Electrodynamic energy converter

Abstract

Electrodynamic energy converter comprising a housing, a magnet arrangement movable relative to the housing with at least two axially magnetized magnets, wherein a magnetic pole device is arranged between the spaced-apart magnets, a coil arrangement fixed to the housing by means of a holding device, which surrounds the magnet arrangement at least partially, and a bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement movable relative to the housing.In this arrangement, each end face of the two magnets is designed to be complementary to a corresponding end face of the pole device, wherein the pole device and the magnets are in contact with each other, and the pole device encompasses the two magnets in a direction parallel to the coil axis for coupling the two magnets to the induction coil and for homogenizing the magnetic flux density in the induction coil, and wherein the holding device has at least three fastening sections for attaching it to the housing, and the bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement movable relative to the housing comprises at least two planar spring elements as well as an electronic control or regulation system designed for adjusting or regulating the longitudinal stiffness in the deflection of the oscillating system consisting of the magnet arrangement, spring elements and housing.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an electrodynamic energy converter for converting mechanical kinetic energy into electrical energy, comprising a housing, a magnet arrangement movably mounted relative to the housing for providing a magnetic field with at least two axially magnetized magnets aligned coaxially and spaced from one another, wherein the two magnets are arranged end-to-end with the same pole to one another and a magnetic pole device comprising a magnetically conductive material is arranged between the spaced magnets, or with at least one radially magnetized magnet which is spatially enclosed by a two-part, axially aligned magnetic pole device, a coil arrangement arranged stationary relative to the housing by means of a holding device for the magnet arrangement and penetrated by the magnetic field of the magnet arrangement, comprising at least one cylindrical and elongated induction coil,which surrounds the magnet arrangement at least in sections, and a bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement movable relative to the housing, which comprises both suspension and damping as well as linear guide functionality.

[0002] Such electrodynamic energy converters are used to supply energy to electronic circuits located in environments with very long maintenance intervals and which are operated in a self-sufficient manner. Examples of the use of such an energy converter include the powering of wireless sensor systems or circuits with a power consumption in the milliwatt range. The mechanical energy is present, for example, in the form of vibrations (e.g., in drill bits) or rotational movements (e.g., in wireless tire pressure sensors). A characteristic value of an electrodynamic energy converter is the efficiency of energy conversion, which is determined by the ratio of output power to size in mW / cm 3 can be specified.

[0003] An essential requirement for the electronics powered by the energy converter is low electrical consumption data, which must be provided by the electrodynamic energy converter.

[0004] In industrial practice, vibrations are generally undesirable, so the vibration levels encountered during the operation of technical devices or machines are kept as low as possible. In practice, typical low vibration or acceleration values ​​are in the range of approximately 10 to 20 mg (0.0981 to 0.1962 m / s2), making high energy conversion efficiency essential for the smooth operation of an electronic circuit powered by the electrodynamic energy converter. The efficiency indicates how much of the mechanical energy can be converted into electrical energy.

[0005] The development goal for an efficient electrodynamic energy converter for supplying energy to, for example, wireless radio sensors is the conversion of mechanical vibration energy at an acceleration amplitude in the range of approximately 10 to 20 mg into electrical energy with an output power of approximately 250 µW at an output voltage of 3.3V based on a functional principle that is as effective as possible and requires the smallest possible size.

[0006] The functioning of the described electrodynamic energy converter is based on the moving coil principle, which has been used for many years in the field of audio technology (loudspeakers, microphones) due to the very good magnetic coupling (cf. EP 0 861 013 A1) and in which a permanent magnet with a magnetic return is used.

[0007] The functional principle of the permanent magnet with magnetic return is known in the field of electrodynamic vibration energy converters, in particular from the patent documents DE 10 2010 020 668 A1, US 7 569 952 B1, WO 2008 / 132 423 A1 and CN 1 852 011 A. These documents describe a generic arrangement of the permanent magnets in which poles of the same name are opposite one another in order to achieve a displacement of the magnetic flux into the area of ​​the induction coil.

[0008] Conventional electrodynamic energy converters are not optimized in terms of their efficiency due to their design.

[0009] Typical electronic circuits for an electrodynamic energy converter are described, among others, in patent documents GB 2 475 497 B and EP 1 997 210 B1. These documents describe how the electrical output values ​​of an electrodynamic energy converter can be kept constant or limited according to a specified value. Conventional electrodynamic energy converters of the state of the art therefore operate according to fixed operating points and limit values.

[0010] The patent specification US 10 811 949 B2 relates to an electrodynamic energy converter comprising a housing, a magnet arrangement which is movably mounted relative to the housing for providing a magnetic field with at least two coaxially and spaced-apart and axially magnetized magnets, wherein the magnets are arranged with the same pole to one another on their end faces and a magnetic pole device comprising a magnetically conductive material is arranged between the spaced-apart magnets, and a coil arrangement which is arranged stationary relative to the housing by means of a holding device and through which the magnetic field of the magnet arrangement passes, comprising a cylindrical and elongated induction coil which surrounds the magnet arrangement at least in sections, and a bearing device for bearing the magnet arrangement which is movable relative to the housing and which has both suspension and damping functionality.Another, ring-shaped magnet of the magnet arrangement radially surrounds the induction coil as well as the two axially magnetized magnets located radially inward of the latter. US 2011 / 0 156 501 A1 relates to an electrical energy generation module comprising a guide with a cavity along a central axis, an integrated magnet consisting of a plurality of magnetic elements aligned next to one another such that the poles of adjacent magnetic elements repel one another, and a coil consisting of a plurality of at least two-phase windings wound around the guide, wherein the integrated magnet and the coil are arranged such that the coil is accommodated in the cavity within the guide and the shape of the inner surface of the guide determines the movement path of the integrated magnet.US 2014 / 0 062 223 A1 relates to a linear generator having a magnet module including magnets arranged between a plurality of flux concentrating blocks, wherein the magnets placed on both sides of each of the flux concentrating blocks are arranged such that the magnets face each other with the same pole and a magnetic flux generated by the magnets is induced into both ends of each of the flux concentrating blocks; and core modules containing coils arranged on both sides of the magnet module to generate electromotive forces induced by the magnetic flux in the coils when the core modules move.JP 2019-134540 A relates to an electromechanical energy converter comprising a nonlinear vibration device, a generator that converts mechanical energy delivered by a vibration source to the nonlinear vibration device into electrical energy, and an output circuit that outputs the electrical energy generated by the generator. US 2008 / 0116856 A1 relates to an electromechanical generator with a device for converting mechanical vibration energy into electrical energy, wherein the device comprises an oscillatory mass capable of resonating with a vibration amplitude at a frequency and a controller for regulating the vibration amplitude to a value not greater than a maximum threshold.US 2011 / 0 193 425 A1 relates to a linear drive comprising a coil part and a shaft part. The coil part has a plurality of coils, each of which is supplied with alternating currents having different phases, and the shaft part extends through the interior of the plurality of coils. The shaft part has a plurality of permanent magnets and a plurality of intermediate elements, the plurality of permanent magnets being arranged along a central axis such that opposite magnetization directions are opposite one another in the direction of the central axis. The saturation magnetic flux density of each of the plurality of intermediate elements is higher than the saturation magnetic flux density of each of the plurality of permanent magnets.US 6,326,706 B1 relates to a linear motor with a housing having a number of electromagnets, a shuttle with a central guide for holding it coaxial with the electromagnets, and a suspension mechanism for the shuttle. The electromagnets form a series of axially exposed magnetic gaps that interact with the axially exposed magnetic gaps of the shuttle to reciprocate it through pushing and pulling forces.

[0011] The present invention is based on the object of further developing conventional electrodynamic energy converters, whereby a long operating time of the energy converter according to the invention and the highest possible efficiency in the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy are provided.

