

A method for operating a wind turbine and to provide a wind turbine and/or a wind farm that is capable, even when the output of non-reactive power fluctuates, of reducing or at least of insignificantly increasing the unwanted fluctuation in voltage at a predefined point in the grid compared to the situation with no wind turbines. Method for operating a wind turbine with an electrical generator, drivable by a rotor, for supplying electrical power to an electric grid, in particular to the loads connected thereto, characterized in that the phase angle φ is changed in response to at least one voltage measured in the grid.

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head actuated over a surface of the disk, and a spindle motor for rotating the disk. The spindle motor comprises a ring-shaped stator having a plurality of stator teeth each wound with a winding. The spindle motor further comprises a hub having a plurality of magnets for interacting with the stator teeth to rotate the hub about the shaft when the windings are energized. A ring-shaped shield is disposed in a vertical gap between the windings and the hub to reduce a voltage coupled from the windings to the surface of the disk.

A small-sized motor for electric power steering, in which coil connection can be easily performed with space saving, and a method for manufacturing the motor. Multi-phase stator coils assembled in a stator coil are connected per phase by connecting rings at coil ends of the stator coils. A bus bar supplied with electric power from the exterior is stacked onto the connecting rings in the axial direction of the motor and is electrically connected to the connecting rings.

Disclosed herein are a variety of different electrical system topologies intended to mitigate the impact of large intermittent loads on a 12 volt vehicle power distribution system. In some embodiments the intermittent load is disconnected from the remainder of the system and the voltage supplied to this load is allowed to fluctuate. In other embodiments, the voltage to critical loads is regulated independently of the voltage supplied to the remainder of the system. The different topologies described can be grouped into three categories, each corresponding to a different solution technique. One approach is to regulate the voltage to the critical loads. A second approach is to isolate the intermittent load that causes the drop in system voltage. The third approach is to use a different type of alternator that has a faster response than the conventional Lundell wound field machine.

A plurality of coils wound around a stator magnetic-pole core are connected together and connected to output wires by use of a bus bar. The bus bar having a generally cylindrical body portion is disposed at one axial end of the stator magnetic-pole core, around which the coils are wound such that clearances are formed within magnetic-pole core slots, with an axial clearance formed between the bus bar and the coils. The body portion has such a radial dimension that at least a portion of the clearances within the magnetic-pole core slots is left uncovered. Air holes are formed in the motor housing on opposite sides of the stator magnetic-pole core to thereby form cooling air passages extending through the magnetic-pole core slots.

An electromechanical actuator (EMA) is provided. The EMA includes a threaded output ram connectable to a mechanical component and at least one motor module engageable with the output ram for controllably translating the output ram along a linear axis of the output ram. The actuator further includes a torque sensing adaptive control (TSAC) system for monitoring torque within the motor module. The TSAC generates a disengagement command signal when the TSAC system determines torque within the motor module is outside an allowable motor module torque range. The disengagement command signal initiates disengagement of the motor module from the output ram.

A control system for a motor including a rotor comprises a sensorless sensor module that includes a saliency-based estimator module that generates a first rotor position signal based on saliency and a back electromotive force (emf) estimator module that generates a second rotor position signal based on back emf. A selector selects the first rotor position signal for rotor speeds below a first rotor speed and the second rotor position signal for rotor speeds above the first rotor speed. A rotor position sensor senses a position of the rotor and generates a third rotor position signal. A fault detection module senses faults in the rotor position sensor and outputs the third rotor position signal when a fault is not detected and one of the first and second rotor position signals when the fault is detected. An indirect field oriented control (IFOC) system controls the motor based on a selected one of the first, second and third rotor position signals.

A compact fan motor including a motor body having a tubular case accommodating a rotor, a permanent magnet, and brushes, and a pair of spring terminals that are connected to the brushes, sticks out from a peripheral wall of the tubular case, and has elasticity in a direction perpendicular to an axis of rotation of a shaft; an impeller fixed to the shaft sticking out from a front end of the tubular case; a holder having a case accommodating portion that is provided in a housing accommodating the motor body and impeller and has an inner wall surface extending in the direction of the axis of rotation of the shaft, and a motor body insertion opening provided at an edge of the case accommodating portion; and a pair of conductors provided on the inner wall surface of the holder while contacting with the spring terminals.

