Three phase rotary inductor vector adder

Claim 2

A rotary inductor vector adder comprising, in combination, an annular ferromagnetic stator having a first and a second radial tooth angularly displaced 90 electrical degrees from each other, a first energizing winding having turns surrounding said first tooth, a second energizing winding having turns surrounding said second tooth, a first electrical source coupled to said first energizing winding and being selectively variable to regulate the magnitude of the electrical signal supplied to said first energizing winding, a second electrical source coupled to said second energizing winding, an output winding having turns surrounding said first tooth connected in series with turns surrounding said second tooth so that an output voltage is generated in said output winding which is the vector sum of the electrical signals from said first source and said second source, and ferromagnetic rotor means rotatable within said stator and separated from said teeth by a magnetic reluctance gap for varying the permeances of the magnetic flux paths extending through said teeth and across said gap into said rotor means to thereby cyclically modulate said output voltage as it rotates.

Claim 3

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 1 wherein said stator has a pair of first teeth which are angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees from each other and a pair of second teeth which are angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees from each other and also angularly displaced from said first teeth, said first energizing winding has serially connected turns surrounding each of said first teeth, said second energizing winding has serially connected turns surrounding each of said second teeth, said output winding has turns surrounding each of said first teeth connected in subtractive relation and turns surrounding each of said second teeth connected in subtractive relation and also connected in series with said turns surrounding said first teeth.

Claim 4

A polyphase rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 2 having n phases wherein n is an integer greater than two and said stator has n of said pairs of first teeth which pairs are displaced 360/n electrical degrees apart and also has n of said pairs of second teeth which pairs are displaced 360/n electrical degrees apart, said output winding comprises n phase output windings each of which has turns surrounding each of one of said pairs of said first teeth connected in subtractive relation and turns surrounding each of one of said pairs of second teeth connected in subtractive relation and connected in series with said turns surrounding said one pair of first teeth.

Claim 5

A polyphase rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 3 wherein each pair of first teeth are displaced 180 electrical degrees and each pair of second teeth are displaced 180 electrical degrees, the instantaneous permeances of said magnetic flux paths which extend through said teeth and across said gap into said rotor means varying substantially sinusoidally, and including a first alternating current source coupled to said first energizing winding and being selectively variable to regulate the magnitude of electrical signal supplied thereto, and a second alternating current source coupled to said second energizing winding and supplying an electrical signal thereto in phase with the electrical signal supplied by said first source and being selectively variable to regulate the magnitude of electrical signal supplied thereby to said second energizing winding.

Claim 6

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 2 wherein said stator includes first and second axially displaced annular stator members and said first teeth are on said first stator member and said second teeth are on said second stator member and wherein said rotor means includes first and second ferromagnetic rotor members rotatable within said first and second stator members respectively.

Claim 7

A rotary inductor, vector adder in accordance with claim 3 wherein all of said first teeth are located in one portion of said stator and all of said second teeth are located in another portion of said stator angularly displaced from said first portion to minimize the mutual interaction of the magnetic fluxes flowing in said first teeth with the magnetic fluxes flowing in said second teeth.

Claim 8

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 6 wherein the centerline between said one pair of first teeth surrounded by turns of each phase output winding is displaced by 90 electrical degrees from the centerline between said one pair of second teeth surrounded by turns thereof.

Claim 9

A polyphase rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first teeth are disposed alternately with said second teeth, said turns of said first energizing winding are wound so that the magnetic fluxes flow in opposite direction in successive first teeth, said turns of said second energizing winding are wound so that the magnetic fluxes flow in opposite direction in successive second teeth, and the sum of the instantaneous fluxes flowing in all of said teeth is zero, whereby each tooth is disposed in the magnetically neutral zone between the teeth on both sides of it.

Claim 10

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 3 wherein said first teeth are successive teeth on said stator and said second teeth are successive teeth on said stator and are disposed approximately diametrically opposite from said first teeth to miNimize the mutual interaction of the magnetic fluxes flowing in said first teeth with the magnetic fluxes flowing in said second teeth.

Claim 11

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 3 wherein said stator is selectively rotatable to shift the phase of the voltages induced in said n phase output windings.

Claim 12

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 2 and including a rotatable shaft carrying said ferromagnetic rotor means, a stator housing encircling said shaft and carrying said stator, and bearing means for supporting said stator housing on said shaft so that said shaft and stator housing are rotatable relative to each other.

Claim 13

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first and second sources supply in-phase alternating current electrical signals to said first and second energizing windings respectively and said stator has a pair of first teeth which are angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees from each other and a pair of second teeth which are angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees from each other and are also angularly displaced 90 electrical degrees from said first teeth, said first energizing winding has serially connected turns surrounding each of said first teeth, said second energizing winding has serially connected turns surrounding each of said second teeth, and said output winding has turns surrounding each of said first teeth connected in subtractive relation and turns surrounding each of said second teeth connected in subtractive relation and also connected in series with said turns surrounding said first teeth.

Claim 14

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 1 wherein said rotor means is capable of continuous rotation through 360 mechanical degrees within said stator and cyclically varies the permeances of said magnetic flux paths as it rotates and the instantaneous permeances of the magnetic flux paths extending through said teeth and across said gap into said rotor means vary substantially sinusoidally.

Claim 15

A rotary inductor vector adder comprising, in combination, an annular ferromagnetic stator having a pair of radially inward projecting first teeth which are angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees from each other and a pair of radially inward projecting second teeth which are angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees from each other and also angularly displaced 90 electrical degrees from said first teeth, a first energizing winding having serially connected turns surrounding each of said pair of first teeth, a second energizing winding having serially connected turns surrounding each of said pair of second teeth, an output winding having turns surrounding each of said pair of first teeth connected in subtractive relation and turns surrounding each of said pair of second teeth connected in subtractive relation and also connected in series with said turns surrounding said first teeth, ferromagnetic rotor means rotatable within stator and separated from said teeth by a magnetic reluctance gap for varying the permeances of the magnetic flux paths extending through said teeth and across said gap into said rotor as it rotates, and first and second electrical sources coupled to said first and second energizing windings respectively, at least one of said sources being selectively variable to vary the magnitude of output signal therefrom, whereby an output voltage is generated in said output winding which is the vector sum of the electrical signals from said first and said second electrical sources and said rotor means cyclically modulates said output voltage at a frequency which is a function of the angular velocity of said rotor means.

Claim 16

A rotary inductor vector adder comprising, in combination, an annular ferromagnetic stator having a pair of radially inward projecting first teeth which are angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees from each other and a pair of radially inward projecting second teeth which are angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees from each other and also angularly displaced 90 electrical degrees from said first teeth, a first energizing winding having serially connected turns surrounding each of said pair of first teeth, a second energizing winding having serially connected turns surrounding each of said pair of second teeth, an output winding having turns surrounding each of said pair of first teeth connected in subtractive relation and turns surrounding each of said pair of second teeth connected in subtractive relation and also connected in series with said turns surrounding said first teeth, ferromagnetic rotor means rotatable within stator and separated from said teeth by a magnetic reluctance gap for varying the permeances of the magnetic flux paths extending through said teeth and across said gap into said rotor as it rotates, and first and second electrical sources coupled to said first and second energizing windings respectively, at least one of said sources being selectively variable to vary the magnitude of output signal therefrom, whereby an output voltage is generated in said output winding which is the vector sum of the electrical signals from said first and said second electrical sources and said rotor means cyclically modulates said output voltage at a frequency which is a function of the angular velocity of said rotor means.

Claim 17

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 14 wherein said first and second sources provide in-phase alternating current signals to said first and second energizing windings respectively and are both selectively variable to regulate the magnitudE of signals supplied to said energizing windings and said rotor means is capable of continuous rotation through 360 mechanical degrees within said stator and cyclically varies the permeances of said magnetic flux paths as it rotates.

Claim 18

A rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 15 wherein the instantaneous permeances of the magnetic flux paths extending through said teeth and across said gap into said stator vary substantially sinusoidally.

Claim 19

A polyphase rotary inductor vector adder having n phases comprising, in combination, a ferromagnetic stator having 2n angularly displaced first teeth and 2n angularly displaced second teeth displaced 90 electrical degrees from said first teeth, a first energizing winding having serially connected turns surrounding each of said first teeth, a second energizing winding having serially connected turns surrounding each of said second teeth, n phase output windings each of which has turns surrounding each of a pair of said first teeth angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees connected in subtractive relation and in series with turns surrounding each of a pair of said second teeth angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees connected in subtractive relation and which pairs of first and second teeth are displaced by multiples of 360/n electrical degrees from the pairs of first and second teeth surrounded by the turns of the other phase output windings, ferromagnetic rotor means disposed adjacent said stator in spaced confronting relation with said teeth and being separated therefrom by a magnetic reluctance gap and being rotatable relative to said stator for cyclically modulating the permeances of the magnetic flux paths which extend through said teeth and across the gap into said rotor means, and first and second alternating current sources coupled to said first and second energizing windings respectively, at least one said source being selectively variable to regulate the magnitude of electrical signal supplied to the corresponding energizing winding, said first and second sources supplying in-phase electrical signals to said first and second energizing windings, whereby an output voltage is generated in each phase output winding which is the vector sum of said electrical signals from said first and said second sources and said output voltages derived in said phase windings differ in phase by multiples of 360/n electrical degrees and are cyclically modulated at a frequency which is a function of the angular velocity of said rotor means.

