E-circuit Motors, Inc.

Other

Steven Robert Shaw

George Harder Milheim

Edward Charles Carignan

Ryan Terrence Duffy

Glenn Elwin McDonald

Gregory J Mitchell

Craig W Hawryshyn

Richard R Fay

A dielectric substrate may support conductive traces that form windings for a least one pole of a planar armature of an axial flux machine. At least a portion of the dielectric substrate, which is adapted to be positioned within an annular active area of the axial flux machine, may include a soft magnetic material. Such a planar armature may be produced, for example, by forming the conductive traces on the dielectric substrate, and filling interstitial gaps between the conductive traces with at least one epoxy material in which the soft magnetic material is embedded.

Magnetic material filled printed circuit boards and printed circuit board stators

In some embodiments, two or more different types of stator structures may be disposed within a gap of an axial flux machine. Such arrangements may be advantageous, for example, for producing a machine optimized for multiple modes of operation, such as mechanical torque generation, conversion of mechanical torque to electrical power, and/or dissipation of mechanical power. Further, in some embodiments, an axial flux machine may include a planar stator having a winding arranged to be positioned within the machine's active region, and may further include at least one switch configured to be selectively closed to establish an electrical connection between respective ends of the winding at a time that the winding is not coupled to an external power source.

Planar stator configurations for axial flux machines

A rotor assembly for an axial flux machine may include at least one magnet and first and second support structures. The first support structure may be configured to have the at least one magnet attached thereto and to provide a flux return path for the at least one magnet. The second support structure may be configured to be attached to the first support structure so as to allow torque to be transferred between the at least one magnet and the second support structure via the first support structure, and may be further configured (A) to be attached to a rotatable shaft of the axial flux machine, or (B) to function as an output or input flange of the axial flux machine.

Rotor assemblies for axial flux machines

Disclosed is a motor or generator comprises a rotor and a stator, wherein the rotor has an axis of rotation and is configured to generate first magnetic flux parallel to the axis of rotation, the stator is configured to generate second magnetic flux parallel to the axis of rotation, and at least one of the rotor or the stator is configured to generate a magnetic flux profile that is non-uniformly distributed about the axis of rotation. Also disclosed is a method that involves arranging one or more magnetic flux producing windings of a stator non-uniformly about an axis of rotation of a rotor of an axial flux motor or generator.

Stator and rotor design for periodic torque requirements

Planar stator having discrete segments with different winding characteristics

A planar stator includes conductive traces forming windings for poles, and at least first and second conductive vias extending between first and second conductive layers, the first and second conductive vias being positioned to be located radially on a first side of an annular conductive region of an axial flux machine. The conductive traces include a first conductive trace in the first conductive layer and a second conductive trace in the second conductive layer. The first conductive trace includes a first end turn positioned to be located radially on a second side of the annular active region, the second side being opposite the first side. The second conductive trace includes a second end turn positioned to be located radially on the first side of the annular active region. The first conductive trace extends along a first path that begins at the first conductive via, passes through the first end turn, and ends at the second conductive via. The second conductive trace extends along a second path that begins at the second conductive via and passes through the second end turn. All of the conductive vias that interconnect the first and second conductive traces are positioned to be located radially on the first side of the annular conductive regions.

Low-loss planar winding configurations for an axial flux machine

The disclosure relates to printed circuit board motors and specifically to printed circuit boards used in motors and generators. Windings formed from copper on printed circuit boards have been used for purposes of forming antennas, inductors, transformers, and stators that can be incorporated in permanent magnet brushless DC (permanent magnet synchronous) machines. For energy conversion devices using modern permanent magnet materials and PCB stators, the magnetic field is not strongly confined by magnetically susceptible materials. Thus, the interaction between fields from adjacent turns in a winding, and/or windings on adjacent layers (for a multilayer configuration) may be significant. The structures disclosed hereinafter reduce the effective resistance in the windings, and therefore reduce the associated losses to achieve a reduced current density in portions of the rotating energy conversion devices. The effect of the disclosed structures is a measurable reduction in loss mechanisms as a function increasing frequency, compared to the currently available devices. These effects are significant in frequency ranges important to energy conversion processes as well as typical control strategies, for example, pulse-width modulation.

Structures and methods for controlling losses in printed circuit boards

A stator for a motor or generator including a planar composite structure (PCS) having at least one dielectric layer and a plurality of conductive layers is provided. The stator includes first conductive elements extending radially to a distance rfrom a center of, and disposed angularly on, the PCS. Each first conductive element includes a preferred termination structure to connect with at least one of a plurality of second conductive elements extending radially from a radius rfrom the center of, and disposed angularly on, the PCS.

Structures and methods for thermal management in printed circuit board stators

A planar composite structure (PCS) for use in an axial flux motor or generator may include a conductive layer disposed on a dielectric layer, with the conductive layer comprising conductive traces that form portions of at least two windings that, when energized, generate magnetic flux for at least two corresponding phases of the motor or generator. A PCS may additionally or alternatively include a first conductive layer comprising first conductive traces that form a first portion of a winding that, when energized, generates magnetic flux for a first phase of the motor or generator, and a second conductive layer, which is different than the at least one first conductive layer, comprising second conductive traces that form a second portion of the winding. The first portion of the winding may be connected in series with the second portion of the winding, and the first and second portions of the winding may be configured and arranged such that a same amount of current flows through each of the first and second portions of the winding.

Planar composite structures and assemblies for axial flux motors and generators

An apparatus for forming a magnet assembly may comprise a base, a bearing assembly, and a support structure positioning mechanism. The bearing assembly may be configured to support a magnet and to allow the magnet to rotate about an axis normal to a surface of the base. The support structure positioning mechanism may be configured to position a support structure on the magnet when the magnet is on the base. The base may comprise at least one magnet alignment feature that causes the magnet to rotate about the axis to a preferred angular orientation corresponding to a lower energy configuration as a function of angle about the axis as the magnet moves closer to the base. The bearing assembly may be movable along the axis to allow the magnet to be moved closer to the base and cause the magnet to achieve the preferred angular orientation.

Growing community of inventors

Bozeman, MT, United States of America

Steven Robert Shaw