Patent US4024443A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4024443A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
A.C.-powered, commutated electric motor
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1975-09-09
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Granted: 1977-05-17
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Expires: 1995-09-09
Abstract
Abstract A solid-state commutation system comprising the driving of each pair of 1degree. electrically displaced phases from an even-phased motor with the A.C. current from a dedicated pair of 180° electrically displaced phases of an even-phased A.C. generator by routing the A.C. power per phase pair through a plurality of sets of oppositely disposed thyristor pairs which are gated in accordance with a rotor position-sensor connected to the shaft of the motor rotor.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald H. Schmucker
- 👤 Dominic S. Toffolo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 15:38
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02P; H02P25/00; H02P25/02; H02P25/022; H02P25/03
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
316 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor speed and power controller comprising: alternating current power supply means with an even number of phases for providing a plurality of pairs of 180° electrically displaced phased currents; A.c. motor means with the same even number of phases as said A.C. power supply means and having at least one magnetic field pole pair and an armature with a plurality of pairs of 180 electrical degree separated phase windings; position-sensing means for sensing the relative positions of the magnetic field pole pairs and the armature windings of said motor means; a plurality of switching bank means with each switching bank means connecting one pair of 180° electrically displaced phase windings from said power supply means to the corresponding dedicated pair of said 180° electrically separated phase motor armature windings, each of said switching bank means including a plurality of oppositely disposed diode-like switches connected so that the alternating current from said power supply means windings flows continuously through said switching bank means and is converted into two direct current ripple voltages of opposite polarity which are applied across said motor armature windings, each of said diode-like switches having a control input to which a control signal may be applied to switch on the flow of current between an anode input and a cathode input of the diode-like switch, said current flow between the anode and cathode stopping whenever both said control signals is removed from said control input and also the voltage applied by said power supply means between said cathode and anode inputs falls to zero, said position-sensing means applying control signals to said control inputs in accordance with the relative position of the armature windings and field windings of said motor means in such a manner that the current through said armature windings always generates magnetic fields tending to force the rotor of the motor to rotate in the same direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
316 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor speed and power controller comprising: alternating current power supply means with an even number of phases for providing a plurality of pairs of 180° electrically displaced phased currents; A.c. motor means with the same even number of phases as said A.C. power supply means and having at least one magnetic field pole pair and an armature with a plurality of pairs of 180 electrical degree separated phase windings; position-sensing means for sensing the relative positions of the magnetic field pole pairs and the armature windings of said motor means; a plurality of switching bank means with each switching bank means connecting one pair of 180° electrically displaced phase windings from said power supply means to the corresponding dedicated pair of said 180° electrically separated phase motor armature windings, each of said switching bank means including a plurality of oppositely disposed diode-like switches connected so that the alternating current from said power supply means windings flows continuously through said switching bank means and is converted into two direct current ripple voltages of opposite polarity which are applied across said motor armature windings, each of said diode-like switches having a control input to which a control signal may be applied to switch on the flow of current between an anode input and a cathode input of the diode-like switch, said current flow between the anode and cathode stopping whenever both said control signals is removed from said control input and also the voltage applied by said power supply means between said cathode and anode inputs falls to zero, said position-sensing means applying control signals to said control inputs in accordance with the relative position of the armature windings and field windings of said motor means in such a manner that the current through said armature windings always generates magnetic fields tending to force the rotor of the motor to rotate in the same direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
120 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said position-sensing means comprises: brush assembly means comprising a set of brush pairs for each set of oppositely disposed diode-like switches; and a plurality of electrically isolated slip ring means, one for each set of oppositely disposed switches, said slip rings means being disposed on said A.C. motor means so that there is relative rotation to said brush assembly means, each of said slip ring means having a portion of its surface being conductive, said brush assembly means being suitably disposed to contact the slip ring means and to energize each diode-like switch when its respective brush pair contacts the conductive surface of said slip ring means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
133 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said position-sensing means comprises: plurality of means for sensing the presence of light above a certain threshold energy, a different one of said sensing means connected to said control input of each diode-like switch; plurality of light source means, a different one of said light source means disposed to energize each of said sensing means; slip ring means with a portion of its surface being conductive disposed on said A.C. motor means; and plurality of brush means suitably disposed around the circumference of said slip ring means to contact said slip ring means, each brush means being connected to energize a different set of light source means when said brush means contacts the conductive surface of said slip ring means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 1, wherein said oppositely disposed diode-like switches are thyristors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 1, wherein the current from each phase of a pair of 180° electrically displaced phases of said power supply means is delivered by way of two sets of oppositely disposed diode like switches to both windings of the corresponding dedicated pair of the 180° electrically displaced phases of the armature windings of the said A.C. motor means to which the said sets of diode-like switches are connected.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
297 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said pairs of 180° electrically displaced phases of the A.C. power supply means is connected to a corresponding dedicated pair of 180° electrically displaced phases of the armature windings in said A.C. motor means as follows: one phase winding of said A.C. power supply means is connected by one of the said sets of oppositely disposed diode like switches to a first winding of said dedicated pair of armature windings of said A.C. motor means and is connected by a second set of oppositely disposed diode-like switches to the second winding of said dedicated pair of 180° electrically displaced armature phase windings of said A.C. motor means; and the 180° electrically displaced phase winding of said A.C. power supply means is connected by a third set of oppositely disposed diode like switches to said first winding of said dedicated pair of armature windings of said A.C. motor means and is connected by a fourth set of oppositely disposed diode-like switches to said second winding of said dedicated pair of armature windings of said motor means so that an essentially D.C. current is applied into one of said phase windings of said dedicated pair of armature windings of said motor means and back through the second phase winding of said dedicated pair of armature windings of said motor means to the A.C. power supply means when selected switches from the four sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches are energized by said position-sensing means and, said essentially D.C. current being reversed through said windings of the dedicated pair of armature windings of said A.C. motor means when a different set of selected switches from said four sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches is energized.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
