초록 ▼

A radial gap motor/generator has a thin annular array of magnets mounted for rotation to a stator in a radially spaced relation to at least one thin annular induction structure fixed to a stationary stator may be air or liquid cooled. Further, the motor has at least radial gap between a magnetic cor

A radial gap motor/generator has a thin annular array of magnets mounted for rotation to a stator in a radially spaced relation to at least one thin annular induction structure fixed to a stationary stator may be air or liquid cooled. Further, the motor has at least radial gap between a magnetic core and the array and may include multiple gaps and multiple annular induction structures to increase the overall power density of the system.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A brushless electric DC motor/generator, the improvement comprising: a) a stator having an outer surface,b) a cylindrical induction structure juxtaposed the outer surface of the stator, the induction structure comprising at least one wire wound coil segment,c) a rotor having a cylindrical inner s

1. A brushless electric DC motor/generator, the improvement comprising: a) a stator having an outer surface,b) a cylindrical induction structure juxtaposed the outer surface of the stator, the induction structure comprising at least one wire wound coil segment,c) a rotor having a cylindrical inner surface,d) a cylindrical permanent magnet structure juxtaposed the inner surface of the rotor and disposed proximate the induction structure, the magnetic structure including at least two spaced apart annular rings,e) means for mounting the rotor and stator to one another for relative coaxial rotation about a center axis and in a manner such that there is at least two spaced apart radial gaps, the first gap between the first annular ring and the induction structure and the second gap between the second annular ring and the induction structure, the stator being disposed between the gaps and separating the induction structure from the magnet structure, andwherein: i) the induction structure is a cylindrical annular induction structure juxtaposed in encircling relation around the outer surface of the stator, the induction structure comprising first and second sets of wire wound coil segments disposed in respective cylindrical planes with successive coil segments of the first set being angularly offset from and juxtaposed with pairs of successive adjacent pairs of coil segments of the second set, the coil segments having a long dimension disposed axially and the overlapped portions forming a succession of angularly separated axial recesses,ii) the inner surface of the rotor is a cylindrical inner surface, andiii) the permanent magnet structure is a cylindrical annular permanent magnet structure comprising a plurality of magnets juxtaposed in encircling relation around the inner surface of the rotor with the respective North and South poles of the magnets adjacent one another and disposed proximate the induction structure in reversing polarities. 2. The brushless motor/generator of claim 1, which further comprises: means for cooling the induction structure comprising a succession of cooling tubes, said tubes being nested, at least in part, in successive axial recesses formed by the juxtaposition of the magnets for cooling heat build up in the coil segments and being encapsulated in a heat transferring epoxy. 3. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 1 which further comprises: means for cooling the induction structure comprising a succession of heating pipes, said pipes being nested, at least in part, in successive axial recesses formed by the juxtaposition of the magnets for cooling heat build up in the coil segments and being encapsulated in a heat transferring epoxy. 4. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 3, wherein: each of the heat pipes comprises a hermetically sealed hollow tube and including a working fluid and an inner wick structure. 5. The brushless DC motor of claim 1 wherein the permanent magnet structure comprises: a succession of permanent magnets in juxtaposed relation with the induction structure, the rotor and magnet structure rotating about the induction structure and disposed about the stator, the magnets being on an inner surface of the rotor and in encircling relation with the induction structure. 6. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 5 wherein: the succession of separate permanent magnets are disposed in side-by-side abutting relation to one another with the respective North and South poles of successive magnets being adjacent one another in reversing polarity to form a continuous generally cylindrical thin magnet structure. 7. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 1 wherein the stator and the induction structure encircle the rotor and magnet structure, the stator and rotor mounted on a common axis, and further wherein the rotor is mounted for rotation within the stator. 8. The motor/generator of claim 1 wherein the permanent magnet structure is disposed in a Halbach array. 9. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 1 wherein: the coil segments of the first set array are generally planar and include two long legs and two short legs, the respective pairs of legs being conjoined at right angles to one another to form a rectangular ring shaped structure having a central opening, the legs being generally linear with the length of the short legs being less than the length of the long legs. 10. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 9 wherein the coil segments of the second set are generally rectangular shaped and include two long legs, two short legs and extenders that conjoin the long legs to the short legs to form a ring shaped structure having a central opening, the legs and extenders being generally linear with the length of the short legs being less than the length of the long legs and substantially the same length as the short legs of the coil segment of the first set, the long legs of the segments of the second set form a first plane, the short legs of the segments of the second set form a second plane, and the extenders are disposed at an angle θ to the first plane and position the planes to be generally parallel to one another. 11. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 10, wherein the coil segments of the first and second sets are disposed such that the lateral separation between the long legs of the coil segments of the first set and the long legs of the segments of the second set are substantially the same. 12. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 10 wherein: the angled extenders enable the opposite axial short legs of the coil segments of the first set to be lowered about the corresponding axial short leg portions of adjacent coil segments of the second set therebelow such that all of the long legs are coplanar and further wherein only the longer legs, of the cell segments of the first and second sets contribute torque to the rotor. 13. The brushless DC motor/generator of claim 1 which further comprises: at least a first array and a second array of spaced apart arrays of permanent magnets mounted to the rotor, the induction structure being disposed intermediate the first and second arrays to provide a first cylindrical annular gap between the first array and the induction structure and a second gap between the second array and the induction structure. 14. A vehicular motor and wheel assembly, comprising: the motor/generator of claim 1. 15. A motor for an electric wheelchair comprising the motor/generator of claim 1. 16. A brushless electric DC motor/generator, comprising: a) a stator having an outer surface,b) an induction structure juxtaposed the outer surface of the stator, the induction structure comprising at least one wire wound coil segment,c) a rotor having an inner surface,d) a permanent magnet structure juxtaposed the inner surface of the rotor and disposed proximate the induction structure, ande) means for mounting the rotor and stator to one another for relative coaxial rotation about a center axis and in a manner such that there is at least two radial gaps separating the induction structure from the magnet structure, andf) wherein: i) the induction structure is a cylindrical annular induction structure juxtaposed in encircling relation around the outer surface of the stator, the induction structure comprising first and second sets of wire wound coil segments disposed in respective cylindrical planes with successive coil segments of the first set being angularly offset from and juxtaposed with pairs of successive adjacent pairs of coil segments of the second set, the coil segments having a long dimension disposed axially and the overlapped portions forming a succession of angularly separated axial recesses,ii) the inner surface of the rotor is a cylindrical inner surface, andiii) the permanent magnet structure is a cylindrical annular permanent magnet structure comprising a plurality of magnets juxtaposed in encircling relation around the inner surface of the rotor with the respective North and South poles of the magnets adjacent one another and disposed proximate the induction structure in reversing polarities. 17. In an improved brushless DC motor/generator, the motor/generator including a rotor mounted for rotation about a stator and an arrangement of electrical wire wound coils and permanent magnets that operate to convert electric current into mechanical power, the improvement comprising: (a) the rotor and stator, respectively, including a cylindrical inner face and a cylindrical outer face,(b) means for mounting the rotor and stator such that their inner and outer faces are centered in coaxial relation on a common central axis and separated by an annular gap and the inner face of the rotor is mounted for rotation relative to outer face of the stator,(c) an induction structure comprising a first and second sets of coil wound wires said wire wound coils include a first set of identically shaped first coil segments and a second set of identically shaped second coil segments, each said coil segment being, rectangular and ring shaped and including first and second side portions and first and second end portions, the side portions of each of the coil segments being substantially of the same length and forming a respective first plane and the end portions of the first set of coil segments extending at an acute angle from the side portions thereof and parallel to the respective first planes, and(d) means for mounting the wire wound coils around the outer face of the stator such that the coil segments of each set are angularly spaced from one another and the coil segments of the first set are arranged in alternating and overlapping relation with the coil segments of the second set, the first and second side portions of the coil segments extending axially with their axes parallel to and centered on the axis of rotation, and wherein the first and second side portions of each coil segment of the first set is overlapped with the second and first side portions, respectively, of the next succeeding and preceding coil segments of the second set, the end portions of each of the coil segments of the first set of coil segments enabling the coil segments to overlap and position the side portions in angularly spaced side by side relation. 18. A brushless electric DC motor/generator, comprising: a) a stator having an outer surface,b) an induction structure juxtaposed the outer surface of the stator, the induction structure comprising at least one wire wound coil segment,c) a rotor having an inner surface,d) a permanent magnet structure juxtaposed the inner surface of the rotor and disposed proximate the induction structure, ande) means for mounting the rotor and stator to one another for relative coaxial rotation about a center axis and in a manner such that there is at least two radial gaps separating the induction structure from the magnet structure, andf) means for cooling comprising a continuous loop of conductive material which creates forces and flux in opposition to the magnetic field generated by the magnet structure to create a magnetic cushion between the rotor and the stator on which the rotor rotates.