[0012] This task of optimized energy conversion from mechanical vibration energy into electrical energy is achieved on the device side by an electrodynamic energy converter of the first type according to the invention with the features of main claim 1. The electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention for converting mechanical kinetic energy into electrical energy comprises a housing, a magnet arrangement movably mounted to the housing for providing a magnetic field with at least two coaxial and spaced-apart magnets, wherein the two magnets are arranged with the same pole to each other on their end faces and a magnetic pole device comprising a magnetically conductive material is arranged between the spaced-apart magnets,a coil arrangement arranged in a fixed position relative to the housing by means of a holding device for the magnet arrangement and penetrated by the magnetic field of the magnet arrangement, comprising at least one cylindrical and elongated induction coil which surrounds the magnet arrangement at least in sections, and a bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement movable relative to the housing, which comprises both suspension and damping functions as well as linear guidance. The energy converter according to the invention is characterized in that a respective end face of the two axially magnetized magnets is designed to complement a respective associated end face of the pole device, such that the pole device and the magnets abut one another without an air gap in the region of their associated end faces.wherein the pole device engages around the two axially magnetized magnets in a direction parallel to the coil axis for coupling the two magnets to the induction coil and for homogenizing the magnetic flux density in the induction coil, and wherein the holding device has at least three fastening sections for fastening it to the housing, which fastening webs extend radially outside the induction coil, in particular arranged upright and each offset by 120°, and the bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement movable relative to the housing comprises at least one single-layer or double-layer planar spring element, which has two or more radially or axially extending spring arms for providing a predetermined transverse stiffness of the bearing and an electronic control or regulating device, hereinafter referred to as electronic control or regulating,which is designed to control or regulate the longitudinal stiffness of the coupling between the magnet arrangement and the housing, in particular the longitudinal stiffness with respect to the deflection of the oscillatory system consisting of the magnet arrangement, spring element(s) and housing, wherein the magnet arrangement is coupled to the housing via spring element(s).

[0013] The above object of optimized energy conversion from mechanical vibration energy into electrical energy is further achieved on the device side by an electrodynamic energy converter of the second type according to the invention with the features of the independent claim 2. The electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention for converting mechanical kinetic energy into electrical energy comprises a housing, a magnet arrangement movably mounted relative to the housing for providing a magnetic field with a radially magnetized magnet with axial end faces, wherein the magnet is spatially enclosed by a multi-part magnetic pole device made of magnetically conductive material and aligned coaxially with the at least one magnet, a coil arrangement arranged stationary relative to the housing by means of a holding device and penetrated by the magnetic field of the magnet arrangement, comprising at least one cylindrical and elongated induction coil,which surrounds the magnet arrangement at least in sections, as well as a bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement, which is arranged movably relative to the housing and has both suspension and damping as well as linear guide functionality. The electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention is characterized in that a respective axial end face of the radially magnetized magnet is designed to be complementary to a respectively associated axial end face of the pole device, such that there is no air gap between the pole device and the magnet and the pole device and the magnet are in contact with each other, wherein the two-part pole device surrounds the radially magnetized magnet perpendicular to the coil axis for coupling the radially magnetized magnet to the induction coil and for homogenizing the magnetic flux density in the induction coil.and wherein the holding device has at least three fastening sections for its fastening to the housing, which fastening webs are arranged radially outside the induction coil and are each offset by 120°, and the bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement movable relative to the housing comprises at least two single-layer or double-layer planar spring elements, each of which has at least two radially or axially extending spring arms and / or partial spring arms connected by webs to provide a predetermined transverse stiffness of the bearing and an electronic control or regulation which is designed to adjust or regulate the longitudinal stiffness in the deflection of the oscillatory system consisting of magnet arrangement, spring elements and housing,The magnet assembly is coupled to the housing via spring element(s). In the following, reference is made to both embodiments of an electrodynamic energy converter of the first and second type when an electrodynamic energy converter is mentioned without specifying the type.

[0014] A high efficiency of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention requires, among other things, a good coupling of the magnets or the magnet to the induction coil, which can be achieved by the largest possible magnetic flux and by minimizing the magnetic field's path through the air. The inventive arrangement of the magnets or the magnet, the pole assembly, and the coil holding device of the electrodynamic energy converter has the advantage that a minimal air gap, determined by the design, is always achieved between the pole assembly and the induction coil, thus ensuring a good magnetic coupling between the magnet assembly and the induction coil.This increases the efficiency of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention compared to known energy converters from the prior art, whereby the energy converter according to the invention can provide sufficient electrical energy for a given application even at smaller deflections, unlike known energy converters. To further increase efficiency, the energy converter can be damped only weakly in the case of low external excitation, resulting in a large oscillation amplitude, and can be strongly damped in the case of strong excitation, so that the maximum occurring oscillation amplitude remains within the specification range and spring elements with a low spring constant can be used.A further advantage of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention can be that the mechanical load on the electrodynamic energy converter is reduced to a minimum by means of the electronic control or regulation, corresponding to the required output power, in order to increase the service life of the energy converter by preventing vibration amplitudes outside a predetermined specification range through stronger damping of the energy converter, or can be increased to a high level for a short time by weaker damping of the energy converter in order to provide a high output power required for a limited time. An automatic adaptive response of the control to variable operating and environmental conditions can represent an essential component of the inventive design of the energy converter in order to further increase the efficiency of the system.

[0015] Further features and developments of the invention are set out in the general description, the figures, the description of the figures and the dependent claims.

[0016] In one embodiment of the electrodynamic energy converter of the first type according to the invention, the at least two magnets can be designed as axially poled ring or disc magnets, in particular as magnets of identical construction. The largest possible magnets are preferred in order to maximize the magnetic flux through the induction coil.

[0017] Advantageously, the pole device of the electrodynamic energy converter of the first type can be designed in the form of a pole shoe as a magnetic lens, which is configured to absorb magnetic fluxes from the at least two magnets acting in opposite poles and arranged with the same poles at the end faces, for amplifying, homogenizing, and redirecting the magnetic flux in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the induction coil and for coupling into the at least one induction coil. In the embodiment of an electrodynamic energy converter of the second type, alternatively, a single annular and radially magnetized magnet can be connected at right angles to the induction coil, with a two-part magnetic pole shoe concentrating, redirecting, and diverting the magnetic flux to the magnetic return path.

[0018] The holding device of the coil arrangement can be designed in the shape of a hollow cylinder, with an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, wherein the induction coil is arranged in a cavity formed between them, and wherein the magnet arrangement is arranged at least in sections within the inner cylinder of the holding device.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the electrodynamic energy converter of the first type, the pole device can be rotationally symmetrical, with a lateral surface and two axially spaced end faces, each facing one of the magnets. Perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the respective end face height of the pole device continuously increases from the axis of rotation with radial spacing from this axis. This design allows the pole device to absorb, amplified, homogenize, and redirect the magnetic flux of the at least two magnets in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the induction coil.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment of the second type of electrodynamic energy converter, the two-part pole assembly can be rotationally symmetrical, with both pole pieces being symmetrical about a rotational axis and identical in design, each with circular axial end faces having different radii. Both pole pieces can be coaxially aligned with each other and, with their two axial end faces of smaller radius, can be in contact with each other without a gap.

[0021] The radially magnetized magnet can be arranged coaxially to the pole pieces in the installed position and have an axial feedthrough for accommodating the two pole pieces section by section and without an air gap. The radially magnetized magnet can be enclosed by the pole device at its axial end faces, i.e. each pole piece can rest with its end face with the larger radius on one of the two end faces of the magnet and extend with its axial extent in the direction of the end face with the smaller radius into the feedthrough of the magnet, such that both pole pieces axially enclose the magnet and extend axially in its feedthrough up to the contact of the two end faces of the two pole pieces with the smaller diameter.Both pole pieces can be designed in such a way that a section perpendicular to the axis of rotation is circular over the entire axial extent of the respective pole piece, wherein the circular area, starting from the end face with the smaller radius, increases, in particular continuously, in the axial direction towards the end face with the larger radius over a predetermined axial extent, in particular the entire axial extent of a respective pole piece. As already described, it can be provided that the feedthrough or the boundary surface of the feedthrough of the magnet is designed to be complementary in order to ensure that the pole pieces of the pole device lie against one another on the magnet without a gap. This design allows the pole device to absorb, amplified and homogenize as large a proportion as possible of the magnetic flux of the radially magnetized magnet.

[0022] To provide a magnetic return path, the magnet arrangement of the electromagnetic energy converter can comprise a closed pot having a cover section, a base section, and a shell section, each made of a ferromagnetic material. The pot completely accommodates the magnets, the at least one induction coil, and the pole device, and is only locally penetrated by at least three fastening webs, in particular arranged edgewise, for holding the induction coil. The fastening webs can merge into fastening segments radially outside the magnetic pot. The base body of the holding device, designed as a hollow cylinder, its fastening webs, and its fastening segments can be manufactured as a single, integral plastic component or formed from several parts assembled by welding and / or adhesive joints.The outer surfaces of the mounting segments can rest against the inner surface of the housing without any play or gaps. The spaces between the mounting segments can be filled with two mounting sleeves that press the mounting segments tightly together and into the housing. The housing and the mounting sleeves can be made of non-magnetic stainless steel or titanium.