302 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor speed and power controller comprising: alternating current power supply means with an even number of phases for providing a plurality of pairs of 180° electrically displaced phase currents; A.c. motor means with an armature with a plurality of windings of the same number of phases as said A.C. power supply means and having at least one field pole pair; position-sensing means for sensing the angular location of the magnetic field poles with respect to the armature conductors of said motor means; a plurality of switching bank means, each switching bank means comprising a plurality of sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches connecting one pair of 180° electrically displaced phase windings of the A.C. power supply means to the corresponding dedicated pair of 180° electrically displaced armature windings in the said A.C. motor means so that an essentially D.C. current is applied by said pair of windings of said A.C. power supply means to its corresponding dedicated pair of said armature phase windings of said A.C. motor means so that each of said A.C. power supply means windings is supplying current continuously to said A.C. motor means windings, each of said diode-like switches having a control input for switching on current flow between two other inputs, said diode-like switches continuing to conduct current after said control signals are removed from said control inputs until such time as the voltage applied to the switch by said A.C. power supply means goes to zero, said position-sensing means applying control signals to said control inputs of said diode-like switches of said switching bank means so that said essentially D.C. current of a given polarity is applied to that respective dedicated pair of armature phase windings of said A.C. motor means only when those armature phase windings are opposite predetermined magnetic field poles.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
302 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor speed and power controller comprising: alternating current power supply means with an even number of phases for providing a plurality of pairs of 180° electrically displaced phase currents; A.c. motor means with an armature with a plurality of windings of the same number of phases as said A.C. power supply means and having at least one field pole pair; position-sensing means for sensing the angular location of the magnetic field poles with respect to the armature conductors of said motor means; a plurality of switching bank means, each switching bank means comprising a plurality of sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches connecting one pair of 180° electrically displaced phase windings of the A.C. power supply means to the corresponding dedicated pair of 180° electrically displaced armature windings in the said A.C. motor means so that an essentially D.C. current is applied by said pair of windings of said A.C. power supply means to its corresponding dedicated pair of said armature phase windings of said A.C. motor means so that each of said A.C. power supply means windings is supplying current continuously to said A.C. motor means windings, each of said diode-like switches having a control input for switching on current flow between two other inputs, said diode-like switches continuing to conduct current after said control signals are removed from said control inputs until such time as the voltage applied to the switch by said A.C. power supply means goes to zero, said position-sensing means applying control signals to said control inputs of said diode-like switches of said switching bank means so that said essentially D.C. current of a given polarity is applied to that respective dedicated pair of armature phase windings of said A.C. motor means only when those armature phase windings are opposite predetermined magnetic field poles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
123 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 7, wherein said position-sensing means comprises: a plurality of electrically isolated slip ring means, one for each set of oppositely disposed diode like switches, said slip ring means being disposed on the shaft of said motor means so that they rotate relative to said armature windings, each of said slip ring means having a portion of its surface being conductive; and a brush means comprising a pair of brushes for each oppositely disposed diode-like switch of the switching bank means, suitably disposed to contact the slip ring means for that diode-like switch and to energize each diode-like switch when its respective brush pair contacts the conductive surface of said slip ring means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
138 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor speed and power controller as defined in claim 7, wherein said position-sensing means comprises: plurality of means for sensing the presence of light above a certain threshold energy, a different one of said sensing means connected to said control input of each diode-like switch; a plurality of light source means, a different one of said light source means disposed to energize each of said light sensing means; slip ring means with a portion of its surface being conductive disposed on the rotor shaft of said motor means; and a plurality of brush means suitably disposed around the circumference of said slip ring means to contact said slip ring means, each brush means being connected to energize a different set of light source means when it contacts the conductive surface of said slip ring means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 7, wherein said oppositely disposed diode-like switches are thyristors.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
99 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 7, wherein each phase from a pair of 180° electrically displaced phase windings from said power supply means is connected by one of said sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches to one winding of the corresponding dedicated pair of 180° electrically displaced phase armature windings of the A.C. motor means to which it is coupled and is connected by another of said sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches to the 180° electrically displaced phase winding from the same dedicated pair of armature windings of the A.C. motor means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
302 words
A phase-commutated A.C. motor-speed and power controller as defined in claim 7, wherein each of said pairs of 180° electrically displaced armature phase windings of the A.C. power supply means is connected to a corresponding dedicated pair of 180° electrically displaced phases of the armature windings in said motor means as follows: one phase winding of said A.C. power supply means is connected by one of said sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches to a first winding of said dedicated pair of related armature windings of said A.C. motor means and is connected by a second set of oppositely disposed diode-like switches to the second winding of said dedicated pair of 180° electrically displaced armature phase windings of said A.C. motor means; and the opposite-phase winding from said pair of 180° electrically displaced phase windings of said A.C. power supply means is connected by a third set of oppositely disposed diode-like switches to said first winding of said dedicated pair of armature windings of said A.C. motor means and is connected by a fourth set of oppositely disposed diode-like switches to said second winding of said dedicated pair of armature windings of said motor means so that an essentially D.C. current is applied into one of said phase windings of said dedicated pair of armature winding of said motor means and back through the second phase winding of said dedicated pair of armature windings of said motor means to the A.C. power supply means when selected switches from the four sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches are energized by said position-sensing means and, said essentially D.C. current being reversed through said windings of the dedicated pair of armature windings of said A.C. motor means when a different set of selected switches from said four sets of oppositely disposed diode-like switches is energized.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-05-16 | 1980-11-15 | 1981-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-05-16 | 1984-11-15 | 1985-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-05-16 | 1988-11-15 | 1989-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |