Method and apparatus for a magnetic propulsion system

Abstract

1. A propulsion system comprising: a fan blade housing; a plurality of fan blades within the fan blade housing; one or more rows of permanent magnets secured to the exterior of the fan blade housing; one or more fan blade bearings; and one or more magnetic field generators secured to the one or more fan blade bearings and corresponding to the row or rows of permanent magnets, the one or more magnetic field generators configured to advance the permanent magnets in the same direction, thereby rotationally driving the fan blade housing in which the permanent magnets are mounted and the fan blades therein.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments described herein relate to generating a magnetic field, and more particularly, to generating a magnetic field having multiple polarities.

Background Art

[0002] For example, all types of magnets, such as permanent magnets, electromagnets, and superconducting magnets, generate two magnetic poles with opposite polarities at opposite ends. This can be explained by referring to the bar magnet 100 shown in FIG. 1. As understood from FIG. 1, the bar magnet 100 has two magnetic poles, the S pole 102 and the N pole 104. FIG. 1 also shows the magnetic field 106 generated by the bar magnet 100, which has a direction from the N pole 104 to the S pole 102.

[0003] These magnetic poles have the ability to repel or attract. For example, when trying to bring the N pole of a second bar magnet close to the S pole 102 of, for example, the magnet 100, the magnet 100 will attract the second magnet. Conversely, when trying to bring the S pole of a second magnet close to the S pole 102 of the magnet 100, the magnet 100 will repel the second magnet. The N pole 104 of the magnet 100 will operate in the opposite manner, that is, it will repel the N pole of the second magnet and attract the S pole.

[0004] Although the above-described properties of magnets can be used to fabricate devices, they can also limit their applications or at least limit their efficiency. This can be explained by the stator / rotor combination of an electric motor.

[0005] Figure 2 shows a block diagram illustrating a plurality of magnets 202 forming a stator ring and a rotor magnet 204 positioned in the center of the stator ring. As can be seen from Figure 2, each of the magnets 202 (i.e., 202a to 202d) has a south pole and a north pole arranged as shown in the figure, and the rotor magnet 204 has poles arranged as shown in the figure. During operation, the south poles of the stator magnets 202a and 202d repel the south pole of the rotor magnet 204, while the north poles of the stator magnets 202b and 202c attract the south pole of the rotor magnet 204. At the same time, the north poles of the stator magnets 202b and 202c repel the north pole of the rotor magnet 204, while the south poles of the stator magnets 202d and 202a attract the north pole of the rotor magnet 204. Due to the cumulative effect, the rotor magnet 204 rotates clockwise around the shaft 205. Unfortunately, as can be seen from Figure 2, each of the stator magnets 202 generates an unused second magnetic pole outside the stator ring. As a result, the overall utilization of the stator's available magnetic field is at best 50%. [Overview of the project]

[0006] In one embodiment, the propulsion system includes a fan blade housing, a plurality of fan blades within the fan blade housing, one or more rows of permanent magnets fixed to the outside of the fan blade housing, one or more fan blade bearings, and one or more magnetic field generators fixed to one or more fan blade bearings and corresponding to the one or more rows of permanent magnets, configured to advance the permanent magnets in the same direction, thereby rotating the fan blade housing and the fan blades inside it to which the permanent magnets are attached.

[0007] These features, aspects, and embodiments, as well as other features, aspects, and embodiments, will be described in the following "Detailed Description" section.

[0008] The features, aspects, and embodiments will be described in conjunction with the attached drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a conventional bar magnet with two magnetic poles.

[0010] [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the multiple magnets forming the stator ring and the rotor magnet positioned in the center of the stator ring.

[0011] [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows exemplary devices that may be used to form a proposed magnetic device for generating a desired magnetic field pattern, according to some embodiments described herein.

[0012] [Figure 4A] Figure 4A shows a magnetic device having a set of magnets placed within the base magnet arrangement described in Figure 3, and the magnetic field pattern that is expected to be generated when the magnetic field pattern shown in Figure 1 is given.

[0013] [Figure 4B] Figure 4B shows a comparison between an exemplary magnetic field pattern actually generated by the device's magnetic configuration and the predicted magnetic field pattern shown in Figure 4A.

[0014] [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows approximate magnetic field patterns in a proposed magnetic device including three primary magnetic fields, according to several embodiments described herein.

[0015] [Figure 6]Figure 6 shows an exemplary process for accelerating a device including a magnet attached to a rod or other stabilizing device by a magnetic field formed by a plurality of magnetic field patterns shown in Figure 5, according to some embodiments described herein.

[0016] [Figure 7A] Figure 7A shows a magnetic rotor-stator device including a circular array of magnetic field generating devices configured as stators for driving a rotor wheel about a shaft, according to some embodiments described herein, and a circular array of a plurality of magnets attached to the rotor wheel via a set of rods.

[0017] [Figure 7B] Figure 7B shows an alternative magnetic rotor-stator device including a circular array of a plurality of magnetic field generating devices attached to a central shaft functioning as a rotor, according to some embodiments described herein, and a set of magnets attached to the outside of the rotor-stator device via a corresponding set of rods and functioning as a stator.

[0018] [Figure 7C] Figure 7C shows another example of a magnetic rotor-stator device based on the magnetic rotor-stator device described in Figure 7B.

[0019] [Figure 8A] Figure 8A shows the initial position of an electromagnetic device before entering the first N pole of magnetic field pattern 500a. <总

[0020] [Figure 8B] Figure 8B shows that after being attracted by the first N pole of magnetic field pattern 500a, the electromagnetic device has completely entered the first N pole magnetic field.

[0021] [Figure 8C]Figure 8C shows that the electromagnetic device is driven from the first N - pole magnetic field into the S - pole magnetic field at the center of the magnetic field pattern 500a under the attraction of the S - pole.

[0022] [Figure 8D] Figure 8D shows that the electromagnetic device has completely entered the magnetic field 510a and the polarity of the device remains the same.

[0023] [Figure 8E] Figure 8E shows that the electromagnetic device has entered the second N - pole magnetic field 508a of the magnetic field pattern 500a and the polarity of the device 800 remains the same.

[0024] [Figure 8F] Figure 8F shows that the electromagnetic device has switched its polarity back again from S - N to N - S.

[0025] [Figure 8G] Figure 8G shows that the electromagnetic device is driven into the first N - pole magnetic field of the second magnetic field pattern 500b after switching its polarity.

[0026] [Figure 8H] Figure 8H shows that the polarity of the electromagnetic device is switched again from N - S to S - N to facilitate driving the device across the second S - pole magnetic field of the magnetic field pattern 500b.

[0027] [Figure 9A] Figure 9A shows an exemplary embodiment of a proposed magnetic - field generating device including a base with a parabolic - shaped inner wall and a set of magnets installed inside corresponding magnet - placement positions within the inner wall.

[0028] [Figure 9B] Figure 9B shows an alternative magnetic - field generating device using surface - mount magnets according to some embodiments described herein.

[0029] [Figure 10A] Figure 10A shows a cross-sectional view of another example of the proposed magnetic device, which includes two apertures of similar size and an associated magnetic field pattern having three magnetic poles, according to some embodiments described herein.

[0030] [Figure 10B] Figure 10B shows a perspective view of a magnetic device having two transition boundaries in two apertures, according to some embodiments described herein.

[0031] [Figure 10C] Figure 10C shows a magnetic suspension using a magnetic device 1000 in which two permanent magnets 1 and 2 are suspended on two transition boundaries, i.e., at positions 1 and 2, according to some embodiments described herein.

[0032] [Figure 11A-F] Figures 11A to 11F show fan or propulsion systems constructed using the magnetic devices described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] Some embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus or device comprising a plurality of magnets arranged to form a parabolic shape. The magnets may be permanent magnets, electromagnets, superconducting magnets, or a combination thereof. When the plurality of magnets are arranged in a parabolic shape as described herein, they can generate two primary magnetic fields formed by magnetic forces of the same polarity extending outward from the apparatus and in opposite directions, and a third magnetic field of opposite polarity located substantially at the center of the apparatus.

[0034] Figure 3 shows an exemplary device 300 that can be used to form a proposed magnetic device for generating a desired magnetic field pattern, according to several embodiments described herein. As can be seen from Figure 3, the device 300 includes a base 302 having a ring shape including at least two openings. More specifically, the base 302 has an upper surface 307, a lower surface 305, and an inner wall 311 and an outer wall 313 sandwiched between these surfaces 305 and 307. The upper surface 307 further includes an opening 308 having a circular shape in this case, while the lower surface 305 includes an opening 310, similarly having a circular shape in the illustrated example. It should be noted that the opening 308 in the upper surface 307 has a larger diameter than the opening 310 in the lower surface 305. As a result, the inner wall 311 can have a parabolic or angled shape. Although the base 302 in the embodiment of Figure 3 is shown to have a ring / circular shape, other embodiments of the device 300 may have a base with other closed shapes, including, but not limited to, non-circular openings, such as square, pentagonal, hexagonal, or other polygonal openings. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to using the ring-shaped base shown in Figure 3.

[0035] The base 302 further includes a plurality of magnet placement positions 304, each capable of housing a magnet. As can be seen from Figure 3, the plurality of magnet placement positions 304 are located between the inner wall 311 and the outer wall 313 and are arranged at substantially equal intervals around the ring-shaped base 302. For example, the distance between a pair of adjacent magnet placement positions can be represented as "d". However, in some other embodiments, the plurality of magnet placement positions 304 may be arranged around the ring-shaped base 302 at uneven intervals. Note that each magnet placement position 304 includes an opening on the inner wall 311 for receiving a magnet. Therefore, if the inner wall 311 has a parabolic or angled shape, the openings of each magnet placement position 304 may also have a parabolic or angled shape. In such embodiments, because the inner wall 311 has a parabolic or angled shape, each magnet placement position 304 may have an upper portion 312 that is thinner than the lower portion 314.

[0036] In some embodiments, the back wall of each magnet placement position 304, embedded within the solid portion of the base 302, can be set to be angled relative to the outer wall 313 of the base 302. In these embodiments, the surface of the magnet placed within the magnet placement position 304 can also have a parabolic or angled shape. In some embodiments, instead of using magnet placement positions configured as recesses within the inner wall, the base of the proposed magnetic device uses a set of magnet placement positions around the inner wall. These magnet placement positions can be used to accommodate surface-mount magnets, as will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 9A and 9B.

[0037] In some embodiments, the base 302 also includes a gap 306 formed within the solid ring structure of the base 302, which connects the center of the base 302 to the space outside the base 302. The function and use of such a gap 306 will be described in detail later. Although not explicitly shown, each magnet placement position 304 can accommodate a magnet. When the magnet is properly placed within the magnet placement position 304, the proposed magnetic device 300 is formed.

[0038] Figure 4A shows a magnetic device 400 having a pair of magnets 402 (i.e., 402a and 402b) installed within the magnet placement position 304 of the base 302 described in Figure 3, and the magnetic field pattern that is expected to be generated when the magnetic field pattern shown in Figure 1 is given. It is noteworthy that in the exemplary device 400, the north pole of each magnet 402 is pointed toward the center of the base 302 and positioned closer to the top surface of the base 302, while the south pole of each magnet 402 is pointed away from the center of the base 302 and positioned closer to the bottom surface of the base 302. Thus, each magnet 402 is positioned such that the magnetic axis connecting the north and south poles of the magnet (illustrated by a dotted straight line passing through the magnet 402) forms an angle with respect to the top and bottom surfaces. In various embodiments, the angle formed between the magnetic axis connecting the north and south poles and the top and bottom surfaces is between 0 and 90 degrees. In various embodiments, a set of magnets may include two, three, or more individual permanent magnets. In some embodiments, the set of magnets forms a continuous magnetic structure around the inner wall.

[0039] In the device configuration shown in Figure 4A, the magnet is expected to generate a magnetic field 404 having the shown magnetic poles, namely, a combined north pole formed in the center of device 400 and two south poles formed at the opposite end of device 400. However, the magnetic field pattern shown in Figure 4A is not actually generated by device 400 based on the configuration described.

[0040] Figure 4B shows an exemplary magnetic field pattern actually generated by the magnetic configuration of device 400. More specifically, Figure 4B represents a cross-sectional view of device 400, where the right vertical edge of device 400 corresponds to the top surface 307 of base 302 shown in Figure 3, and the left vertical edge of device 400 corresponds to the bottom surface 305 of base 302 shown in Figure 3. As can be seen from Figure 4B, three primary magnetic fields 406, 408, and 410 are generated. More specifically, a first primary magnetic field 410, having a polarity of S pole instead of N pole, is formed substantially in the center of base 302. In the illustrated example, the magnetic field 410 is substantially located within an open space enclosed by the upper opening of the top surface, the lower opening of the bottom surface, and the inner wall of base 302.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4B, a second primary magnetic field 408 having an N polarity is formed outward from the upper opening of the base 302, that is, from the larger opening, and similarly, a third primary magnetic field 406 having an N polarity is formed outward from the lower opening of the base 302, that is, from the smaller opening, on the opposite side from the primary magnetic field 410.