[0023] The bearing device of the magnet assembly movable relative to the housing can comprise two spring elements, each arranged at the end of the magnet assembly, which can be designed as a double-arm spring or labyrinth spring to increase transverse rigidity. The spring structure can be single-layered or double-layered and can also integrally include a stop buffer. To further increase the transverse rigidity and material resistance of the spring elements, various embodiments of the double-arm spring and the labyrinth spring can be used to support the magnet assembly in an electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention.

[0024] The term double-arm spring can basically refer to a flat body made of a spring material with an axial extension length in the rest position of at least 0.5 mm and a maximum of 5.0 mm, comprising an inner fastening area and a radially outer fastening area, wherein one of the fastening areas can be fastened to the housing and the other fastening area to the magnet arrangement and the fastening areas can each have at least one recess in the spring material for fastening, and two spring arms, wherein these spring arms can each be cut free from the spring material by predetermined free-cutting areas, so that the inner and outer fastening areas are only connected to one another via the two spring arms cut free from the spring material and these spring arms each open into the inner and outer fastening area at their end stems.One of the free-cutting areas can rotate from a point around a center point M, at a constant radial distance from the center point M, which lies in the center of the inner fastening area, by at least 180° and a maximum of 320° and is referred to below as the outer free-cutting area. The second free-cutting area can also rotate around the center point M by at least 180° and a maximum of 320° in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the outer free-cutting area, wherein the radius of the rotation is smaller than that of the outer free-cutting area and is referred to here as the inner free-cutting area. Further embodiments of the double-arm spring can have more than one outer and one inner free-cutting area. In one embodiment of a double-arm spring according to the invention, this has two outer free-cutting areas that rotate around the center point M at a predetermined radial distance from this point M.The inner free-cutting areas each have a linear section that does not encircle the center point M at a constant radial distance. Furthermore, the free-cutting areas of this embodiment have circular and / or semicircular material recesses.

[0025] The term labyrinth spring can refer to a flat body made of a spring material with an axial extension length in the rest position of at least 0.5 mm and a maximum of 5.0 mm, comprising an inner fastening area and an outer fastening area, wherein one of the fastening areas can be fastened to the housing and the other fastening area can be fastened to the magnet arrangement and the fastening areas each have at least one recess in the spring material for fastening, and the spring material has free-cut areas which are cut out of the material of the spring material as parts of a circular circumference with a common center point M which lies in the central fastening area.The free-cutting areas can encircle the center point with different radii, between 90° and 170°, with two identical free-cutting areas each located opposite each other with the same radius and mirror-symmetrically to a plane passing through the center point. In one embodiment of the labyrinth spring, partially linear sections can be provided in the free-cutting areas, as well as semicircular and / or circular and / or elongated material recesses in the free-cutting areas. The linear sections of the free-cutting areas do not have the same radial distance from point M along their longitudinal extent. These embodiments of the labyrinth spring serve to optimize the radial stiffness and material resistance of the spring elements with regard to use in an electrodynamic energy converter.In an embodiment according to the invention, different free-cutting areas of the labyrinth spring can be connected by means of additional, radially extending free-cutting areas.

[0026] Advantageously, in all spring elements according to the invention, the respective free-cutting areas can not have circular openings with a constant radius, but rather spiral openings with increasing opening radii and elongated holes that exactly follow the spring arm width in order to be able to implement a defined, constant spring arm width over the longest possible spring arm length. Depending on the embodiment, the respective spring element can, for example, have a coiled spring structure with integral elongated holes or, for example, a geometry with spiral openings to implement the longest possible spring arms of constant width with, at the same time, the largest possible coil radii to minimize internal material stress, the latter particularly in the coil reversal area.

[0027] The spring structures mentioned can be designed as single-layer or double-layered. The double-layered design allows for longer spring arm lengths, as the spring arms in this embodiment can be arranged not only side by side but also one above the other. The longer spring arm length has a positive effect on the vibration behavior and the maximum achievable vibration quality. Therefore, the spring arms in this embodiment are designed with the largest possible radii and with two partial spring arms one above the other. This creates an unused area inside these radii in which an additional stop buffer can be arranged as an integral part of this spring structure. The outer spring arms and the spring structure of the stop buffer can be arranged in series.The design is such that during operation the spring structure of the stop buffer is only activated when the working range of the outer springs is exceeded due to strong shock loads or similar.

[0028] The electronic control or regulation of the electrodynamic energy converter can be designed to determine the instantaneous value of the payload impedance by measuring the voltage and current and to determine the magnitude of these values. The total load impedance represents the electronically controllable variable that influences the vibration quality, so knowledge of the magnitude of the payload impedance is necessary for controlling the total load impedance.

[0029] The electronic control or regulation of the electrodynamic energy converter can be designed and configured to control or regulate the oscillation amplitude of the magnet arrangement by adapting the total load impedance to changes in external ambient and operating conditions, in particular to changes in the ambient temperature, the excitation amplitude, and / or the excitation frequency, preferably via a continuously or continuously adjustable resistor, in order to maintain a predetermined permissible oscillation quality (Q0) and thus to dampen the magnet arrangement. In particular, the electronic control or regulation can have a control module designed to dampen the output of the electrodynamic energy converter with a digital, for example pulse-width-modulated, signal.

[0030] When damping the electrodynamic energy converter using a pulse-width-modulated signal, an additional load resistor can be controlled with a signal in which the temporal relationship between phases of high output voltage and phases of low output voltage can be variably adjusted. The limits of the adjustment range are, on the one hand, the temporally uninterrupted phase of the high output voltage and, on the other hand, the temporally uninterrupted phase of the low output voltage. In this way, the additional resistor can be continuously and variably controlled with values ​​between ground potential and the level of the supply voltage, which then also allows the output current, the quantity damping the electrodynamic energy converter, to be continuously adjusted between zero and the maximum value.

[0031] The electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention can be designed such that the electronic control or regulation is designed to execute at least two operating modes with different vibration quality ranges (Q1) and (Q2), wherein a first operating mode provides a first predetermined vibration quality range (Q1) that limits the vibration amplitude of the magnet arrangement to a structurally permanently permissible average value, and a second operating mode provides a second predetermined vibration quality range (Q2) that allows a higher vibration amplitude than in the first operating mode. These vibration quality ranges (Q1, Q2) can be adjusted in a corresponding manner as described above by a respective assigned damping of the output of the electrodynamic energy converter.The first vibration quality range (Q1) can represent a state during normal operation, and the second vibration quality range (Q2) can represent a so-called boost state, which, when a system is switched on, provides sufficient power to charge a fully discharged capacitor, for example, by limiting the vibration amplitude to a lesser extent, thus enabling larger deflections and thus a greater resulting power. In particular, the control or regulation can, for a time-limited period, cover the entire range of the structurally possible spring deflection beyond the spring deflection limited by the predetermined first / second vibration quality.

[0032] The electronic control or regulation of the electrodynamic energy converter can be designed to monitor at least one operating parameter such as the amplitude of the vibration excitation and, when a design-permissible limit value of the at least one operating parameter is exceeded, execute a third operating mode in which a third vibration quality range (Q3) is predetermined or controlled or regulated, which is distributed around a lower vibration quality value than the first and the second vibration quality range and represents an overload operation in which the vibration amplitude of the magnet arrangement is maximally damped when the external excitation amplitude lies outside the permissible device specification and can also be designed to control an optical and / or acoustic display of the at least one operating parameter of a display device and / or to store the at least one operating parameter.The stored values ​​that exceed the design-permissible threshold or limit can be used to create an operating history from which the need for maintenance can be determined. The more frequently and for a longer period of time the threshold has been exceeded, the sooner the maintenance should be performed. Stored values ​​can also be used to determine whether the electrodynamic energy converter has been used outside of its designed operating specifications.

[0033] Furthermore, the control or regulation can be designed to electrically dampen the electrodynamic energy converter even more strongly than the normal operating damping level at times when no electrical energy is being drawn from it in order to mechanically relieve the generator and thus further increase the number of possible operating hours.

