Symmetric armature for high current, air-core pulsed alternators

Claim 2

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a rotor having a longitudinal axis of rotation; a first coil mounted on an outer periphery of said rotor and centered abut a radius of said rotor, said radius being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; and a second coil mounted on said outer periphery of said rotor and centered about said radius, said second coil being radially displaced from said first coil; said first and second coils being connected whereby Lorentz forces generated by said coils along said longitudinal axis are substantially balanced when a high energy current is discharged through said coils.

Claim 3

The alternator as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a low impedance load; and means for routing said discharged current to said load.

Claim 4

The alternator as recited in claim 1, said first coil residing within the arcuate surface having a vertical centerline extending substantially perpendicular to said radius and substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis; and said second coil being substantially identical to said first coil rotated 180 degrees about said radius and rotated 180 degrees about the vertical centerline.

Claim 5

The alternator as recited in claim 1, said first coil residing within an arcuate surface having a horizontal centerline extending substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and radius; and said second coil being substantially identical to said first coil rotated 180 degrees about said horizontal centerline.

Claim 6

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a rotor having a longitudinal axis of rotation; an excitation winding mounted within said rotor; a first coil mounted on an outer periphery of said rotor and centered about a radius of said rotor, said radius being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; and a second coil mounted on said outer periphery of said rotor and centered about said radius, said second coil being radially displaced from said first coil; said first and second coils being connected whereby Lorentz forces generated by said coils along said longitudinal axis are substantially balanced when a high energy current is discharged through said coils and excitation current is discharged through said excitation winding.

Claim 7

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a rotor having a longitudinal axis of rotation; an excitation winding mounted within said rotor; a first coil mounted on an outer periphery of said rotor and centered about a radius of said rotor, said radius being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; and a second coil mounted on said outer periphery of said rotor and centered about said radius, said second coil being radially displaced from said first coil; said first and second coils being connected whereby Lorentz forces generated by said coils along said longitudinal axis are substantially balanced when a high energy current is discharged through said coils and excitation current is discharged through said excitation winding.

Claim 8

The alternator as recited in claim 5, further comprising at least two field coils adapted to produce a magnetic field across said rotor in response to said excitation current received upon said field coils.

Claim 9

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a rotor; a plurality of paris of stacked inner and outer armature coils mounted circumferentially about an outer periphery of said rotor; each pair of stacked armature coils including: a first coil mounted on an outer periphery of said rotor and centered about a radius of said rotor, said radius being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; and a second coil mounted on said outer periphery of said rotor and centered about said radius, said second coil being radially displaced from said first coil; said first and second coils being connected whereby Lorentz forces generated by said coils along said longitudinal axis are substantially balanced when a high energy pulsed current is discharged through said coils.

Claim 10

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a rotor; a plurality of paris of stacked inner and outer armature coils mounted circumferentially about an outer periphery of said rotor; each pair of stacked armature coils including: a first coil mounted on an outer periphery of said rotor and centered about a radius of said rotor, said radius being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; and a second coil mounted on said outer periphery of said rotor and centered about said radius, said second coil being radially displaced from said first coil; said first and second coils being connected whereby Lorentz forces generated by said coils along said longitudinal axis are substantially balanced when a high energy pulsed current is discharged through said coils.

Claim 11

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a stator encasement; at least two energizeable field coils mounted on an inner surface of said stator encasement and adapted to form a magnetic field therebetween; a substantially cylindrical rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis and within said magnetic field, said rotor having a substantially arcuate outer surface; a first main armature coil having a first conductive path mounted on said outer surface of said rotor and centered about a radius of said rotor, said radius being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; and a second main armature coil having a second conductive path mounted on said outer surface of said rotor and centered about said radius, said second conductive path being substantially identical to said first conductive path and being transposed relative to and radially displaced from said first conductive path; whereby Lorentz forces generated by said conductive paths along said longitudinal axis are substantially balanced when a high energy current is discharged through said conductive paths.

Claim 12

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a stator encasement; at least two energizeable field coils mounted on an inner surface of said stator encasement and adapted to form a magnetic field therebetween; a substantially cylindrical rotor rotatable about a longitudinal axis and within said magnetic field, said rotor having a substantially arcuate outer surface; a first main armature coil having a first conductive path mounted on said outer surface of said rotor and centered about a radius of said rotor, said radius being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; and a second main armature coil having a second conductive path mounted on said outer surface of said rotor and centered about said radius, said second conductive path being substantially identical to said first conductive path and being transposed relative to and radially displaced from said first conductive path; whereby Lorentz forces generated by said conductive paths along said longitudinal axis are substantially balanced when a high energy current is discharged through said conductive paths.

Claim 13

The alternator as recited in claim 8, wherein said field coil comprises a plurality of field conductors arranged in a coil for receiving excitation current.

Claim 14

The alternator as recited in claim 9, wherein said excitation current is provided from excitation windings placed within said rotor.

Claim 15

The alternator as recited in claim 9, wherein said excitation current is provided from an external current source.

Claim 16

The alternator as recited in claim 8, further comprising: a shaft connected to at least one end of said rotor along the longitudinal axis of said rotor; main brush slip rings coupled to said shaft at a point external to said stator encasement; and upper and lower pole start conductors connected between each said inner main armature coil and said main brush slip rings, said upper and lower pole start conductors also connected between each said outer main armature coil and said main brush slip rings.

Claim 17

The alternator as recited in claim 8, wherein each conductive path comprises a plurality of braided aluminum litz wires retained upon the outer surface of said rotor by an armature banding configured radially above each conductive path.

Claim 18

The alternator as recited in claim 12, wherein each said upper and lower pole start conductors comprise end points extending outside each said upper and lower main armature coil and connected to said main brush slip rings.

Claim 19

The alternator as recited in claim 8, wherein said stator encasement and rotor are composed of nonconductive, nonmagnetic material.

Claim 20

The alternator as recited in claim 8, further comprising a compensating winding means placed on an inside surface of said stator encasement for minimizing an internal inductance of said alternator.

Claim 21

The alternator as recited in claim 8, wherein each said first main armature coil comprises a plurality of first wires bounded together and wound within an arcuate surface having a vertical centerline extending substantially perpendicular to said respective radius and substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, and wherein said second main armature coil comprises a plurality of second wires bonded together and arranged in a wound configuration substantially identical to said wound first wires rotated 180 degrees about said radius and rotated 180 degrees about said vertical centerline.

Claim 22

The alternator as recited in claim 8, wherein each said first main armature coil comprises a plurality of first wires bound together and wound within an arcuate surface having a horizontal centerline extending substantially perpendicular to said radius and longitudinal axis, and wherein said second main armature coil comprises a plurality of second wires bound together and arranged in a wound configuration substantially identical to said wound first wires rotated 180 degrees about said horizontal centerline.

Claim 23

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a substantially cylindrical rotor having a longitudinal axis surrounded by an arcuate surface; a rotatable shaft connected to said rotor and extending along the longitudinal axis of said rotor; at least one pair of inner main armature coils mounted circumferentially about said arcuate surface and substantially equidistant from each other, each pair being centered about a diameter of said rotor; at least one pair of outer main armature coils, each outer coil being mounted to said rotor and spaced radially from each inner main armature coil and being centered about said diameter; each said inner and outer coil including a plurality of inner and outer wires, respectively, said inner and outer wires configured to discharge high energy pulsed current through said wires in response to rotational movement of said shaft; said inner and outer wires being wound in a substantially planar configuration with a horizontal centerline extending within said plane and extending substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said inner and outer wires having upper and lower pole start conductor ends which extend within said plane and outside said inner and outer coils; said outer wires being symmetrically arranged with respect to said inner wires, whereby said outer wires are rotated about said horizontal centerline to maintain substantial balance of Lorentz forces along said longitudinal axis when said high energy current is discharged; main brush slip rings mounted on an end of said shaft and electrically coupled to said upper and lower pole start ends; and a low impedance device electrically coupled to said brush mechanism.

Claim 24

A pulsed alternator, comprising: a substantially cylindrical rotor having a longitudinal axis surrounded by an arcuate surface; a rotatable shaft connected to said rotor and extending along the longitudinal axis of said rotor; at least one pair of inner main armature coils mounted circumferentially about said arcuate surface and substantially equidistant from each other, each pair being centered about a diameter of said rotor; at least one pair of outer main armature coils, each outer coil being mounted to said rotor and spaced radially from each inner main armature coil and being centered about said diameter; each said inner and outer coil including a plurality of inner and outer wires, respectively, said inner and outer wires configured to discharge high energy pulsed current through said wires in response to rotational movement of said shaft; said inner and outer wires being wound in a substantially planar configuration with a horizontal centerline extending within said plane and extending substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said inner and outer wires having upper and lower pole start conductor ends which extend within said plane and outside said inner and outer coils; said outer wires being symmetrically arranged with respect to said inner wires, whereby said outer wires are rotated about said horizontal centerline to maintain substantial balance of Lorentz forces along said longitudinal axis when said high energy current is discharged; main brush slip rings mounted on an end of said shaft and electrically coupled to said upper and lower pole start ends; and a low impedance device electrically coupled to said brush mechanism.

Claim 25

The alternator as recited in claim 19, wherein said low impedance device comprises an electromagnetic railgun launcher.

Claim 26

The alternator as recited in claim 19, further comprising: a stator encasement; at least two field coils mounted on an inner surface of said stator encasement; and said field coils configured to receive excitation current from an excitation armature coil placed within said rotor.

Claim 27

The alternator as recited in claim 19, further comprising: a stator encasement; at least two field coils mounted on an inner surface of said stator encasement; and said field coils configured to receive excitation current from an external current source.

Claim 28

The alternator as recited in claim 19, wherein said inner and outer wires comprise aluminum litz wires.

Claim 29

The alternator as recited in claim 19, wherein said rotor is composed of graphite, fiberglass and epoxy composite materials.

Claim 30

The alternator as recited in claim 19, wherein said high energy discharge current exceeds 3.2 million amps at a pulse length substantially equal to 6 milliseconds.