Dana Corporation

The Superior Electric Company

Peter Senak, Jr

Martin Kaplan

Allen R Perrins

Richard A Baronosky

Albert C Leenhouts

Charles A Crotty

Arthur Emery

Richard J Artus

Dennis M Borowy

Frank J Anderson

Anthony E Balestro

Steven H Wollins

An ordinance platform with a variable reluctance electric motor is provided. The motor has a stator integrated with a bearing race which is fixably connected with the tank body. The bearing race provides the function of a rotor and is fixably or integrally connected with the tank turret. The rotor is vertically supported by the stator for rotational movement by a plurality of ball bearings. The stator is formed having a plurality of individual phase segments which are arranged in an annular array. Each of the stator phase segments is provided with a phase winding and a plurality of stator pole teeth. The stator phase windings are connected individually to respective driver circuits so as to essentially create a plurality of individual stators about the rotor. The rotor race is formed and is provided with a plurality of rotor pole teeth which are disposed adjacent the stator pole teeth. Thus, when the phase windings of the individual stator phase segments are energized, the moveable race (integrated with the rotor and connected with the gun turret) is rotated relative to the stationary race (integrated with a stator and connected with the tank body), without any intermediate coupling device such as gears, belts and the like.

Defense vehicle aiming ordinance platform having variable reluctance motor

A variable reluctance motor is disclosed including a stator having a plurality of radially inwardly extending poles. A coil of foil wire is mounted about each of the stator poles. Flats are formed in the inner surface of the stator adjacent to the sides of each of the stator poles so that the coils of foil wire can lie flat thereagainst. A pair of rigid cylindrical retainers are provided for retaining the coils of foil wire on the poles. A rotor assembly is disposed within the stator. The rotor assembly includes a shaft having a rotor secured thereto. A plurality of radially outwardly extending poles are formed on the outer surface of the rotor. Electrical current is selectively passed through each of the coils of foil wire to cause the rotor assembly to rotate relative to the stator. Each of the coils of foil wire is wound beginning with a start winding and ending with a finish winding. The foil wires in each of the start and finish windings are employed as lead wires for connecting the coils to a control circuit for passing electrical current through the coils. A novel structure for orienting the various start and finish windings about the circumference of the stator is also disclosed.

Variable reluctance motor having foil wire wound coils

A bobbin for use in an electric motor is formed in the nature of a clam shell, having two semi-cylindrical side portions which are joined together by a flexible hinge portion. Each of the side portions includes a plurality of smaller diameter regions which are separated from one another by larger diameter regions. When the two side portions of the bobbin are closed together by bending of the hinge portion, the smaller diameter regions cooperate to define respective cylindrical surfaces upon which coils of an electrical conductor can be wound. A pair of outwardly extending tabs can be formed on each of the larger diameter regions of the bobbin. When the two side portions of the bobbin are folded together, the two pairs of tab are disposed adjacent to one another. The upper and lower halves of the stator have respective pairs of recesses formed therein. The recesses are sized and positioned so as to receive the cooperating pairs of tabs therein. The cooperation of the tabs with the recesses can position the bobbin concentrically relative to the stator halves and prevent relative rotation therebetween. If desired cooperating locking structures can be formed on the tabs to retain them together before winding of the coils thereon.

Bobbin structure for electromagnetic coil assembly

A variable reluctance electric motor includes a stator having a plurality of axially extending inner teeth and a rotor assembly rotatably supported therein. The rotor assembly includes a shaft having a plurality of rotor pole sub-assemblies provided thereon. Each of the rotor pole sub-assemblies includes a hub secured to the shaft, a pair of annular rotor packs secured to the ends of the hub, and an electromagnetic coil disposed loosely about the hub between the two rotor packs. Each of the rotor packs has a plurality of axially extending outer teeth formed thereabout which are disposed adjacent to the inner stator teeth. The rotor pack teeth of each of the rotor pole sub-assemblies are angularly offset from one another, preferably by equal amounts. The electromagnetic coils are engaged by the stator such that the rotor assembly is free to rotate relative thereto. The electromagnetic coils are sequentially energized and de-energized so as to create sequential magnetic circuits between each of the rotor pole sub-assemblies and the stator. These magnetic circuits sequentially cause the angularly offset teeth of the rotor packs to be attracted to the teeth of the stator, resulting in rotation of the rotor assembly relative to the stator.

Variable reluctance electric motor

A synchronous inductor electric motor includes a hollow stator having a plurality of permanent magnets secured to the inner surface thereof. The magnets are radially polarized in alternating fashion about the inner circumference of the stator. A plurality of radially inwardly extending stator teeth are provided on each of the magnets so as to exhibit a polar magnetization which is the same as the adjacent magnets. A rotor assembly supported concentrically within the stator includes a shaft having a plurality of rotor pole sub-assemblies provided thereon. Each of the rotor pole sub-assemblies includes a hub secured to the shaft, a pair of annular rotor packs secured to the ends of the hub, and an electromagnetic coil disposed loosely about the hub between the two rotor packs. Each of the rotor packs has a plurality of axially extending outer teeth formed thereabout which are disposed adjacent to the inner stator teeth. The rotor pack teeth of each of the rotor pole sub-assemblies are angularly offset from one another. The coils are engaged by the stator such that the rotor assembly is free to rotate relative thereto. The coils are sequentially energized and de-energized so as to selectively polarize the associated rotor packs. As they are magnetized, the angularly offset teeth of the rotor packs are attracted toward and repelled from the adjacent teeth of the stator, resulting in rotation of the rotor assembly relative to the stator.

Synchronous inductor electric motor

A driver circuit for an electric actuator having one or more phase windings which are selectively connected to a source of electrical energy is disclosed. Magnetic energy stored in the phase windings is transferred to a capacitor to prevent damage. The driver circuit includes a recovery circuit for transferring this energy from the capacitor back to the source of electrical energy. The recovery circuit includes an electronic recovery switch which is selectively opened and closed by a duty cycle controller logic circuit. When the recovery circuit switch is closed, electrical current flows from the capacitor to an inductor. The inductor returns this energy to the source of electrical energy. The recovery circuit further includes a power supply for the logic components of the duty cycle controller. The power supply receives operating power from the unused energy stored in the windings of the actuator driver circuit and uses the same ground node as the duty cycle controller logic circuit and the recovery circuit switch. Also, the recovery circuit includes a pair of auxiliary power source terminals which permit it to re-charge the source of electrical energy even though none of the phase windings are energized.

Driver circuit for electric actuator

A high torque-to-low mass variable reluctance motor includes a cylindrical stator assembly having a plurality of stator segments circumaxially arranged about a rotor wherein adjacent stator segments are maintained in a spaced apart relation with one another by non-magnetic pins which provide a radially inwardly projecting channel extending fully from the outer circumference to the inner circumference of the stator assembly to essentially magnetically isolate the stator segments from one another. A generally annular, non-magnetic shell coaxially surrounds and engages the outer periphery of the circular stator assembly to cause a compressive force to be directed radially inwardly to maintain the stator segments in a precisely aligned arrangement.

Variable reluctance motor

Apparatus for controlling torque and torque ripple in a variable reluctance motor uses a generated torque waveform for each phase of the number of phases associated with the motor and corresponds to an electrical current having a predetermined constant magnitude. The generated torque waveforms are utilized to provide a table of values representative of the electrical current magnitude at each of a number of sensed rotor angular positions. The values correspond to the torque produced by the motor when excited by an electric current having that value and the location of the value in a memory device are defined by the sensed angular position of the rotor and a desired torque command signal. Depending on the torque to be produced by the motor and the rotor position, the motor is excited with the value of current selected for one or a combination of phases to cause the motor to develop a desired torque which has a substantially flat and ripple-free response characteristic.

Method and apparatus for controlling torque and torque ripple in a

The Detector Module derives a synchronization signal from the half-wave crossovers of the AC power line. A half-wave peak detector detects the peak voltage of each half wave. An impulse detector detects the voltage of any impulses occurring during a half-wave. A common mode detector detects the peak value of each half-wave across the common mode terminals. A microcomputer is provided together with a clock/calendar for recording threshold values and for each half-cycle if a SAG or SURGE is detected; the time that the SAG or SURGE was initiated; the voltage of the half cycle of greatest SAG or SURGE during the event and the number of cycles is recorded. For LO and HI AVERAGE an average resistor stores the average of the peak values for each of the last thirty-two half cycles and that average is compared with the threshold to determine if an event has occurred. If an event has occurred, the duration and the lowest average occurring during the event is stored. The time an impulse occurs is recorded to the nearest second along with the voltage of the peak impulse during the half cycle of the event is stored. For COMMON mode the value of the worst half cycle occurring during any event is recorded along with the number of cycles during which the COMMON mode occurs. BLACKOUT time OFF and time ON are recorded.

Line voltage monitor system

A digital circuit for translating each input command pulse into an incremental step of a digital motor in which the input pulses may be received at any rate while the pulses to the motor and hence the motor velocity are produced at rates which is within the motor's ability to change its velocity. The system uses a digitally operated circuit that can be easily adjusted to different motor velocity abilities and also enables control over both directions of motor movement.

Growing community of inventors

Bristol, CT, United States of America

Peter Senak, Jr