[0034] The electronic control or regulation for controlling the vibration quality of the electrodynamic energy converter can have a circuit for outputting an output voltage, which can be designed to reduce the output voltage of this circuit depending on the determined instantaneous value of the load impedance, to generate an output voltage proportional to the load impedance, which represents the value of the load impedance and can be read out by the electronic control or regulation. Furthermore, the electronic control or regulation of the electrodynamic energy converter can have circuit elements or circuit sections that enable the electronic control or regulation to compensate for the reactive component of the coil winding resistance of the induction coil and to maximize the power factor (cos(φ)), a capacitance, for examplein the form of a capacitor in series between the coil winding and the downstream components that load it, for example a rectifier.

[0035] The electronic control or regulation of the electrodynamic energy converter can have circuit elements or circuit sections that enable the electronic control or regulation to connect a capacitance, e.g. in the form of a capacitor, in parallel with the coil winding in order to compensate for the reactive component of the coil winding resistance and to maximize the power factor (cos(φ)).

[0036] Advantageously, the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention can comprise a sensor magnet attached to one of the spring elements for generating an analog signal proportional to the speed of the magnet arrangement, as well as a magnetic loop antenna for detecting the magnetic field of the sensor magnets and outputting the analog signal. In particular, the loop antenna can be designed as an SMD component.

[0037] Conveniently, the at least one induction coil of the energy converter can have an additional winding tap or another type of voltage divider device designed to output an analog signal in the form of an induced voltage that represents a measure of the speed of the magnet arrangement and / or the spring elements attached thereto. The additional winding tap can replace the installation of an additional loop antenna.

[0038] The electronic control or regulation can be set up and designed to further process the speed-proportional analog signal electronically, in particular to integrate it to determine an analog amplitude- or path-proportional voltage signal for determining the deflection height of the magnet arrangement.

[0039] The electrodynamic energy converter may comprise an electronic circuit which rectifies the output voltage of the energy converter and charges an energy storage device, for example a capacitor and / or an accumulator for storing the energy converted into electrical form. Character description

[0040] In the following, the invention is explained by reference to the accompanying figures and various embodiments are shown, wherein Fig. 1 a sectional view of a first type of electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention, Fig. 2 an exploded view of a magnet arrangement and pole device for the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a representation of the field line course between two magnets, a pole piece and an induction coil, of the energy converter according to the invention of the Fig. 1, Fig. 4 a representation of the field line course between two magnets, a pole piece, an induction coil and a pot made of a ferroelectric material, which serves as a magnetic return, of the energy converter according to the invention of the Fig. 1, Fig. 5 a first embodiment of a bearing device of the magnet arrangement in the form of a labyrinth spring for the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention of the Fig. 1, Fig. 6 a second embodiment of a bearing device of the magnet arrangement in the form of a double-arm spring for the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention of the Fig. 1, Fig. 7 a third embodiment of a bearing device of the magnet arrangement in the form of a further labyrinth spring for the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention of the Fig. 1, Fig. 8a a fourth embodiment of a bearing device of the magnet arrangement in the form of a further labyrinth spring for the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention of Fig. 1, Fig. 8b a variant of the fourth embodiment of a bearing device of the magnet arrangement in the form of a further labyrinth spring for the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention of the Fig. 1, Fig. 9 the holding device for the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention of Fig. 1 in a perspective view, and Fig. 10 a plan view of the pot and the holding device of the coil arrangement of the electrodynamic energy converter of the Fig. 1, Fig. 11 a sectional view of the pot, along the Fig. 10 drawn axis A, with the holding device of the coil arrangement of the electrodynamic energy converter in the installed position of the Fig. 1, Fig. 12 a perspective sectional view of the pot and the holding device of the coil arrangement of the electrodynamic energy converter of the Fig. 1, Fig. 13 a measured value representation to illustrate the function of the pole device in the form of a pole shoe of the energy converter according to the invention of Fig. 1, and Fig. 14 a block diagram for the automatic control of the vibration quality of the energy converter according to the invention of the Fig. 1 depending on the ambient and operating conditions, Fig. 15 a block diagram for electronic adjustment of the oscillation quality of the energy converter according to the invention of Fig. 1 depending on the ambient and operating conditions, Fig. 16 is a sectional view of a magnet arrangement for a second type of electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention, and Fig. 17 shows an exploded view of a magnet arrangement for a further embodiment of a second type of electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention.

[0041] The design of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention can be implemented in a variety of embodiments. Fig. 1 shows a possible structure of the electrodynamic energy converter of the first type according to the invention in a sectional view.

[0042] The electrodynamic energy converter comprises a housing 7, a magnet arrangement 100 which is movably mounted relative to the housing 7 and has at least two coaxial and spaced apart magnets 1, 2 and a magnetic pole device in the form of a pole shoe 3 arranged between these magnets 1, 2. The magnet arrangement 100 which is movably mounted relative to the housing comprises, in the embodiment of the Fig. 1 further comprises a pot 8 made of a ferromagnetic material, which surrounds the at least two coaxial and spaced-apart magnets 1, 2 and the pole piece 3 arranged between the magnets 1, 2, as well as the coil arrangement, in particular in the form of an induction coil, mounted relative to the movably mounted pot, in order to close the magnetic field lines.

[0043] Accordingly, in the described embodiment, the electrodynamic energy converter comprises a coil arrangement that is fixedly arranged relative to the housing 7 by means of a holding device 9 for the magnet arrangement 100 and penetrated by the magnetic field of the magnet arrangement 100, which coil arrangement itself has at least one cylindrical and elongated induction coil 4. For the mounting and mechanical coupling of the magnet arrangement 100, which is movable relative to the housing 7, to the housing 7, the electrodynamic energy converter has a bearing device that comprises two single-layer or double-layer planar spring elements 10a, b, each of which is fastened to a front end section of the magnet arrangement, in particular to the pot 8 and to the housing 7. In the described embodiment, a sensor magnet 84 is arranged on at least one of the spring elements 10a, b, which follows the movement of the spring elements 10a, b.In order to generate a signal proportional to the speed of the spring elements 10a, b, at least one loop antenna or another induction coil 83 is attached to the housing 7, which detects the magnetic field of the sensor magnet which changes in its location.

[0044] The bottom section of the housing 93 can have a recess for attachment to a component associated with the electrodynamic energy converter. In the described embodiment, the housing of the electrodynamic energy converter 7 is penetrated only by an electrical connection device in the form of a plug device 81, which serves to conduct the electrical energy and other possible control and / or information signals from the control or regulation system 82 from the interior of the housing 7. These control or data lines can also be configured for bidirectional control and data communication.

[0045] A possible magnet arrangement 100 according to the invention of the electrodynamic energy converter comprising two magnets 1, 2 and a pole piece 3 is shown in Fig. 2 in an exploded view, although the pot made of ferromagnetic material, which is also included, is not shown. The coaxially arranged, rotationally symmetrical magnets 1, 2, with a cylindrical cross-sectional area perpendicular to the rotation axis, are conically shaped 13, 23 toward the pole piece 3 and have a flat end face 14, 24 running perpendicular to the rotation axis.

[0046] The pole shoe 3 is shaped on its inner surface 31 to complement the surface of the magnets 1, 2, so that these magnets 1, 2, after insertion into the pole shoe 3, are at least partially enclosed or accommodated by the pole shoe, and the magnets 1, 2 rest against the pole shoe 3 without play, thus ensuring the greatest possible magnetic flux. The outer surface or outer surface 32 of the pole shoe is designed as a cylindrical surface to provide a large surface area for magnetic coupling to the induction coil 4.

[0047] In the described embodiment of an energy converter according to the invention, the magnets 1, 2 may not have a bore extending along their entire length along the rotation axis, but rather only a recess on the flat, opposite end faces (14, 24) of the magnets for centering the magnets and the pole device located between them within the magnetic pot circuit. Because the magnets do not have a continuous bore, the magnetic stray flux that would otherwise run inside the bore is avoided and is thus instead available as external useful magnetic flux in the area of ​​the induction coil.

[0048] The course of the magnetic field lines 5 of the Fig. 2 shown magnet arrangement 100 of the electrodynamic energy converter without showing the pot made of ferromagnetic material which closes the magnet arrangement is shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. The magnetic field 5 created by the two magnets 1, 2 with the same poles, which are opposite each other, is directed vertically through the induction coil 4 via the pole piece 3, thereby providing a good magnetic coupling with a minimal air gap between the pole piece 3 and the induction coil 4. This air gap is designed in such a way that the magnet arrangement 100, consisting of the pole piece 3, magnets 1, 2 and the Fig. 4a, the pot 8 is movable frictionlessly in the axial direction relative to the induction coil enclosed by the pot and to its holding device. Fig. 4 also shows the magnetic return path of the magnetic field lines 5 formed by the pot 8, which borders the induction coil essentially without a gap and is made of a magnetically conductive material.

[0049] For mounting the magnet arrangement 100 of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention, four different embodiments of planar spring elements (10a, b) are described below, which can be used optionally in the energy converter according to the invention and which have a high transverse stiffness with good vibration properties in the axial direction in order to ensure that the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention can be operated with a minimal air gap between the magnet arrangement and the induction coil and thus the best possible efficiency is achieved.

[0050] The Fig. 5 shows a particularly advantageous embodiment of a planar spring element for use in the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention in the manner of a labyrinth spring. The planar spring element 10 shown has a cylindrical basic shape with a small height (thickness), in particular less than 1 cm. Centrally, the spring element 10 has a circular fastening recess 57, which is surrounded by the inner fastening region 52. This inner fastening region 52 serves to attach the spring element 10 to one of two components to be fastened. Starting from the center point M1 of the spring element 10, there are three circumferential free-cutting regions 53a, b, c, each at a radial distance R51, R52, and R53, surrounding the center point M1, with a constant radial distance R5x. These material recesses have a maximum circumference of less than 120° and have circular material recesses 58 at the end.Radially between the free-cutting areas 53b and 53c and circumferentially offset from them, the spring element 10 has three linear free-cutting areas 54 which, along their longitudinal extent, have a variable radial distance from point M1 and which end in the center with circumferential elongated holes 59 at a constant radial distance from this. The free-cutting areas 53a, b, c and 54 serve to cut three spring arms 50 free from the spring material, so that these three spring arms 50 resiliently connect the inner fastening area 52 to the outer fastening area 51 in the axial direction. Furthermore, the free-cutting areas 53a, which run at a radial distance R51, each have a semicircular material recess 56 in the center. In addition to the elongated holes 59, the linear free-cutting areas 54 each have a circular material recess 58 in the center.

[0051] The Fig. Figure 6 shows a further advantageous embodiment of a planar spring element 10 for supporting a magnet arrangement 1, 2 of an electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention in the form of a double-arm spring. Fig. The planar spring element 10 shown in Figure 6 also has a central fastening recess 67, which is surrounded by the inner fastening region 62. At a radial distance R61 from the center point M2 of the spring element 10, two circumferentially spaced-apart free-cutting regions 63c surround the center point M2, wherein these free-cutting regions 63c each have a circular material recess 68 in the center and at the end. These free-cutting regions 63c surround the center point M2 by less than 180°. At a smaller, constant radial distance from the center point M2, two circumferentially spaced-apart free-cutting regions 63b also run, which have a circular section and a linear section 64 (note: not marked in the figure). These free-cutting regions 63b also each have a circular material recess 68 in the center and at the end.The free-cutting areas 63a, b, c serve to cut the two spring arms 60 free of spring material, so that the inner fastening area 62 is resiliently connected in the axial direction to the outer fastening area 61 via the two spring arms 60.

[0052] Fig. 7 shows a particularly advantageous embodiment of a planar spring element 10, which is a modification of the Fig. 5 shown planar spring element 10. The Fig. The spring element 10 shown in Figure 7 differs from that of Fig. 5, in particular, in that the free-cutting areas 73a, b, c, d have no linear portion, and each of the free-cutting areas 73b is connected to one of the free-cutting areas 73d via additional, radially extending free cuts 75. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the circular and semicircular material recesses 58, 53 arranged in the center of the free-cutting areas are omitted; furthermore, the end-stem material recesses are present as elongated holes 79 and deformed round holes.

[0053] Fig. 8a shows a further particularly advantageous embodiment of a planar spring element 10, which is a modification of the Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 shown planar spring elements 10. The Fig. The embodiment shown in Fig. 8a has only three different free-cutting areas F83a, b, c, of which the free-cutting areas F83a and F83c are connected to one another via additional free cuts F85 running radially relative to the center point M4, and wherein the free-cutting areas F83b are linear.

[0054] A variant of the fourth embodiment of a bearing device of the magnet arrangement in the form of a further labyrinth spring is shown Fig. 8b. The Fig. 8a and Fig. The spring element with linear guidance properties shown in Figure 8b represents a coiled spring geometry offset by 120°. Such coiled spring structures are generally known, particularly from use in refrigeration machines and solenoid valves. EP 3 030 803 B1 also presents an "S"-shaped coiled spring structure in which each bending arm comprises one or more circular openings. These circular openings cause the force flow in the bending arms to move outwards, is thus better distributed and the material stress is reduced overall. This is important for the longest possible non-destructive service life. The flexible linear bearing described is primarily intended for use in refrigeration machines where it is important that the linear bearing does not allow parasitic rotation, as is the case, for example, with spirally coiled leaf springs.The dimensioning of the resonance frequency resulting from the spring rate of the flexible linear bearing and the moving mass is rather uncritical and must not unintentionally amplify critical areas of other machine resonances.

[0055] In the application of the present invention, however, it is a resonantly oscillating linear generator. Its requirements, such as good longitudinal movement and transverse stability properties, as well as the highest possible number of permissible longitudinal movement profiles, are partly similar to refrigeration machine and solenoid valve applications. However, in addition, the precise spring rate and the resulting generator resonance frequency are of vital importance for resonantly oscillating linear generators. To meet all these technical requirements, according to the invention, these spring elements with linear guidance properties for separately excited oscillating linear generators can be manufactured from special, extremely long-term stable material alloys.

[0056] The dimensioning of the spring elements for the energy converter according to the invention is easier, the longer the free spring arm length can be with a constant width. To achieve this, Fig. 8a and Fig. 8b, no circular openings with a constant radius are proposed, but rather spiral openings with increasing opening radius as well as elongated holes that exactly follow the spring arm width are used in order to be able to implement a defined, constant spring arm width over the largest possible spring arm length. Fig. Figure 8a shows the construction of a coiled spring structure with integral slots and Fig. 8b shows a design of the spring geometry with spiral openings to implement the longest possible spring arms of constant width and at the same time the largest possible coil radii to minimize the internal material stress, especially in the area of ​​the coil reversal.

[0057] In order to secure the spring elements against rotation at the fastening of the central fastening area 61 in the described embodiments, the central fastening recess 66 can be toothed, so that a complementarily designed fastening lug associated with the fastening recess 66 engages the teeth. Furthermore, further designs for securing the magnetic pot circuit against rotation relative to the housing are possible, in particular, for example, by means of dowel pins or other structural designs.

[0058] The energy converter according to the invention Fig. 1 comprises a holding device 9 for fastening the induction coil 4 of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention to the housing 7 is shown in Fig. 9. The holding device 9 comprises a cylindrical hollow body with an inner cylinder 45 and an outer cylinder 46, wherein an intermediate region 44 is formed between the inner and outer cylinders 45, 46, in which intermediate region the at least one induction coil 4 can be accommodated. The axially extending outer cylinder 46 has three fastening webs 42a, b, c connected via radially extending connecting webs 41a, b, c for fastening the holding device to the housing, in particular by means of a positive fit, friction fit or adhesive connection. The fastening webs 42a, b, c each have an external groove 43a, b, c for the passage of electrical connections from the interior of the holding device 9 for the purpose of contacting the induction coil.

[0059] The Fig. 10, Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 show an advantageous embodiment of the pot 8 of the energy converter according to the invention for providing a magnetic return path. Fig. 10 shows the magnetic return in a top view and Fig. 11 and 12 each in a sectional view, with the section in Fig. 11 along the Fig. 10 shown axis A and the section in Fig. 12 is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pot 8 or the coil. The fastening webs 42 of the holding device 9 penetrate the pot 8, which otherwise completely encloses the holding device 9.

[0060] On the lid section 92 and the bottom section 93, the pot 8 has fastening elements 91 which enable fastening of the pot 8 to the center point of the upper and lower springs 78.

[0061] The functioning of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention Fig. 1 is explained below. The electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention is designed to convert vibration energy into electrical energy when supplied externally and to make it available to a consumer or storage device.

[0062] For this purpose, the magnet arrangement 100, mounted by means of the spring elements 10a, b, is set into oscillation by the external excitation. The spatial relative movement of the temporally constant magnetic field of the magnetic circuit relative to the induction coil 4, which is fixedly mounted on the housing 7, generates an alternating electrical voltage in the induction coil at the frequency of the mechanical magnetic circuit oscillation. The deflection amplitude of the magnet arrangement is greater the higher the external excitation force and the closer the excitation frequency is to the natural frequency of the energy converter according to the invention. The double-arm / labyrinth spring elements 10a, b according to the invention, which each have a high transverse stiffness, enable a virtually friction-free oscillation of the magnet arrangement 100.In order to be able to react to changes in the exciting force, in particular to prevent the system's vibration amplitude from assuming values ​​at which predetermined load limits of the spring elements are exceeded, the electrical circuit or control system 82 of the energy converter according to the invention is designed to adapt the load impedance to the exciting force and / or the excitation frequency, in order to change the vibration quality of the electrodynamic energy converter. In the described embodiment, the energy converter is capable of executing different operating modes with different vibration quality ranges, such as Q1, Q2, and Q3, depending on the excitation conditions and / or a particular operating situation.

[0063] The first operating mode provides a vibration quality range ≤ Q1, which limits the vibration amplitudes of the magnet arrangement 100 to values ​​that are permanently permissible by design and represents a state during normal operation. The second operating mode provides a vibration quality range > Q1 and ≤ Q2, which allows higher vibration amplitudes of the magnet arrangement 100 than the first range. The second operating mode thus represents a so-called boost state, which, over a short period of time after a system is switched on, delivers sufficient power to charge a fully discharged capacitor, for example. Over a limited period of time, an increased mechanical load (vibration amplitudes) of the spring elements is permitted, which on the one hand lies below the structurally permissible maximum mechanical stress and on the other hand lies above the permanently permissible mechanical material stress.

[0064] The third operating mode of the described embodiment provides a predetermined vibration quality range Q3 < Q1, which is distributed around a lower vibration quality value than the vibration quality ranges Q1 and Q2, whereby the vibration amplitudes of the magnet arrangement 100 are maximally damped in the event of an external vibration excitation that exceeds the maximum permissible excitation acceleration, thus representing an emergency mode. In the described embodiment, the electronic circuit or control system 82 is configured to react to changes in the external excitation and / or a respective operating state of the energy converter by executing one of the different operating modes.

[0065] The aforementioned vibration quality ranges Q1, Q2, and Q3 thus determine how the electronic control system responds adaptively to external environmental and excitation conditions, as well as to internal load impedance and charge states. The division into different vibration quality ranges is not discrete; rather, a linearly variable reference variable specified by the microcontroller allows the individual vibration quality ranges to be cycled through, allowing any possible vibration amplitude to be consistently controlled or adjusted.Essentially, a medium vibration amplitude represents normal operation, the maximum possible damping represents a partial short circuit while maintaining the necessary operating voltage and thus an emergency operation to limit the vibration amplitude as much as possible in the event of an input-side excitation overload, and a high vibration amplitude close to the design-specific short-term permissible material stress values ​​represents a temporary boost operation with power reserve with increased values ​​of the electrical output power.

[0066] It may be provided to store information about operating parameters, such as the maximum oscillation amplitude of the magnet arrangement and / or the ambient temperature. For this purpose, the energy converter according to the invention may have an associated information storage device.

[0067] The effect of the coil coupling type on the magnetic flux density B in Tesla depending on the longitudinal position within the coil l in mm is shown in Fig. 13. The continuous graph of the Fig. Figure 13 illustrates the coupling to the induction coil in an energy converter according to the invention, in which a specially geometrically designed pole device as described above is arranged between the two magnets. The coupling of the magnets to the induction coil by means of such a pole device designed as a homogenizer pole shoe results in a constant flux density over a wide area in the center of the coil and only decreases towards the edges of the induction coil. For comparison with the prior art, two further coil coupling types are also shown in Fig. 13. The thin dashed graph represents the magnetic coupling to the induction coil when there is an air gap between the magnets without the provision of a pole piece. The distribution of the flux density is clearly inhomogeneous across the longitudinal position within the coil. The flux density exhibits two local maxima in the range of approximately ¼ and ¾ of the coil length l and a broad minimum in the middle of the coil length. The flux density in this embodiment of an energy converter is clearly comparatively low, which means a low efficiency. The dotted graph in Fig. 13, in contrast, shows the magnetic coupling to the induction coil using a conventional flux concentrator, i.e., a conventional pole piece between the magnets. Accordingly, the flux density has a Gaussian profile over the illustrated coil length, such that a maximum is reached in the middle coil length region and the flux density decreases toward the edges of the induction coil. The effective range of the induction coil using the homogenizer pole piece according to the invention covers a significantly larger range of the coil length than the effective range of the two previously described coupling forms and, moreover, provides an approximately constant flux density in this range. The homogenizer pole piece thus both amplifies and homogenizes the magnetic flux density profile in the region of the induction coil.Furthermore, the homogenizer pole piece ensures an almost completely perpendicular coupling of the magnetic vector field to the area of ​​the induction coil. This is important because only the components of the magnetic flux density vectors that run perpendicular to the movement of the magnetic circuit and the path of the conductor loops of the induction coil can cause voltage induction and thus energy conversion. In contrast, vector components of the magnetic flux density that run parallel to the vertical coil extension and the direction of movement of the magnetic circuit are not available for energy conversion. The functionality of the homogenizer pole piece therefore effectively increases the generator's energy conversion efficiency.

[0068] For the inventive control of the vibration quality Q of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention, an electrical control system can be provided, which comprises at least one integrator 1202, a bandpass filter 1203, a rectifier 1204, a lowpass filter 1205, a linear regulator 1206, a microprocessor 1208, a 3D acceleration sensor 1214, a switching regulator 1209, a load impedance 1211, an additional coil 1215 and at least two voltage / current converters 1210, 1212. A block diagram of such an electrical control system is shown in Fig. 14 shown.

[0069] The Fig. The control shown in Figure 14 reacts to changes in the external excitation amplitude, as well as to additional environmental parameters such as the ambient temperature or the air humidity. To achieve this control behavior, the additional coil 1215 supplies a linear voltage signal proportional to the speed of the coil arrangement, which is fed to the integrator 1202 to calculate a voltage signal proportional to the displacement. The voltage signal proportional to the displacement is filtered by the bandpass filter 1203, rectified by the rectifier 1204 and then filtered again in the lowpass filter 1205. This processed, displacement-proportional voltage signal is now available to the linear controller 1206. The linear controller 1206 is also fed with a linear reference variable in the form of a voltage provided by the microprocessor 1208 and outputs a differential voltage signal equal to the difference between the displacement-proportional voltage signal and the reference variable.This differential voltage signal controls the first voltage / current converter 1210 and the second voltage / current converter 1212, which can change the resulting total resistance by adjusting the current in series with the load impedance ZL and in parallel with the load impedance, thus determining the resulting oscillation quality factor Q. The two voltage / current converters 1210 and 1212 are tuned to one another in such a way that the current through the voltage / current converter 1210 in series with the load impedance ZL initially increases. If the load impedance itself is too high-ohmic to allow the current required for the necessary damping to flow, the voltage / current converter 1212 takes over and provides the necessary damping current. For this purpose, the voltage / current converter 1212 is not limited by a series load impedance and can therefore provide an additional and higher current than the voltage / current converter 1210.In this respect, the characteristic curve of the voltage / current converter 1212 follows the characteristic curve of the voltage / current converter 1210 and reacts later than the voltage / current converter 1210. In order to be able to react to external influences and optimally adjust the vibration quality, the 3D acceleration sensor 1214 supplies various environmental parameters such as the current temperature and / or the current humidity to the microprocessor 1208 in addition to the acceleration values ​​that excite the vibration. These measured values ​​are used to calculate the linear reference variable based on the characteristic curve of the planar spring element used. Accordingly, the reference variable of the control in this embodiment is neither constant nor predefined or fixed, but rather a dynamic reference variable that is adaptively adjusted to current external environmental parameters and / or to current operating and excitation conditions of the energy converter.This control variable is variable and continuous and means that the control system can also map or adjust the entire technically possible vibration quality range linearly and continuously.

[0070] The switching regulator 1209 is supplied with the voltage induced in the induction coil and a control signal from the microprocessor 1208. The switching regulator 1209 thus reduces its output voltage virtually losslessly in order to minimize the difference between its output voltage and the load voltage, whereby the control is carried out via the control signal of the microprocessor 1208, which samples the voltage drop across the load impedance, see Fig. 14. The induced voltage is modified by means of the switching regulator 1209 and the microprocessor 1208 such that the difference between the output voltage of the switching regulator 1209 and the load voltage occurring at the load impedance is minimized in order, on the one hand, to avoid excessive loading of the induction coil and, on the other hand, to avoid undesired energy conversion in the series resistance of the voltage-current converter 1210.

[0071] In contrast to the above-described inventive control of the vibration quality Q of the electrodynamic energy converter according to the invention, the invention can also provide for setting or controlling the vibration quality Q as a function of the acceleration values ​​measured by the 3D acceleration sensor and / or other environmental parameters using a partial control loop, wherein the control circuit comprises at least one microprocessor 1302, a switching regulator 1303, a unit for determining load impedance 1306, which comprises a current measurement circuit 1304 and a voltage measurement circuit 1305, a load impedance 1307, a 3D acceleration sensor 1308, and two switchable resistors 1309a,b, wherein 1309a is connected in series and 1309b is connected in parallel to the load impedance 1307. A block diagram of a corresponding control with a partial control loop is shown in Fig. 15. The functionality of the switchable resistor 1309a can be designed as a pulse-width-modulated output stage in series with the load impedance, and the switchable resistor 1309b can be designed as a pulse-width-modulated output stage in parallel with the pulse-width-modulated output stage connected in series with the load impedance, wherein the two pulse-width-modulated output stages can each have one or more fixed load resistors.

[0072] In order to adjust or control the vibration quality Q and thus to adjust or control the vibration amplitudes that are structurally permissible under the existing environmental and excitation conditions, the rectified and smoothed voltage signal of the induction coil of the electrodynamic energy converter 1301 according to the invention is applied to the switching regulator 1303 with the downstream first switchable resistor 1309a and in parallel to the switching regulator 1303 and to the first switchable resistor 1309a to the further second switchable resistor 1309b, wherein the first switchable resistor 1309a is connected in series via the switching regulator 1303 and the second switchable resistor 1309b is connected in parallel to the load impedance 1307. The microprocessor 1302 controls these switchable resistors 1309a, b depending on a table which assigns a uniquely assigned damping resistor or damping resistor to the external excitation amplitudes measured at the 3D acceleration sensor 1308.resistance value which, via the setting described below, leads to the desired spring deflection. This table can include correction values, e.g., to take into account the temperature dependence of an operating parameter of the energy converter. If the resistance value determined in this way by the microprocessor is greater than the load resistance provided by the load impedance, a resistor must be added in series 1309a. However, if the detected resistance is smaller than the load resistance, a resistor 1309b must be added in parallel to the load resistance. The current carried by the adjusted resistor 1309a is passed to the load impedance 1307 via a circuit 1306 for determining the load impedance. The circuit 1306 for determining the load impedance, comprising a circuit 1304 for measuring the current and a circuit 1305 for measuring the voltage, transmits the measurement signals to the microprocessor 1302.The switching regulator 1303, together with the microprocessor 1302 and the load impedance determination circuit 1306, forms a partial control loop within the control circuit and serves to reduce the voltage induced at the coil by a factor defined by an information signal from the microprocessor 1302, so that the difference between the output voltage and the voltage at the load impedance is minimized. The voltages are continuously adjusted and are necessary to prevent a short circuit in the induction coil winding and to keep the resistance to be switched on as low as possible, so that as little energy as possible is converted into heat.

[0073] An alternative embodiment to the one described in particular in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 specified electrodynamic energy converter of the first type according to the invention is in the Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 shown. Fig. Figure 16 shows a first embodiment of an electrodynamic energy converter of the second type according to the invention with regard to the design of the magnet arrangement. While the left illustration of the Fig. 16 shows a plan view of the magnet arrangement, the right-hand illustration shows a longitudinal section in the plane AA. In the described embodiment of an electrodynamic energy converter of the second type according to the invention, the magnet arrangement comprises a single, radially magnetized magnet 1' and two identically constructed pole parts 3', which together form the pole device. The two-part pole device is rotationally symmetrical, with both pole parts 3' being symmetrical about a rotation axis and identically constructed with respective circular axial end faces that have different radii. In the installed position, both pole parts 3' are aligned coaxially with one another and arranged axially centrally with their two axial end faces of smaller radius in contact with one another without a gap.As can be seen, the magnet 1' has a central hole or feedthrough whose boundary surface is complementarily adapted to the outer surface of the pole pieces 3', such that the pole pieces or the pole arrangement rest against the magnet 1' without a gap. The axially rotationally symmetrical pole pieces 3' taper in the axial direction from their end face with a larger diameter to the end face with a smaller diameter, with the respective sectional surface being circular.

[0074] Fig. 17 shows a further embodiment of an electrodynamic energy converter of the second type according to the invention with regard to the design of the magnet arrangement in an exploded view. The radially magnetized magnet 1'' also has in this embodiment a central passage through which the pole pieces 3'', which are aligned coaxially with the magnet, extend in sections, such that the magnet 1'' is axially encompassed by the two pole pieces 33'' and the end faces 33a of the two pole pieces lie against one another without a gap in the installed position. At the same time, the pole pieces 3'' lie with their respective end faces with a larger diameter against an associated end face of the magnet 1'' without a gap. Due to the design of the Fig. 16 is the boundary surface of the passage of the magnet 1'' in the embodiment of the Fig. 17 is adapted to the associated surface of the pole parts 3'', such that the pole arrangement and magnet are arranged without a gap to each other. The two embodiments of the Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 differ with regard to the course of the lateral surfaces of the pole parts 3' and 3'' in the axial direction as well as the complementary boundary surfaces of the feedthrough of the magnets 1' and 1'', which are adapted thereto.

[0075] As the person skilled in the art will recognize, the electrodynamic energy converter of the second type according to the invention is characterized in that, with regard to the design of the magnet arrangement, a single, radially magnetized magnet can be magnetically coupled at right angles to the induction coil, wherein a two-part magnetic pole device then engages the ring magnet from above and below, ie axially on both sides, and thus deflects the magnetic flux upwards and downwards and diverts it to the magnetic return path formed by the lid and the bottom of the ferromagnetic pot. List of reference symbols 1.2 magnet 1', 1'' magnet 3 Pole piece 3', 3'' pole piece 4 Induction coil 5 magnetic field lines 7 housings 8 pot 9 Holding device 10a,b planar spring elements 13 / 23 conical shaped magnetic surfaces 14 / 24 flat front side 31 Pole shoe inside 32 Pole shoe outside 33a, b frontal surface 41a,b,c connecting bridges 42a,b,c mounting bars 43a,b,c external groove 44 Intermediate area 45 inner cylinders 46 outer cylinders 50 spring arms 51 outer fastening area 52 inner fastening area 53a,b,c,d Clearing areas 54 linear free-cutting areas 56 semicircular material recess 57 central mounting recess 58 circular material recess 59 elongated material recess R51, R52, R53 radial distance M1 center point 60 spring arms 61 outer fastening area 62 inner fastening area 63a,b,c brush cutting area 64 linear section 67 central mounting recess 68 circular material recess M2 center point R61 radial distance 70 spring arms 71 outer fastening area 72 inner fastening area 73a,b,c,d Clearance areas 77 central mounting recess 79 elongated material recess M3 center point R71, R72, R73, R74 radial distance F80 spring arms F81 outer fastening area F82 inner fastening area F84 linear section F86 semicircular material recess F87 central mounting recess F89 elongated material recess M4 center point R81 radial distance 81 Plug device 82 Control / Regulation 83 additional induction coils 84 encoder magnet 85 Bottom of the case 91 fasteners 92 cover section 93 floor section 94 Sheath section 100 magnet arrangement 1201 Magnet and coil arrangement 1202 Integrator 1203 bandpass filter 1204 Rectifier 1205 Low-pass filter 1206 linear regulator 1207 Reference variable 1208 microprocessor 1209 switching regulator 1210 First voltage / current converter 1211 Load impedance 1212 Second voltage / current converter 1214 Accelerometer 3D 1301 Magnet and coil arrangement 1302 microprocessor 1303 switching regulator 1304 Circuit for current measurement 1305 Circuit for voltage measurement 1306 Circuit for load impedance determination 1307 Load impedance 1308 3D acceleration sensor 1309a,b Switchable resistors 1310 adaptive control variable 1311 Consumers / Energy Storage

Claims

[1] Electrodynamic energy converter for converting mechanical kinetic energy into electrical energy, comprising - a housing (7), - a magnet arrangement (100) movably mounted relative to the housing (7) for providing a magnetic field with two coaxial and spaced-apart and axially magnetized magnets (1, 2), wherein the two magnets (1, 2) are arranged with the same pole to each other at their ends and a magnetic pole device comprising a magnetically conductive material is arranged between the spaced-apart magnets, - a coil arrangement arranged in a fixed position relative to the housing (7) by means of a holding device (9) and penetrated by the magnetic field of the magnet arrangement (100), comprising at least one cylindrical and elongated induction coil (4) which surrounds the magnet arrangement (100) at least in sections, - a bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement (100) movable relative to the housing (7), which comprises both suspension and damping as well as linear guide functionality, wherein a respective end face of the two axially magnetized magnets (1, 2) is designed to be complementary to a respectively associated end face of the pole device, such that there is no air gap between the pole device and the magnets (1, 2), and the pole device and the magnets (1, 2) are in contact with one another, wherein the pole device encompasses the two axially magnetized magnets (1, 2) in a direction parallel to the coil axis for coupling the two axially magnetized magnets (1, 2) to the induction coil (4) and for homogenizing the magnetic flux density in the induction coil (4), and wherein the holding device (9) has three fastening sections for fastening it to the housing (7),which comprise fastening webs (42a, b, c) arranged radially outside the induction coil (4) and each offset by 120°, and the bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement (100) movable relative to the housing (7) comprises at least two single-layer or double-layer planar spring elements (10a, b), each having at least two radially or axially extending spring arms and / or partial spring arms connected by webs to provide a high transverse stiffness of the bearing and an electronic control or regulation (82) which is designed to adjust or regulate the longitudinal stiffness in the deflection of the oscillatory system consisting of the magnet arrangement (100), spring elements (10a, b) and housing (7). [2] Electrodynamic energy converter for converting mechanical kinetic energy into electrical energy, comprising - a housing (7), - a magnet arrangement (100) movably mounted relative to the housing (7) for providing a magnetic field with a radially magnetized magnet having axial end faces, wherein the magnet is spatially enclosed by a two-part magnetic pole device made of magnetically conductive material and aligned coaxially with the at least one magnet, - a coil arrangement arranged in a fixed position relative to the housing (7) by means of a holding device (9) and penetrated by the magnetic field of the magnet arrangement (100), comprising at least one cylindrical and elongated induction coil (4) which surrounds the magnet arrangement (100) at least in sections, - a bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement (100) movable relative to the housing (7), which comprises both suspension and damping functions as well as linear guide functions, characterized bythat a respective axial end face of the radially magnetized magnet is designed to be complementary to a respectively associated axial end face of the pole device, such that there is no air gap between the pole device and the magnet and the pole device and the magnet bear against each other in contact, wherein the two-part pole device surrounds the radially magnetized magnet perpendicular to the coil axis for coupling the radially magnetized magnet to the induction coil (4) and for homogenizing the magnetic flux density in the induction coil (4), and wherein the holding device (9) has three fastening sections for its fastening to the housing (7), which comprise fastening webs (42a, b, c) arranged radially outside the induction coil (4) and each offset by 120°,and the bearing device for supporting the magnet arrangement (100) movable relative to the housing (7) comprises at least two single-layer or double-layer planar spring elements (10a, b), each having at least two radially or axially extending spring arms and / or partial spring arms connected by webs to provide high transverse stiffness of the bearing, and an electronic control or regulation (82) which is designed to adjust or regulate the longitudinal stiffness in the deflection of the oscillatory system consisting of magnet arrangement (100), spring elements (10a, b) and housing (7), wherein both pole parts of the pole device are symmetrical about a rotation axis and identically constructed with circular axial end faces having different radii, and both pole parts are aligned coaxially with one another and lie against one another in contact with their two axial end faces having a smaller radius,and the radially magnetized magnet is arranged coaxially to the pole pieces and has an axial passage for accommodating the two pole pieces in sections and without an air gap. [3] Electrodynamic energy converter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the pole device is designed in the manner of a pole shoe (3) as a magnetic lens which is designed to absorb magnetic fluxes of the two axially magnetized magnets (1, 2) acting in opposite poles and arranged with the same poles on the end face, or to absorb magnetic fluxes of the one radially magnetized magnet, to amplify, homogenize and deflect the magnetic flux in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the induction coil (4) and to couple it into the induction coil (4). [4] Electrodynamic energy converter according to claim 1 or 3, characterized bythat the pole device is constructed rotationally symmetrically with a lateral surface and two axially spaced end faces, each facing one of the two axially magnetized magnets (1, 2), wherein perpendicular to the axis of rotation the respective end face height of the pole device increases continuously with radial distance from the axis starting from the axis of rotation. [5] Electrodynamic energy converter according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by in that, in order to provide a magnetic return path, the magnet arrangement (100) comprises a closed pot (8) made of ferromagnetic material, comprising a cover section (92), a base section (93) and a casing section (94), wherein the pot (7) completely accommodates the magnets (1, 2), the at least one induction coil (4), and the pole device and is locally perforated only by the at least three uprightly arranged fastening webs (42a, b, c) of the induction coil (4). [6] Electrodynamic energy converter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the bearing device of the magnet arrangement (100) movable relative to the housing (7) comprises two spring elements (10a, b) which are each arranged at the end of the magnet arrangement (100), which spring elements have a double-arm structure or a labyrinth structure to increase the transverse rigidity and which can each integrally comprise a second spring in the form of a stop buffer which is suitable for cushioning strong shocks. [7] Electrodynamic energy converter according to claim 6, characterized by that the electronic control or regulation (82) detects the instantaneous value of the payload impedance. [8] Electrodynamic energy converter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the electronic control or regulation (82) is designed and configured to control or regulate the oscillation amplitude of the magnet arrangement (100) in that the load impedance as a whole is adaptable to changes in external ambient and operating conditions, in particular to changes in the ambient temperature, the excitation amplitude and the excitation frequency, in order to maintain a vibration quality Q that is structurally permanently or temporarily permissible under these external ambient and operating conditions, in particular in that the electronic regulation outputs an adequate reference variable or in that the electronic control outputs a set electrical load for adapting vibration amplitudes to the ambient and operating conditions. [9] Electrodynamic energy converter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized byin that the electronic control or regulation (82) has at least two operating modes with different vibration quality ranges (Q1) and (Q2), wherein a first operating mode provides a first vibration quality range (Q1) which limits the vibration amplitude of the magnet arrangement (100) to an average, permanently permissible value according to the design, and a second operating mode provides a second, higher vibration quality range (Q2) which allows a higher vibration amplitude than in the first operating mode, which lies above the permanently permissible average vibration amplitude and below the permanently permissible instantaneous amplitude. [10] Electrodynamic energy converter according to claim 9, characterized bythat the electronic control or regulation (82) is designed to monitor at least one operating or environmental parameter such asthe excitation amplitude of the energy converter and when a design-permissible limit value of the at least one operating or environmental parameter is exceeded, executes a third operating mode in which a third vibration quality range (Q3) is set or regulated, which is lower than the first and the second vibration quality range, for the maximum possible damping of the vibration amplitude of the magnet arrangement (100) for the purpose of minimizing the vibration amplitude of the magnet arrangement and for the optical and / or acoustic indication of the exceeding of the value of the at least one operating or environmental parameter specified as permissible, controls a display device and / or otherwise signals it to the outside and / or stores the information about the exceeding of the at least one operating or environmental parameter. [11] Electrodynamic energy converter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the electronic control or regulation (82) for controlling / regulating the oscillation quality has a circuit which is designed for low-loss reduction of the output voltage of this circuit as a function of the determined instantaneous value of the load impedance (1211 / 1307). [12] Electrodynamic energy converter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the energy converter has a sensor magnet (84) attached to a spring element (10a / 10b) for generating an analog signal proportional to the speed of the magnet arrangement (100), and a magnetic loop antenna (83) for detecting the magnetic field of the sensor magnets (84) and for outputting the analog signal. [13] Electrodynamic energy converter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the induction coil (4) of the energy converter has a separate load-current-free second winding, an additional winding tap or an associated voltage divider device which is designed to output a signal in the form of an analog voltage which represents a measure of the speed of the magnet arrangement (100) and / or the spring elements (10a, b) attached thereto. [14] Electrodynamic energy converter according to claim 12 or 13, characterized by that the electronic control or regulation (82) is designed to further process the speed-proportional analog signal electronically, in particular to integrate it to form a linear, analog amplitude- or path-proportional voltage signal. [15] Electrodynamic energy converter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the energy converter has an electronic circuit which rectifies an output voltage of the energy converter and charges an electrical energy storage device (1311), for example a capacitor and / or an accumulator.

Images