Claim 20

A polyphase rotary inductor vector adder having n phases comprising, in combination, a ferromagnetic stator having 2n angularly displaced first teeth and 2n angularly displaced second teeth displaced 90 electrical degrees from said first teeth, a first energizing winding having serially connected turns surrounding each of said first teeth, a second energizing winding having serially connected turns surrounding each of said second teeth, n phase output windings each of which has turns surrounding each of a pair of said first teeth angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees connected in subtractive relation and in series with turns surrounding each of a pair of said second teeth angularly displaced 180 electrical degrees connected in subtractive relation and which pairs of first and second teeth are displaced by multiples of 360/n electrical degrees from the pairs of first and second teeth surrounded by the turns of the other phase output windings, ferromagnetic rotor means disposed adjacent said stator in spaced confronting relation with said teeth and being separated therefrom by a magnetic reluctance gap and being rotatable relative to said stator for cyclically modulating the permeances of the magnetic flux paths which extend through said teeth and across the gap into said rotor means, and first and second alternating current sources coupled to said first and second energizing windings respectively, at least one said source being selectively variable to regulate the magnitude of electrical signal supplied to the corresponding energizing winding, said first and second sources supplying in-phase electrical signals to said first and second energizing windings, whereby an output voltage is generated in each phase output winding which is the vector sum of said electrical signals from said first and said second sources and said output voltages derived in said phase windings differ in phase by multiples of 360/n electrical degrees and are cyclically modulated at a frequency which is a function of the angular velocity of said rotor means.

Claim 21

A polyphase rotary inductor vector adder in accordance with claim 17 wherein said rotor means is capable of continuous rotation through 360 mechanical degrees within said stator and cyclically varies the permeances of said magnetic flux paths as it rotates.

Claim 22

A polyphase rotary inductor vector adder for controlling an electric motor having n phases and p poles where n is an integer greater than two and p is an even-numbered integer greater than two comprising, in combination, an annular ferromagnetic stator having at least 4n angularly displaced, radially projecting teeth around its periphery, at least 2n of said teeth constituting first teeth and at least 2n of said teeth constituting second teeth and being angularly displaced from said first teeth, a first energizing winding having turns surrounding each of said first teeth connected in series so that the magnetic fluxes are in opposite directions in successive first teeth and the sum of the instantaneous magnetic fluxes therein is zero, a second energizing winding having turns surrounding each of said second teeth connected in series so that the magnetic fluxes are in opposite directions in successive second teeth and the sum of the instantaneous magnetic fluxes therein is zero, n phase output windings each of which has turns surrounding each of one pair of said first teeth connected in subtraCtive relation and turns surrounding each of one pair of said second teeth connected in subtractive relation and also connected in series with said turns surrounding said first teeth, said one pair of first and one pair of second teeth being displaced by multiples of 360/n electrical degrees from the corresponding pairs of first and second teeth surrounded by turns of the other phase output windings, ferromagnetic rotor means disposed adjacent said stator in confronting relation to said teeth and being spaced therefrom by a magnetic reluctance gap and being rotatable relative to said stator for cyclically modulating the permeances of the magnetic flux paths extending through said teeth and across said gap into said rotor means as it rotates, said rotor means having p/2 angularly displaced portions at which the permeance of the flux path through a tooth is a minimum when said portion is opposite thereto, and first and second selectively variable alternating current sources coupled to said first and second energizing windings and supplying in-phase signals of selectively variable magnitude thereto.

Claim 23

A polyphase rotary inductor vector adder for controlling an electric motor having n phases and p poles where n is an integer greater than two and p is an even-numbered integer greater than two comprising, in combination, an annular ferromagnetic stator having at least 4n angularly displaced, radially projecting teeth around its periphery, at least 2n of said teeth constituting first teeth and at least 2n of said teeth constituting second teeth and being angularly displaced from said first teeth, a first energizing winding having turns surrounding each of said first teeth connected in series so that the magnetic fluxes are in opposite directions in successive first teeth and the sum of the instantaneous magnetic fluxes therein is zero, a second energizing winding having turns surrounding each of said second teeth connected in series so that the magnetic fluxes are in opposite directions in successive second teeth and the sum of the instantaneous magnetic fluxes therein is zero, n phase output windings each of which has turns surrounding each of one pair of said first teeth connected in subtraCtive relation and turns surrounding each of one pair of said second teeth connected in subtractive relation and also connected in series with said turns surrounding said first teeth, said one pair of first and one pair of second teeth being displaced by multiples of 360/n electrical degrees from the corresponding pairs of first and second teeth surrounded by turns of the other phase output windings, ferromagnetic rotor means disposed adjacent said stator in confronting relation to said teeth and being spaced therefrom by a magnetic reluctance gap and being rotatable relative to said stator for cyclically modulating the permeances of the magnetic flux paths extending through said teeth and across said gap into said rotor means as it rotates, said rotor means having p/2 angularly displaced portions at which the permeance of the flux path through a tooth is a minimum when said portion is opposite thereto, and first and second selectively variable alternating current sources coupled to said first and second energizing windings and supplying in-phase signals of selectively variable magnitude thereto.