Pulsed excitation alternator

Claim 2

In an alternator having at least one coil surrounded by an iron magnetic circuit for picking up electrical power from the alternator and having two ends, the coil cooperating with a magnetic moving part of iron cyclically displaced between two positions to form a gap having a size dependent on instant position of the moving part, the improvement comprising: a substantially constant voltage power supply source having a positive and a negative terminal; two controlled valves, said two ends of said at least one coil being respectively connected to said positive terminal and to said negative terminal of said substantially constant voltage power supply source through respective ones of said controlled valves; and monodirectional current connections between each of said two ends of said at least one coil and opposite terminal of the power supply source.

Claim 3

An improved alternator according to claim 1, wherein said controlled valves comprise thyristors.

Claim 4

An improved alternator according to claim 1, wherein said monodirectional current connections comprise diodes.

Claim 5

An improved alternator according to claim 1, including means for supplying excitation pulses to the coil during from about 1% to about 10% of the total cycle of said moving part, said means being coupled to control electrodes of said valves to control conduction thereof with said pulses.

Claim 6

An improved alternator according to claim 4, wherein said means for supplying excitation pulses comprises excitation pulse producing means for producing pulses to effect a current flow in said coil substantially in phase with variation of reluctance originating from displacement of said moving part.

Claim 7

An improved alternator according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic moving part is at least a portion of a member useable as a free piston in a free piston rectilinear machine.

Claim 8

An improved alternator according to claim 6, wherein said magnetic moving part is mounted in a non-magnetic part of said member, length of said non-magnetic part being substantially equal to that of said magnetic part.

Claim 9

An improved alternator according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic moving part is at least a portion of a member useable as a rotor of a heat engine having a stator and a rotor, said coil being useable as part of the stator and the rotor including teeth corresponding to said moving part.

Claim 10

An improved alternator according to claim 1, wherein said at least one coil comprises a first coil and a second coil placed in notches of the magnetic circuit and interconnected through a rectifier system, said moving part being operatively arranged to reciprocate according to a cycle subdivided into four periods, with a second period in the first coil corresponding to a fourth period in the second coil, whereby mechanical energy can be utilized during reciprocate movement in either direction to ensure a better power continuity.

Claim 11

In an alternator having at least one coil surrounded by a magnetic circuit for picking up electrical power from the alternator and having two ends, the coil cooperating with a magnetic moving part cyclically displaced between two positions to form a gap having a size dependent on instant position of the moving part, the improvement comprising: a substantially constant voltage power supply source having a positive and a negative terminal; two controlled valves, said two ends of said at least one coil being respectively connected to said positive terminal and to said negative terminal of said substantially constant voltage power supply source through respective ones of said controlled valves; and monodirectional current connections between each of said two ends of said at least one coil and opposite terminal of the power supply source; including means for supplying excitation pulses to the coil during from about 1% to about 10% of the total cycle of said moving part, said means being coupled to control electrodes of said valves to control conduction thereof with said pulses.

Claim 12

In an alternator having at least one coil surrounded by a magnetic circuit for picking up electrical power from the alternator and having two ends, the coil cooperating with a magnetic moving part cyclically displaced between two positions to form a gap having a size dependent on instant position of the moving part, the improvement comprising: a substantially constant voltage power supply source having a positive and a negative terminal; two controlled valves, said two ends of said at least one coil being respectively connected to said positive terminal and to said negative terminal of said substantially constant voltage power supply source through respective ones of said controlled valves; and monodirectional current connections between each of said two ends of said at least one coil and opposite terminal of the power supply source; including means for supplying excitation pulses to the coil during from about 1% to about 10% of the total cycle of said moving part, said means being coupled to control electrodes of said valves to control conduction thereof with said pulses.

Claim 13

An improved alternator according to claim 10, wherein said means for supplying excitation pulses comprise excitation pulse producing means for producing pulses to effect a current flow in said coil substantially in phase with variation of reluctance originating from displacement of said moving part.