[0042] In some embodiments, the boundary between the first primary magnetic field 410 and the second primary magnetic field 408 is near the larger opening of the base 302 (illustrated as a dark vertical line on the right), and the boundary between the first primary magnetic field 410 and the third primary magnetic field 406 is near the smaller opening of the ring-shaped base 302 (illustrated as a dark vertical line on the left). It should also be noted that because opening 308 is larger in size than opening 310 (also indicated by the two dark lines 416 and 418 in Figure 4B), the magnetic influence region for the second magnetic field 408 can be significantly larger than the magnetic influence region for the third magnetic field 406. In some embodiments, the openings 308 and 310 of the base 302 can be configured to a desired size and geometry to control the magnetic influence regions for the second magnetic field 408 and the third magnetic field 406, respectively.

[0043] Although the exemplary device 400 is configured to form one S pole between two N poles, alternative designs of device 400 can install the magnet in the reverse configuration shown in Figure 4B. In such a design, three primary magnetic fields 406', 408', and 410' are generated, such that a first primary magnetic field 410' consisting of N poles is formed substantially in the center of the base 302, while a second primary magnetic field 408' and a third primary magnetic field 406' consisting of S poles are formed on either side of the first primary magnetic field 410.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4B, in addition to the three primary magnetic fields 406-410, several additional magnetic field effects 412 and 414 may exist. However, for the purposes of this specification, the magnetic field generated by device 400 can be approximated by the three primary magnetic fields described above. Figure 5 shows an approximated magnetic field pattern 500 in a magnetic device 400 including the three primary magnetic fields 406-410 according to several embodiments described herein. As shown in Figure 5, the magnetic field pattern 500 generated by device 400 includes two north poles located on either side and one south pole located between those two north poles. The magnetic field characteristics of the disclosed device 400 can be used in a variety of applications to achieve various advantages, for example, when used in an electric motor, it can improve the efficiency of the electric motor.

[0045] As described above in relation to Figure 3, the base 302 of device 300 or 400 may also include a gap 306 within the base 302. Such a gap can be used to accelerate another magnet in exemplary applications. Figure 6 shows an exemplary process for accelerating device 600, which includes a magnet 602 attached to a rod 604 or other stabilizing device, by a magnetic field 606 formed by a plurality of magnetic field patterns 500 shown in Figure 5, according to some embodiments described herein.

[0046] More specifically, the magnetic field 606 includes an array of magnetic field patterns 500a and 500b, each of which is generated by an example of device 400 in Figures 4A and 4B, which includes a base 302 and a pair of magnets 402. Note that arrays of multiple devices 400 generating the magnetic field 606 can be arranged in series or connected to one another. Although only two magnetic field patterns 500a and 500b are illustrated, many more than the two examples of device 400 can be arranged together, thereby forming a longer array of devices 400 that generates corresponding longer arrays of magnetic field patterns 500 to accelerate the magnets 600 over longer distances. For example, this longer array of devices 400 can be configured in a circular pattern, as shown in the inset of Figure 6, which includes seven examples of magnetic field patterns 500. In this example, the magnets 602 can be accelerated / propelled by circular movement around a circular path 608. In another example, multiple magnetic field patterns 500 can be configured in a linear manner, thereby allowing the magnet 602 to be accelerated / propelled along a linear path (not shown). In all these examples, as the magnet 602 passes through the array of magnetic field patterns 500, the relatively thin rod 604 can pass through each gap 306 of each base 302 in each instance of the device 400, while the wider magnet 602 passes through the opening of each base 302 in the center of the base 302.

[0047] Next, we will consider in more detail how the magnet 602 is accelerated by the magnetic field 606. As can be seen from Figure 6, when the magnet 602 is initially positioned to the left of the magnetic field pattern 500a, the south pole of the magnet 602 is attracted to the north pole of the magnetic field 506a of the magnetic field pattern 500a. This interaction can accelerate the device 600 to the right in Figure 6. When the magnet 602 enters the magnetic field 506a, the magnetic field 506a begins to repel the north pole of the magnet 602, which further accelerates the magnet 602 to the right. If the magnet 602 is initially accelerated enough to overcome the repulsive effect of the south pole of the magnetic field pattern 500a, i.e., the magnetic field 510a, on the south pole of the magnet 602, then the magnetic field 510a will begin to repel the south pole of the magnet 602 while continuing to attract the north pole of the magnet 602. On the other hand, the second north pole of magnetic field pattern 500a, i.e., magnetic field 508a, begins to attract the south pole of magnet 602. After magnet 602 enters magnetic field 508a, magnetic field 508a begins to repel the north pole of magnet 602, causing magnet 602 to continue to accelerate to the right and be deducted from magnetic field pattern 500a.

[0048] Therefore, the interaction between the three primary magnetic fields in the magnetic field pattern 500a and each magnetic pole of the magnet 602 allows the device 600 to be driven from left to right in Figure 6. As described above, the gap 306 in the base 302 can be configured to accommodate the rod 604, thereby allowing the device 600 to move without obstruction through the first instance of the device 400 that generates the magnetic field pattern 500a. Next, a second instance of the device 400, which is arranged in series with or connected to the first instance of the device 400 and represented by the magnetic field pattern 500b, continues the process. Multiple instances of the device 400 can be connected in various configurations, including but not limited to circular arrays or linear arrays, as will be described later.

[0049] Figure 7A shows a magnetic rotor-stator device 710, which includes a circular array of magnetic field generating devices 410a-410l configured as a stator for driving a rotor wheel 704 around a shaft 702, according to some embodiments described herein, and a circular array of magnets 700a-700l attached to the rotor wheel 704 via a pair of rods 706a-706l. Although the magnetic rotor-stator device 710 includes more examples of magnetic field generating devices 400 and more magnets 700 than the exemplary system shown in Figure 6, the driving principle is essentially the same as the process described above in relation to Figure 6. When the rotor wheel 704 rotates, each of the thin rods 706 can pass through each gap 306 (not shown) in each base 302 of each device 410, while each magnet 700 passes through an opening in the center of each base 302.

[0050] Figure 7B shows an alternative magnetic rotor-stator device 720, according to some embodiments described herein, which includes a circular array of magnetic field generating devices 420a-420h mounted on a central shaft 712 that functions as a rotor, and a pair of magnets 714a-714h mounted on the outer portion of the rotor-stator device 720 via a corresponding pair of rods 716a-716h that function as a stator.

[0051] Figure 7C shows another example of a magnetic rotor-stator device 730 based on the magnetic rotor-stator device 720 described in Figure 7B. As can be seen from Figure 7C, the magnetic rotor-stator device 730 includes a set of multiple identical sub-parts 730a to 730e, each of which is configured in a manner similar to the magnetic rotor-stator device 720 described in Figure 7B.

[0052] In some embodiments, when the magnet 602 in Figure 6 is an electromagnet, the polarity of the magnet 602 can be advantageously switched or electromagnetically turned off, thereby assisting the above operation. This is illustrated in relation to Figures 8A to 8H, and with reference to Figures 8A to 8H, a process for driving the electromagnetic device 800 from left to right by an array of magnetic field patterns 500a to 500c in three examples of device 400 while switching the polarity of device 800 will be described.

[0053] Figure 8A shows the initial position of the electromagnetic device 800 before entering the first north pole of the magnetic field pattern 500a. As can be seen from Figure 8A, the device 800 can have the illustrated N / S magnetic polarity orientation so that it is driven from left to right under the influence of the magnetic field pattern 500a, as described above. Figure 8B shows that the electromagnetic device 800 has fully entered the north pole magnetic field 506a after being attracted by the first north pole of the magnetic field pattern 500a. More specifically, in Figure 8B, the polarity of the device 800 has just been switched from the initial N / S to S / N, which allows the device 800 to be easily driven further into the central south pole of the magnetic field pattern 500a, and across that south pole. This first switching operation may be useful when the north pole of the magnetic field pattern 500a does not provide sufficient thrust to overcome the repulsive force from the south pole of the magnetic field pattern 500a.

[0054] Figure 8C shows that the electromagnetic device 800 was driven from the magnetic field 506a into the central S-pole magnetic field 510a of the magnetic field pattern 500a by the attractive force of the S pole, while Figure 8D shows that the electromagnetic device 800 has entered the magnetic field 510a completely and that the polarity of the device 800 remains the same.

[0055] Figure 8E shows that the electromagnetic device 800 has entered the second north pole magnetic field 508a of magnetic field pattern 500a, and that the polarity of device 800 remains the same. Note that when device 800 leaves the south pole magnetic field 510a and enters the north pole magnetic field 508a, there is a point where the north pole magnetic field 506b of the next magnetic field pattern 500b has not yet begun to push device 800 back. In one embodiment, this is the point where the north pole of device 800 remains interacting with the north pole magnetic field 506a of magnetic field pattern 500a. This can be a desired point for switching the polarity of device 800 from SN to NS, or for simultaneously turning off all electromagnetic elements to allow for inertial use.

[0056] Figure 8F shows that the electromagnetic device 800 has switched its polarity back from SN to NS, resulting in the N pole magnetic field 508a of magnetic field pattern 500a repelling the N pole of device 800, and the N pole magnetic field 506b of magnetic field pattern 500b attracting the S pole of device 800. As can be seen, this state is similar to the initial state illustrated in Figure 8A, which drives device 800 into the magnetic field 506b of magnetic field pattern 500b, as illustrated in Figure 8G, and the above process can be repeated. As can be seen from Figure 8H, the polarity of device 800 has been switched back from NS to SN to facilitate driving device 800 across the second S pole magnetic field 510b of magnetic field pattern 500b.

[0057] Compared to the non-switching process described in relation to Figure 6, the switching operation combined with the electromagnetic off described above can make the operation far more efficient. In various embodiments, the spacing between adjacent examples of device 400 and the switching timing play important roles in the operation and in the degree of improvement in operational efficiency.

[0058] In alternative embodiments of the process described above, instead of switching the polarity of the electromagnet 800, the magnetism may be temporarily turned off at some points in the process, thereby facilitating the movement of the electromagnetic device 800 from one magnetic pole to the other. For example, in Figure 8B, instead of switching, the magnetism of the electromagnetic device 800 may be temporarily turned off, thereby enabling propulsion to drive the electromagnetic device 800 into the south pole magnetic field 510a. After the electromagnetic device has fully entered the south pole, the magnetism can be turned back on, thereby activating the attractive force between the south pole of the electromagnetic device 800 and the north pole magnetic field 508a, as well as the repulsive force between the south pole of the electromagnetic device 800 and the south pole magnetic field 510a, thereby efficiently driving the electromagnetic device 800 into the second north pole magnetic field 508a. In some other embodiments, the same operation can be achieved by combining polarity switching and turning the magnetism on and off.

[0059] Furthermore, it should be noted that in certain embodiments, the magnet-rod device can actually be fixed in place, and the magnetic field generating device can be configured to drive the magnet-rod device from right to left under the same principle of interaction between magnetic fields.

[0060] Figure 9A shows device 900A, which is an exemplary embodiment of device 300 or device 400, comprising a base having a parabolic or angled inner wall, and a set of magnets installed inside a corresponding set of magnet placement positions within the inner wall.

[0061] Figure 9B shows an alternative magnetic field generating device 900B using surface-mount magnets according to several embodiments described herein. As can be seen from Figure 9B, device 900B includes a base substantially identical to the base of device 900B. However, instead of using magnets placed in a recess as in the case of device 900A, device 900B uses a pair of surface-mount magnets 902 that are directly mounted on the surface of the inner wall of device 900B. Notably, each of these magnets exhibits a parabolic shape of the inner wall. In some embodiments, each of the magnets 902 has a trapezoidal shape to facilitate maximum coverage of the inner wall. By increasing the coverage of the inner wall, it is possible to generate three desired magnetic field patterns with stronger intensities.

[0062] Referring back to Figure 4B, another important aspect or characteristic of the device 400 shown in Figure 4B concerns the interface between the north poles 406 and 408 and the south pole 410. Note that these two interfaces, located approximately at the two openings indicated by the two dark lines 416 and 418, are the locations where the magnetic field changes polarity. As a result of the device 400 having these openings, objects become accessible to these interfaces, i.e., to the transition boundary between the north and south poles. In contrast, in the case of a permanent magnet such as the bar magnet 100 in Figure 1, these locations are inaccessible because they are located inside the magnet itself.

[0063] The device 400 is configured such that if another magnet smaller than the openings 416 and 418 is inserted between the north pole 406 and the south pole 410, or between the north pole 408 and the south pole 410, that magnet will be "aligned" to the positive position of the interface between the magnetic poles and will float or "suspend" at the openings 416 or 418. It is noteworthy that this property is independent of whether the device 400 is positioned vertically or horizontally, and is not affected by the orientation of the device 400. If pressure is applied to the floating magnet and then released, the magnet will tilt back to substantially the same position. Therefore, by using such a combination of magnet and device 400, a force measuring transducer can be fabricated. Furthermore, this combined device can also be used to fabricate other types of transducers, valves, speakers, microphones, and pumps, among others. Furthermore, it should be noted that if the polarity of this combination device is suddenly changed, the aligned magnets will be reversed within the space in which they are suspended. By utilizing this additional property, it is possible to fabricate motors, fans, flow devices, and other devices that can take advantage of this property.

[0064] Figure 10A shows a cross-sectional view of another example of the proposed magnetic device 1000, according to some embodiments described herein, which includes two apertures and an associated magnetic field pattern having three magnetic poles. In this figure, the two transition boundaries are indicated as "Position 1" and "Position 2," respectively. Figure 10B shows a perspective view of the magnetic device 1000, according to some embodiments described herein, which has two transition boundaries in two apertures.

[0065] Figure 10C shows a magnetic suspension using a magnetic device 1000 in which two permanent magnets 1 and 2 are suspended in perfect fidelity to two transition boundaries, i.e., at positions 1 and 2, according to some embodiments described herein. It should be noted that although the magnetic device 1000 in Figure 10B shows a gap, other embodiments of the magnetic device 1000 do not need to have a gap when the device is used to suspend permanent magnets as described above.

[0066] In addition to the exemplary devices and systems described above, numerous other devices and machines can be designed that utilize the magnetic field properties of the proposed magnetic devices, such as device 400. For example, an efficient flywheel can be designed to store kinetic energy, or device 400 can be used as a fan blade to cool electromagnetic components.

[0067] For example, certain embodiments described herein provide thrust to, for example, aircraft, drones, and other flying devices that use electric current as a power source. Conventionally, electric motors that drive propellers or fan blades are located either behind or in front of the propellers or fan blades. As a result, the electric motors themselves actually obstruct the airflow into the propellers or fan blades. In addition, conventional designs suffer from problems with thrust-to-weight ratio and lack of redundancy.

[0068] However, as will be described later, by integrating the electric motor with the fan blade, it is possible to design a redundant electric motor without obstructing the airflow, and further weight reduction is achieved because a central shaft, gears, and belts that drive the fan blade are unnecessary, improving the thrust-to-weight ratio. Furthermore, such a configuration allows multiple motors to be connected in series and to operate at different rotational speeds per minute, thereby obtaining the desired efficiency and thrust.

[0069] As described above, the embodiments described herein can provide thrust to aircraft, drones, or other flying devices that use electric current as a power source. As a result, these embodiments can address several problems associated with electric-powered aircraft, drones, or other flying devices, including, among other things, redundancy, weight, efficiency, thrust, manufacturing cost, maintenance, and size. By integrating the electric motor and fan blades into a single component, greater efficiency can be achieved compared to conventional electric aircraft motor designs, including thrust-to-weight ratio, ease of maintenance, redundancy, and manufacturing cost.

[0070] Using an electric current generated by a generator, battery, solar panel, fuel cell, or any combination thereof, the electric aircraft motor described herein converts this energy into mechanical thrust used by an aircraft, drone, or other flying device, thereby achieving flight. Similar embodiments can provide propulsion to submersible or non-submersible vessels.

[0071] By integrating the electric motor with the fan blade, it is possible to design a redundant electric motor without obstructing airflow, and the central shaft, gears, and belts that drive the fan blades are eliminated, thus reducing weight.

[0072] Specific embodiments described herein include the following components: 1. a fan blade housing 1101, 2. a fan blade 1102, 3. a bearing 1103 for the fan blade housing, 4. an engine cover 1104 for the fan blade housing, 5. a mounting member 1105 for the permanent magnet, 6. an electromagnet 1106, 7. fan blade housings 1107 connected in series, 8. a permanent magnet 1108, and 9. a current controller 1109 for the electromagnet.

[0073] As shown in Figures 11A to 11F, such a fan or propulsion system can be constructed in the following manner: the fan blades 1102 are inserted into the fan blade housing 1101 and fixed in place. It should be noted that the size and number of blades can be changed to obtain the desired thrust. See Figures 11A and 11B. The fan blade housing 1101 is inserted into the fan blade housing bearing 1103, as shown in Figures 11C and 11D, so that the fan blades 1102 can rotate freely within the bearing.

[0074] Next, the permanent magnet mounting member 1105 is attached to the fan blade housing 1101, the permanent magnet 1108 is attached to the permanent magnet mounting member 1105, and the electromagnet 1106 is attached to the fan blade housing bearing 1103. As described above, the electromagnet 1106 may include an opening that allows the permanent magnet 1108 to pass through the electromagnet 1106. The completed fan blade housing 1101 is then inserted into the fan blade housing engine cover 1104, and the whole can then be mounted to the vehicle.

[0075] It should also be noted that the electromagnet current controller 1109 can form an interface with the electromagnet 1106.

[0076] After being configured as described above, the permanent magnet 1108 interacts with the electromagnet 1106, which is controlled by the electromagnet current controller 1109 as described above, thereby rotating the fan blade housing 1101. In other words, the electromagnet 1105 generates a magnetic field that propels the permanent magnet forward in the same direction, thereby rotating the housing 1101 to which they are mounted. When the housing 1101 is rotated, the fan blades 1102 located inside the fan blade housing 1101 draw in air and push it out from the rear, thereby generating thrust for the aircraft. To change the thrust or efficiency, multiple fan blade housings 1101 can be connected together, as shown in Figure 11G, thereby forming a series-connected fan blade housing. Each of the fan blade housings 1101 can rotate independently at different revolutions per minute to achieve the desired thrust and efficiency.

[0077] The power can be increased or decreased by changing the number of permanent magnet mounting members 1105, permanent magnets 1108, or electromagnets 1106. Additional fan blade housing bearings 1103 can add increased stability to the rotating fan blade housing 1101. Adding fan blades 1102 of different sizes or different numbers to the fan blade housing 1101 will change the airflow passing through the fan blade housing 1101. As shown in Figure 11G, by connecting multiple fan blade housings 1101 together, each fan blade housing 1101 can be made to rotate independently at different revolutions per minute, thereby achieving the desired thrust and efficiency. The interaction between the permanent magnets 1108 and electromagnets 1106 can be changed using the electromagnet current controller 1109, thereby achieving the desired thrust and efficiency.

[0078] Although specific embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative. Therefore, the systems and methods described herein should not be limited based on the described embodiments. Rather, the systems and methods described herein should be limited only in view of the following claims, in conjunction with the above description and accompanying drawings.

Claims

1. 1. A propulsion system comprising: a fan blade housing; a plurality of fan blades within the fan blade housing; one or more rows of permanent magnets fixed to the exterior of the fan blade housing; one or more fan blade bearings; one or more magnetic field generators fixed to the one or more fan blade bearings and corresponding to the row or rows of permanent magnets, the one or more magnetic field generators configured to advance the permanent magnets in the same direction, thereby rotationally driving the fan blade housing in which the permanent magnets are mounted and the fan blades therein.

2. Each of the one or more magnetic field generators comprises: a base including an upper surface, a lower surface, and an inner wall and an outer wall sandwiched between the upper surface and the lower surface, the upper surface including a first opening defined by an upper edge of the inner wall, and the lower surface including a second opening defined by a lower edge of the inner wall; a set of magnets arranged to cover a portion of the inner wall, each of the magnets being arranged such that a magnetic axis connecting a north pole and a south pole of the magnet forms an angle with the upper surface and the lower surface.

3. The propulsion system of claim 2 , wherein the set of magnets is disposed within a set of recessed locations within the interior wall of the base.

4. The propulsion system of claim 2 , wherein the set of magnets is mounted on a surface of the inner wall of the base.

5. 3. The propulsion system of claim 2, wherein each of the set of magnets disposed in or around the interior wall has a trapezoidal, circular, square, and / or triangular geometric shape.

6. The propulsion system of claim 2 , wherein the set of magnets includes two or more magnets.

7. 10. The propulsion system of claim 1, further comprising a fan blade engine cover, the fan blade housing located within the fan blade engine cover to form a propulsion unit, the fan blade engine cover configured to be attached to an aircraft.

8. The propulsion system of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of propulsion units configured to operate together.

9. 10. The propulsion system of claim 1, further comprising: a controller coupled to the magnetic field generators and configured to control interactions between the magnetic field generators and the permanent magnets to achieve desired thrust and efficiency.

10. 10. The propulsion system of claim 1, further comprising: a controller independently coupled to the magnetic field generators of each of the propulsion units, the controller configured to control interactions between the magnetic field generators of each of the propulsion units and the permanent magnets to achieve desired thrust and efficiency.

Images