Apparatus are provided for motor control systems and related medical devices. In one embodiment, a control system includes a motor having a rotor, a modulation module coupled to the motor, and a control module coupled to the motor and the modulation module. The modulation module generates a modulated voltage that is applied to the motor, and the control module adjusts a duty cycle of the modulated voltage to achieve a commanded rotation of the rotor and detects a degradation condition based on the duty cycle.

An integrated torsional mode damping method for a current source converter, including a rectifier, an inverter, and a DC link inductor coupled between the rectifier and the inverter, includes sensing a signal representative of torque on a shaft coupled to the inverter or rectifier; using the sensed signal for detecting a presence of a torsional vibration on the shaft; and damping the torsional vibration by modulating active power through the respective inverter or rectifier.

A slide type cellular phone having two separate bodies automatically or manually sliding with respect to each other includes a first main body having a motor with a shaft, an elastic member elastically supporting the motor, and a switch activating the motor, a power transmitting unit coupled to the shaft of the motor to receive a rotation power from the motor, a pinion coupled to the power transmitting unit to be rotated by the rotation power, a second main body slidably coupled to the first main body, having a rack coupled to the pinion, and sliding with respect to the first main body according to movements of the pinion and the rack, and a sliding detecting unit detecting a termination of a sliding operation of the second main body to control the motor. The pinion, the rack, and the power transmitting member to operates by a rotation of the motor to automatically or manually slide the second main body with respect to the first main body, thereby providing a more convenient cellular phone.

The present invention is directed to a false activation reducing centrifugal activation system. The system is an activation system that may be used to activate a wide variety of functionalities in a wide variety of devices. The functional elements to the system are a device housing, a power supply module, and one or more activation modules that are activated by a particular motion of the housing, such as when the device housing is able to at least partially spin or rotate about one or more axis' of rotation. The disclosed activation modules include a centrifugally activated electronic system that allows a device's functionality to be turned on or off by moving the device's housing in a particular fashion. In this way, a device equipped with the disclosed centrifugally activated electronic system does not need to have a manual ON/OFF switch or fragile mechanical switch. Instead, the disclosed system allows one or more of a device's functionalities to be activated (or de-activated) when the device's housing moves in the proper manner, while reducing unwanted activations that would be caused by slight and/or unintentional movement. Any sort of promotional product may be equipped with the disclosed false activation reducing centrifugal activation system, including, but not limited to, toys for children, pet toys, novelty devices, and corporate giveaways.

The present invention discloses small compact motor systems which may be located inside a vehicle drive wheel, and which allow a drive motor to provide the necessary torque with reasonable system mass. The motor systems of the invention utilize polyphase electric motors, and are preferably connected to appropriate drive systems via mesh connections, to provide variable V/Hz ratios. In one embodiment the stator coils are wound around the inside and outside of the stator. In a further embodiment, the machine contains a high number of phases, greater than three. In a further embodiment, the phases are connected in a mesh connection. In a further embodiment, each half-phase is independently driven to enable second harmonic drive for an impedance effect. Improvements are apparent in efficiency and packing density.

An adaptive architecture for electric motors, generators and other electric machines. An adaptive electric machine provides optimal performance by dynamically adapting its controls to changes in user inputs, machine operating conditions and machine operating parameters. Isolating the machine's electromagnetic circuits allows effective control of more independent machine parameters, enabling greater freedom to optimize and providing adaptive motors and generators that are cheaper, smaller, lighter, more powerful, and more efficient than conventional designs. An electric vehicle with in-wheel adaptive motors enables delivery of higher power with lower unsprung mass, giving better torque-density. The motor control system can adapt to the vehicle's operating conditions, including starting, accelerating, turning, braking, and cruising at high speeds, thereby consistently providing higher efficiency. A wind powered adaptive generator can adapt to changing wind conditions, consistently providing optimal performance. An adaptive architecture may improve performance in a wide variety of electric machine applications, particularly those requiring optimal efficiency over a range of operating conditions.

A stator for an electrical machine includes a stator yoke and a plurality of stator coils arranged on the stator yoke. An interconnection arrangement is arranged on one end face of the stator yoke. The interconnection arrangement has connecting conductors which are electrically insulated from one another. The connecting conductors are arranged concentrically with respect to one another and each have a different diameter. The connecting conductors have connections for the ends of the stator coils and for connection to the electrical machine. To minimize the space requirement of the stator and simultaneously allow the stator coils to be automatically interconnected in an automated manner, the interconnection arrangement is arranged inside an area bounded by the stator coils. Furthermore, the connections for the ends of the stator coils include connection projections designed such that they project outward at an angle to the respective connecting conductor to attach the stator coil ends. A number of cutouts are provided in the connection conductors and are arranged so that the connection projections are bendable into the cutouts once the coil ends have been connected.

An arrangement with an electric motor facilitates mounting of the motor, particularly of a miniature or subminiature motor. The motor (20) has a stator (56), a rotor (24), and a support flange (36) coupled to the motor. A motor mount (22) is formed with an opening (94) for engagement with the support flange (36). The opening has, on its rim, a motor-side shoulder (96) that has a substantially frustoconical shape and faces axially toward the motor (20) after mounting. The support flange (36) is shaped for guidance of a snap-lock element (82) that extends along at least a portion of the circumference of the support flange (36) and is resiliently deflectable radially inward, by means of an inwardly directed force. The snap-lock element (82) is so configured that it snap-locks outward against the motor-side shoulder (96) of the opening (94) when the motor is mounted.

The present invention relates to an electric saw (1) being powered by an external power supply (200) through a multicore cable (6). The multicore cable (6) includes electrical wires (24, 25, 27) for supplying power to the motors (5, 12, 13) of the electric saw (1) and communication wires (26) for data communication between the electric saw (1) and the power supply (200). Two motors (12, 13) of the electric saw are three phase permanent magnet motors (12, 13), with an outer rotor (31) and an inner stator (30). Each of the two motors (12, 13) has three Hall Effect sensors (H1, H2, H3) located around the outer rotor (31).

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a turbine to generate mechanical energy from kinetic energy, a generator coupled to the turbine to receive the mechanical energy and to output multiple isolated supply powers, and multiple power stages each coupled to the generator. Each of the power stages may receive at least one of the isolated supply powers.

An axial field motor/generator having a rotor that includes at least three annular discs magnetized to provide multiple sector-shaped poles. Each sector has a polarity opposite that of an adjacent sector, and each sector is polarized through the thickness of the disc. The poles of each magnet are aligned with opposite poles of each adjacent magnet. Metal members adjacent the outermost two magnets contain the flux. The motor/generator also has a stator that includes a stator assembly between each two adjacent magnets. Each stator assembly includes one or more conductors or windings. Although the conductors may be formed of wire having a round, uniform cross-section, they may alternatively be formed of conductors having a tapered cross-section that corresponds to the taper of the sectors in order to maximize the density of the conductor in the gap between axially adjacent poles. The conductors may also alternatively be formed of traces in a printed circuit, which may have one or more layers. Each stator assembly may be removably connectable to another stator assembly to provide modularity in manufacturing and to facilitate selection of the voltage at which the motor/generator is to operate. Electrical contacts, such as pins extending from the casing, may removably connect the conductors of adjacent stator assemblies. A magnet may be dynamically balanced on the shaft by hardening a thin ring of cross-linked resin between the magnet and the shaft while the shaft is spun, using ultraviolet light to polymerize the resin.

An instantaneous current and instantaneous voltage of a three-phase coil of a brushless DC motor are detected, and the internal condition of a compressor is predicted from these detection values. The prediction about the internal condition of the compressor is made in such a way that motor driving torque which is a parameter of a motor model is identified and poor lubrication, liquid compression or the like is predicted from this identified motor driving torque. This enables it to make, in real time, a failure forecast, failure diagnosis etc. on the compressor.

A high efficiency, low maintenance single stage or multi-stage centrifugal compressor assembly for large cooling installations. The assembly is highly efficient by virtue of a variable frequency drive (VFD) that drives a permanent magnet motor and matches compressor speed with compressor load, a direct drive impeller that eliminates gearing losses, and magnetic bearings that reduce frictional losses. The back-emf produced by the motor provides an intermediate power source for the magnetic bearings in the event of a loss of electrical power. A cooling system provides direct cooling of the rotor with gas refrigerant, and cooling of the stator with liquid refrigerant. Modular construction allows the compressor to be retrofit with upgrades. An inlet guide vane system operates without need for oil lubrication. The use of light metal castings and elimination of gearing reduces the weight to one-third or less of comparably powered conventional units.