Homopolar machines with contacts of liquid metal

Claim 2

A multi-disc homopolar machine comprising: a plurality of fixed discs; a plurality of movable discs alternated with and spaced from the fixed discs; a liquid metal filling the spaces between the fixed and movable discs, said liquid metal being formed alternately into bodies that are normally stationary and bodies that are normally movable, each normally stationary liquid body being in contact with the periphery and the center of a single fixed disc and being dividable into two concentric annuluses; and driving means for rotating one of the annuluses of each of the normally stationary liquid bodies in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as the movable discs and for causing the other of the annuluses of said liquid bodies to turn automatically under the effect of induction in the opposite direction and thereby eliminate electrical potentials across the liquid bodies in a radial direction, the radii of the annuluses being such that the hydrostatic pressure produced by centrifugal force in the liquid bodies in which the contrarotating annuluses are formed will balance the hydrostatic pressure in the movable bodies of liquid metal on the other sides of the rotatable discs therefrom.

Claim 3

A homopolar machine as in claim 1, characterized in that said driving means rotates the outer annulus of liquid in the same direction as the movable discs.

Claim 4

A multi-disc homopolar machine comprising a plurality of fixed discs; a plurality of movable discs; contacts of a liquid metal formed alternately into bodies that are normally stationary and bodies that are normally movable, each normally stationary liquid body being in contact with the periphery and the center of a single fixed disc and being divided into two concentric annuluses; and driving means for rotating one of the annuluses in each normally stationary liquid body in the same direction and at substantially The same speed as the movable discs with another annulus of each said body turning automatically under the effect of induction in the opposite direction and at a speed suitable to eliminate electrical potential across the liquid body in a radial direction, said driving means comprising blades fixed on the sides of the movable discs facing the normally stationary liquid bodies, said blades each having a height that is less than the space between adjacent movable and fixed discs and a radial length that corresponds to the width of the annulus which is to be rotated, and the radii of the annuluses being such that the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid metal produced by the centrifugal force at the periphery of the liquid bodies in which the contra-rotating annuluses are formed will balance the hydrostatic pressure in the movable bodies of liquid metal on the other sides of the rotatable discs therefrom.

Claim 5

A multi-disc homopolar machine comprising a plurality of fixed discs; a plurality of movable discs; contacts of a liquid metal formed alternately into bodies that are normally stationary and bodies that are normally movable, each normally stationary liquid body being in contact with the periphery and the center of a single fixed disc and being divided into two concentric annuluses; and driving means for rotating one of the annuluses in each normally stationary liquid body in the same direction and at substantially The same speed as the movable discs with another annulus of each said body turning automatically under the effect of induction in the opposite direction and at a speed suitable to eliminate electrical potential across the liquid body in a radial direction, said driving means comprising blades fixed on the sides of the movable discs facing the normally stationary liquid bodies, said blades each having a height that is less than the space between adjacent movable and fixed discs and a radial length that corresponds to the width of the annulus which is to be rotated, and the radii of the annuluses being such that the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid metal produced by the centrifugal force at the periphery of the liquid bodies in which the contra-rotating annuluses are formed will balance the hydrostatic pressure in the movable bodies of liquid metal on the other sides of the rotatable discs therefrom.

Claim 6

A multi-disc homopolar machine comprising a plurality of fixed discs; a plurality of movable discs alternated with and spaced from the fixed discs; a liquid metal filling the spaces between the fixed and movable discs, said liquid metal being formed alternately into bodies that are normally stationary and bodies that are normally movable, each normally stationary liquid body being in contact with the periphery and the center of a single fixed disc and being dividable into two concentric annuluses; and driving means for rotating one of the annuluses in each of the normally stationary liquid bodies in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as the movable discs and for causing another annulus of each said body to turn automatically under the effect of induction in the opposite direction and eliminate electrical potential across the liquid body in a radial direction, there being layers of electrical insulation substantially completely covering those sides of both the fixed and movable discs facing the normally stationary bodies of liquid metal, and said driving means comprising annuluses of a conductive material overlying the insulating layers on the movable discs and coextensive with those annuluses of the normally stationary bodies of liquid metal which it is desired to rotate in the same direction as the movable discs.

Claim 7

A multi-disc homopolar machine comprising a plurality of fixed discs; a plurality of movable discs alternated with and spaced from the fixed discs; a liquid metal filling the spaces between the fixed and movable discs, said liquid metal being formed alternately into bodies that are normally stationary and bodies that are normally movable, each normally stationary liquid body being in contact with the periphery and the center of a single fixed disc and being dividable into two concentric annuluses; and driving means for rotating one of the annuluses in each of the normally stationary liquid bodies in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as the movable discs and for causing another annulus of each said body to turn automatically under the effect of induction in the opposite direction and eliminate electrical potential across the liquid body in a radial direction, there being layers of electrical insulation substantially completely covering those sides of both the fixed and movable discs facing the normally stationary bodies of liquid metal, and said driving means comprising annuluses of a conductive material overlying the insulating layers on the movable discs and coextensive with those annuluses of the normally stationary bodies of liquid metal which it is desired to rotate in the same direction as the movable discs.

Claim 8

A multi-disc homopolar machine comprising a plurality of fixed discs; a plurality of movable discs alternated with and spaced from the fixed discs; a liquid metal filling the spaces between the fixed and movable discs, said liquid metal being formed alternately into bodies that are normally stationary and bodies that are normally movable; each normally stationary liquid body being in contact with the periphery and the center of a single fixed disc and being dividable into concentric annuluses; and there being an annular, insulation-free surface on the side of each movable disc facing a normally stationary body of liquid metal which is coextensive with one of the concentric annuluses into which the body is dividable and the remainder of each said side of each movable disc being insulated, whereby those annuluses in the normally stationary body of liquid metal with which said insulation-free areas are coextensive will be caused to rotate in the same direction as the movable discs and whereby said bodies will be caused to otherwise rotate in the opposite direction, thereby eliminating electrical potentials thereacross in a radial direction.

Claim 9

A multi-disc homopolar machine comprising a plurality of fixed discs; a plurality of movable discs alternated with and spaced from the fixed discs; a liquid metal filling the spaces between the fixed and movable discs, said liquid metal being formed alternately into bodies that are normally stationary and bodies that are normally movable; each normally stationary liquid body being in contact with the periphery and the center of a single fixed disc and being dividable into concentric annuluses; and there being an annular, insulation-free surface on the side of each movable disc facing a normally stationary body of liquid metal which is coextensive with one of the concentric annuluses into which the body is dividable and the remainder of each said side of each movable disc being insulated, whereby those annuluses in the normally stationary body of liquid metal with which said insulation-free areas are coextensive will be caused to rotate in the same direction as the movable discs and whereby said bodies will be caused to otherwise rotate in the opposite direction, thereby eliminating electrical potentials thereacross in a radial direction.

Claim 10

The multi-disc homopolar machine of claim 5, wherein the insulation free surfaces extend inwardly from the inner and outer peripheries of the movable discs.

Claim 11

The multi-disc homopolar machine of claim 5, wherein the insulation-free areas are located between the inner and outer peripheries of the movable discs and on those sides of the discs facing the normally stationary bodies of liquid metal.

Claim 12

A multi-disc homopolar machine, comprising: a plurality of annular fixed discs in parallel, spaced apart relationship; a plurality of concomitantly rotatable, annular discs alternated with said fixed discS with communicating annular spaces therebetween; a single mass of an electrically conductive metal which is a liquid at operating temperatures completely filling the spaces between the fixed and rotatable discs; means so insulating the sides of the fixed and rotatable discs that the bodies of metal in alternate ones of said spaces are each in electrical contact only with inner and outer peripheral portions of a single fixed disc and the bodies of metal in the remaining annular spaces are each in electrical contact only with inner and outer peripheral portions of a single rotatable disc and will thereby rotate with said discs; and means effective when said last-mentioned discs are rotating for rotating an annular portion of each body of metal electrically connected to the peripheral portions of a fixed disc in the direction of rotation of the rotatable discs and for causing a second annular portion of each of those bodies to rotate in the opposite direction, the radii of the annuluses being such that the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid metal produced by the centrifugal force in the liquid bodies in which the contra-rotating annuluses are formed will balance the hydrostatic pressure in the rotatable bodies of liquid metal on the other sides of the rotatable discs therefrom and such that there will be a zero electrical potential radially of the bodies in which the contra-rotating annuluses are formed.

Claim 13

A multi-disc homopolar machine, comprising: a plurality of annular fixed discs in parallel, spaced apart relationship; a plurality of concomitantly rotatable, annular discs alternated with said fixed discS with communicating annular spaces therebetween; a single mass of an electrically conductive metal which is a liquid at operating temperatures completely filling the spaces between the fixed and rotatable discs; means so insulating the sides of the fixed and rotatable discs that the bodies of metal in alternate ones of said spaces are each in electrical contact only with inner and outer peripheral portions of a single fixed disc and the bodies of metal in the remaining annular spaces are each in electrical contact only with inner and outer peripheral portions of a single rotatable disc and will thereby rotate with said discs; and means effective when said last-mentioned discs are rotating for rotating an annular portion of each body of metal electrically connected to the peripheral portions of a fixed disc in the direction of rotation of the rotatable discs and for causing a second annular portion of each of those bodies to rotate in the opposite direction, the radii of the annuluses being such that the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid metal produced by the centrifugal force in the liquid bodies in which the contra-rotating annuluses are formed will balance the hydrostatic pressure in the rotatable bodies of liquid metal on the other sides of the rotatable discs therefrom and such that there will be a zero electrical potential radially of the bodies in which the contra-rotating annuluses are formed.