US5753989A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hybrid alternator
Assignee: Ecoair Corp
•
Filing: 1995-03-31
•
Granted: 1998-05-19
•
Expires: 2015-03-31
Abstract
Abstract A hybrid alternator comprising a stator, and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core defining a plurality of magnetic poles, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the plurality of magnetic poles comprising at least one permanent magnetic pole defined by a permanent magnet, and a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each of which is defined by a wound field.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles D. Syverson
- 👤 William P. Curtiss
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 03:20
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02K; H02K1/00; H02K1/06; H02K1/22; H02K1/27; H02K1/2706; H02K1/272; H02K1/274; H02K1/2753; H02K1/276; B; B60; B60L; B60L50/00; B60L50/10; B60L50/15; H02H; H02H7/00; H02H7/06; H02J; H02J7/00; H02J7/14; H02J7/1423; H02J7/1438; H02J7/16; H02J7/163; H02J7/28; H02J7/60; H02J7/62; H02J7/64; H02J7/80; H02K1/24; H02K1/2766; H02K1/2773; H02K16/00; H02K19/00; H02K19/16; H02K19/26; H02K19/28; H02K19/36; H02K19/365; H02K21/00; H02K21/02; H02K21/04; H02K21/042; H02P; H02P9/00; H02P9/006; H02P9/14; H02P9/26; H02P9/30; H02P9/305; H02H5/00; H02H5/04; H02H5/042; H02H7/067; H02K1/2713; H02K19/02; H02K19/10; H02K19/103; H02K3/00; H02K3/46; H02K3/50; H02K3/51; H02K9/00; H02K9/02; H02K9/04; H02K9/06; H02P2101/00; H02P2101/45; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/60; Y02T10/64; Y02T10/7072
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator; and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core defining a plurality of magnetic poles, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the plurality of magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core at least one of the magnetic poles being a permanent magnetic pole including a permanent magnet, the remaining magnetic poles comprising a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each electromagnetic pole including a winding, the permanent magnet of the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from each of the windings of the electromagnetic poles.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator; and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core defining a plurality of magnetic poles, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the plurality of magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core at least one of the magnetic poles being a permanent magnetic pole including a permanent magnet, the remaining magnetic poles comprising a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each electromagnetic pole including a winding, the permanent magnet of the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from each of the windings of the electromagnetic poles.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 1 wherein said rotor core defines a plurality of rotor field poles, each of which being associated with a corresponding magnetic pole.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 2 wherein said permanent magnet is attached to a corresponding rotor field pole to form the permanent magnetic pole.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 3 wherein said magnet is attached to the rotor field pole in a manner such that said magnet forms a portion of the rotor perimeter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 3 wherein the rotor field pole associated with said permanent magnetic pole includes a rotor field pole shoe, said magnet being positioned between said rotor core and said rotor field pole shoe.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 2 further including at least one permanent magnet, said magnet being positioned within the rotor perimeter and associated with a pair of adjacent rotor field poles to form adjacent permanent magnet poles, said magnet being magnetically isolated from said rotor core.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 6 wherein said magnet is formed from a magnetic material chosen from ferrite, neodymium, ceramic and samarium-cobalt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
80 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 2 wherein each rotor field pole has a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the rotor rotationial axis, each of said rotor field poles radially extending from said rotor core, said rotor field pole comprising: a body portion radially extending from said core to an end surface and having a first longitudinal length, and an end portion attached to said end surface and having a second longitudinal length that is greater than said first longitudinal length.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 1 wherein the permanent magnet is arranged in a manner such that the direction of magnetization is oriented radially relative to the rotor core rotational axis.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 6 wherein the permanent magnet is arranged in a manner such that the direction of magnetization is oriented circumferentially relative to the rotor core rotational axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 2 wherein the rotor core is a salient pole rotor core.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 11 wherein the salient pole rotor core is comprised of a plurality of laminations stacked together and arranged perpendicular to the rotor core rotational axis.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 12 wherein the plurality of laminations define a plurality of radially extending projections that form the plurality of rotor field poles.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The hybrid of alternator of claim 1 wherein the plurality of magnetic poles comprises ten (10) magnetic poles.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The hybrid of alternator of claim 14 wherein two (2) of the magnetic poles are permanent magnetic poles and the remaining magnetic poles are electromagnetic poles.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 15 wherein the two (2) of the permanent magnet poles are diametrically positioned with respect to one another.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
63 words
The hybrid alternator according to claim 1 further comprising a rotor excitation circuit connected to the rotor winding in the wound field rotor portion for producing a forward excitation current through the rotor winding to increase output from the alternator in a boosting mode and a reverse excitation current through the rotor winding to decrease output from the alternator in a bucking mode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The hybrid alternator according to claim 17 wherein the rotor excitation circuit controls the forward and reverse excitation currents by pulse width modulation.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
61 words
The hybrid alternator according to claim 17 wherein the rotor excitation circuit is connected to monitor an output voltage from the stator winding and produces the forward excitation current in the rotor winding when the output voltage is below a desired level and produces the reverse excitation current in the rotor winding when the output voltage is above the desired level.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
The hybrid alternator according to claim 17 in combination with a voltage converter circuit, the voltage converter circuit having an input receiving a generated voltage from the stator winding and an output producing a voltage less than the generated voltage from the stator winding.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The hybrid alternator according to claim 20 wherein the input of the voltage converter circuit is connected directly to the stator winding.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
The hybrid alternator according to claim 20 wherein the input of the voltage converter circuit is connected to a rectified output voltage from the stator winding.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
227 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 1 wherein the wound fields include a rotor winding, the hybrid alternator further includes a voltage regulator for controlling bidirectional current flow through a winding of an alternator to control an output voltage of the alternator, the voltage regulator comprising: a voltage monitoring circuit connected to monitor the output voltage of the alternator, the voltage monitoring circuit producing an error signal indicating that the output voltage of the alternator should be increased or decreased; a switching circuit connected to the winding and arranged to connect the winding in multiple modes, including: a forward polarity mode in which a forward polarity voltage is applied to the winding, a reverse polarity mode in which a reverse polarity voltage is applied to the winding, and a decay mode in which current induced in the winding when connected in the forward or reverse polarity mode is permitted to decay without inducing damaging voltages in the voltage regulator; and a control circuit connected to the switching circuit responsive to the error signal of the monitoring circuit, the control circuit controlling the switching circuit to enter the forward polarity mode to increase the output voltage of the alternator, to enter the reverse polarity mode to decrease the output voltage of the alternator and to enter the decay mode whenever switching away from the forward or reverse polarity mode.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
133 words
The hybrid alternator of claim 1 wherein said permanent magnetic pole defines a permanent magnetic flux field, said stator includes a stator winding having a neutral point voltage, and said wound field includes a rotor winding having a first end connected to the neutral point on the stator winding and a second end adapted for connection to a switching circuit in a voltage regulator, the wound fields producing a rotor wound magnetic flux field that additively combines with the permanent magnetic flux field when the switching circuit connects the second end to a voltage greater than the neutral point voltage and producing a rotor magnetic flux field that subtractively combines with the permanent magnetic flux field when the switching circuit connects the second end to a voltage less than the neutral point voltage.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
144 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator having a stator winding; a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, the rotor including: a rotor core defining a plurality of rotor field poles, at least one permanent magnet, the magnet being attached to a corresponding rotor field pole to define a permanent magnetic pole, the magnet being attached in a manner such that it forms a portion of the rotor perimeter, and a rotor winding wound only around the remaining rotor field poles to define a plurality of electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from the rotor winding on the remaining rotor field poles, the electromagnetic and permanent magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
144 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator having a stator winding; a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, the rotor including: a rotor core defining a plurality of rotor field poles, at least one permanent magnet, the magnet being attached to a corresponding rotor field pole to define a permanent magnetic pole, the magnet being attached in a manner such that it forms a portion of the rotor perimeter, and a rotor winding wound only around the remaining rotor field poles to define a plurality of electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from the rotor winding on the remaining rotor field poles, the electromagnetic and permanent magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
134 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator having a stator winding; a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, the rotor including: a rotor core defining a plurality of rotor field poles, at least one permanent magnet, the magnet being positioned within the rotor perimeter and associated with a pair of adjacent rotor field poles to form adjacent permanent magnetic poles, and a rotor winding wound only around the remaining rotor field poles to define a plurality of electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnetic being physically remote from the rotor winding on the remaining rotor field poles, the electromagnetic and permanent magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
134 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator having a stator winding; a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, the rotor including: a rotor core defining a plurality of rotor field poles, at least one permanent magnet, the magnet being positioned within the rotor perimeter and associated with a pair of adjacent rotor field poles to form adjacent permanent magnetic poles, and a rotor winding wound only around the remaining rotor field poles to define a plurality of electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnetic being physically remote from the rotor winding on the remaining rotor field poles, the electromagnetic and permanent magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
135 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator having a stator winding; a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, the rotor including: a rotor core defining a plurality of rotor field poles, each of which having a pole shoe, at least one permanent magnet, the magnet being mounted between the rotor core and said pole shoe to form a permanent magnetic pole, and a rotor winding wound only around the remaining rotor field poles to define a plurality of electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnetic being physically remote from the rotor winding on the remaining rotor field poles, the electromagnetic and permanent magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
135 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator having a stator winding; a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, the rotor including: a rotor core defining a plurality of rotor field poles, each of which having a pole shoe, at least one permanent magnet, the magnet being mounted between the rotor core and said pole shoe to form a permanent magnetic pole, and a rotor winding wound only around the remaining rotor field poles to define a plurality of electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnetic being physically remote from the rotor winding on the remaining rotor field poles, the electromagnetic and permanent magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
170 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a rotor core mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by a radial air gap, the rotor including: a shaft mounted for rotation within the stator, a wound field rotor portion mounted on the shaft for rotation within a first longitudinal region of the stator, the wound field rotor portion having a rotor winding and multiple electromagnet poles, each of said electromagnetic poles includes a rotor field pole having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said shaft, said rotor field pole includes: a body portion radially extending from said rotor core to an end surface and having a first longitudinal length, and an end portion attached to said end surface and having a second longitudinal length that is greater than said first longitudinal length and a permanent magnet rotor portion mounted on the shaft in longitudinally spaced relation to the wound field rotor portion for rotation within a second longitudinal region of the stator, the permanent magnet rotor portion having multiple permanent magnetic poles.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
170 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a rotor core mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by a radial air gap, the rotor including: a shaft mounted for rotation within the stator, a wound field rotor portion mounted on the shaft for rotation within a first longitudinal region of the stator, the wound field rotor portion having a rotor winding and multiple electromagnet poles, each of said electromagnetic poles includes a rotor field pole having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said shaft, said rotor field pole includes: a body portion radially extending from said rotor core to an end surface and having a first longitudinal length, and an end portion attached to said end surface and having a second longitudinal length that is greater than said first longitudinal length and a permanent magnet rotor portion mounted on the shaft in longitudinally spaced relation to the wound field rotor portion for rotation within a second longitudinal region of the stator, the permanent magnet rotor portion having multiple permanent magnetic poles.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
139 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator; and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core having a plurality of rotor field poles that define a rotor perimeter, each rotor field pole defining a corresponding magnetic pole, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, at least one of the magnetic poles being a permanent magnetic pole comprising a permanent magnet positioned on the rotor and within the rotor perimeter, the remaining magnetic poles comprising a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each electromagnetic pole including a winding, the permanent magnet of the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from each of the windings of the electromagnetic poles.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
139 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator; and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core having a plurality of rotor field poles that define a rotor perimeter, each rotor field pole defining a corresponding magnetic pole, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, at least one of the magnetic poles being a permanent magnetic pole comprising a permanent magnet positioned on the rotor and within the rotor perimeter, the remaining magnetic poles comprising a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each electromagnetic pole including a winding, the permanent magnet of the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from each of the windings of the electromagnetic poles.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
185 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator; and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core having a plurality of rotor field poles that define a rotor perimeter, each rotor field pole defining a corresponding magnetic pole, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, at least one of the magnetic poles being a permanent magnetic pole comprising a permanent magnet that is attached to one of the rotor field poles and forms a portion of the rotor perimeter, the remaining magnetic poles comprising a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each electromagnetic pole including a winding, substantially all of the flux of at least one magnetic pole being derived from the permanent magnet, the flux of at least one of the remaining magnetic poles being derived from the windings of the electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnet of the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from each of the windings of the electromagnetic poles.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
185 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator; and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core having a plurality of rotor field poles that define a rotor perimeter, each rotor field pole defining a corresponding magnetic pole, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, at least one of the magnetic poles being a permanent magnetic pole comprising a permanent magnet that is attached to one of the rotor field poles and forms a portion of the rotor perimeter, the remaining magnetic poles comprising a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each electromagnetic pole including a winding, substantially all of the flux of at least one magnetic pole being derived from the permanent magnet, the flux of at least one of the remaining magnetic poles being derived from the windings of the electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnet of the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from each of the windings of the electromagnetic poles.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
195 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator; and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core having a plurality of rotor field poles that define a rotor perimeter, each rotor field pole defining a corresponding magnetic pole, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, at least one of the magnetic poles being a permanent magnetic pole comprising a permanent magnet that is positioned within the rotor perimeter and associated with a pair of adjacent rotor field poles to form adjacent permanent magnet poles, the remaining magnetic poles comprising a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each electromagnetic pole including a winding, at least two of the magnetic poles having a flux derived from the permanent magnet and the winding of an adjacent magnetic pole, substantially all of the flux of each remaining magnetic pole being derived from the windings of the electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnetic of the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from each of the windings of the electromagnetic poles.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
195 words
A hybrid alternator comprising: a stator; and a rotor mounted for rotation within the stator and separated therefrom by an air gap, said rotor having a rotor core having a plurality of rotor field poles that define a rotor perimeter, each rotor field pole defining a corresponding magnetic pole, adjacent ones of the magnetic poles having alternating north and south magnetic fields, the magnetic poles being consecutively arranged in a direction that is circumferential of the rotor core, at least one of the magnetic poles being a permanent magnetic pole comprising a permanent magnet that is positioned within the rotor perimeter and associated with a pair of adjacent rotor field poles to form adjacent permanent magnet poles, the remaining magnetic poles comprising a plurality of electromagnetic poles, each electromagnetic pole including a winding, at least two of the magnetic poles having a flux derived from the permanent magnet and the winding of an adjacent magnetic pole, substantially all of the flux of each remaining magnetic pole being derived from the windings of the electromagnetic poles, the permanent magnetic of the permanent magnetic pole being physically remote from each of the windings of the electromagnetic poles.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-05-18 | 2001-11-17 | 2002-05-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-05-18 | 2005-11-17 | 2006-05-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-05-18 | 2009-11-17 | 2010-05-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |