Patents by Inventor Michael W. Degner

Michael W. Degner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240071666
    Abstract: Permanent magnets and method of making the same are provided. The magnets include a magnetic layer having an insulation layer disposed thereon. The insulation layer is formed via additive manufacturing techniques such as laser melting such that that it has discrete phases including a magnetic phase and an insulating phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Wanfeng Li, Franco Leonardi, Michael W. Degner
  • Publication number: 20240055168
    Abstract: Magnets having various portions of different densities and resistivities are disclosed. In a refinement, the various portions may have the same composition but different physical structures. Unique dies may be used to during processing, such as during sintering to manufacture the magnets. The die may include conductive and non-conductive surfaces that contact the green magnetic powder mixture during sintering such that the electrical current applied to the magnetic powder mixture is managed by the conductive and non-conductive surfaces to provide unique and complex magnets. Methods of manufacturing the magnets with the dies such as field assisted sintering, i.e., spark plasma sintering, are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Wanfeng Li, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 11889667
    Abstract: A vehicle power module assembly including first and second power modules is provided. The first power module may include a first lock feature extending from a lower portion of a first minor side at a first central axis. The second power module may include a second lock feature at an upper portion of a second minor side at a second central axis. The lock features may be sized for interlock with one another to secure the power modules to one another. The first lock feature may be a loop element defining a through-hole and the second lock feature may be a wedge. The through-hole may be sized for the wedge to extend therein and to interlock the first power module and the second power module to one another. The first lock feature may be a flexible hook element and the second lock feature may be a slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Akash Changarankumarath Pradeepkumar, Alfredo R. Munoz, Michael W. Degner, Edward Chan-Jiun Jih, Guangyin Lei
  • Publication number: 20230421027
    Abstract: A controller, responsive to a signal indicating deactivation of a vehicle and disconnection of a traction battery from an inverter, generates a d-axis current command for the inverter having a ramp portion that defines a rate of change in current magnitude that depends on an electric angle between a rotor and stator of an electric machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Ji Wu, Michael W. Degner, Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 11850954
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle and associated inverter configured for powering two different types of external loads include first and second phase/line legs combined with a first neutral leg coupled to a vehicle chassis, and a second floating neutral leg that is not coupled to the vehicle chassis. The first/second phase legs and first neutral leg are coupled to a first receptacle configured to receive a corresponding plug to power a first load, such as a power tool or accessory. The first/second phase legs and the second neutral leg are coupled to a second receptacle configured to receive a corresponding plug to power a second load, such as a home or building having an earth grounding electrode. The inverter may include an isolation transformer between the loads and the traction battery, and/or may be configured to provide single phase, split-phase, or three-phase power for either or both of the neutral connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xi Lu, Krishna Prasad Bhat, Ke Zou, Chingchi Chen, Michael W. Degner
  • Publication number: 20230406088
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle includes a multi-phase electric machine having a rotor with a number of magnetic pole pairs and secured for rotation with an output shaft. A parking gear secured for rotation with the output shaft has external teeth configured to selectively engage a parking pawl. The parking gear, the rotor, and the output shaft include complementary angular alignment features to angularly orient the parking gear relative to the rotor in an angular position offset by an index angle from one of the magnetic poles of the rotor such that occurrences of the parking pawl being engaged with the parking gear during dead time periods of an inverter powering the electric machine are reduced or eliminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ji WU, Michael W. DEGNER, Wei WU
  • Patent number: 11843281
    Abstract: A vehicle electric machine includes a housing and a stator having windings and a stator core. The core defines a plurality of axially extending cooling channels each having an entrance port at one end of the stator and an exit port at the other end of the stator. An end cover is connected to a first end of the housing defining a recessed cavity configured to receive the windings and defines an arcuate inlet manifold channel that extends in a circumferential direction of the stator to partially circumscribe the first cavity and that is in fluid communication with first ones of the axial cooling channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Franco Leonardi, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 11837939
    Abstract: An electric machine includes a housing, a stator, an oil film, and at least one first seal. The housing has an internal surface defining an internal cavity. The stator has an outer peripheral surface and is disposed within the internal cavity such that a clearance gap is defined between an outer peripheral surface and the internal surface. The oil film is disposed within the clearance gap and is in contact with the internal surface and the outer peripheral surface. The at least one first seal is disposed along a first end of the stator and is configured to retain the oil film within the clearance gap along the first end of the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Franco Leonardi, Prasad Dev Hanumalagutti, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 11813831
    Abstract: A method of forming an electric machine lamination includes punching a sheet having a first composition to form a cavity and a compressed region at a perimeter of the cavity. The method further includes depositing, within the cavity and on the compressed region, a deposit material having a second composition different than the first composition. The method further includes scanning a beam along the deposit material to form a bound material within the cavity and on the compressed region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Leyi Zhu, Michael W. Degner, Feng Liang
  • Patent number: 11796574
    Abstract: An electrical current sensing arrangement includes a busbar, a dielectric material containing therein a magnetic field sensor, and a ferromagnetic over-mold encapsulating a portion of the busbar and the dielectric material. The dielectric material is disposed against the busbar such that the magnetic field sensor is spaced away from the busbar and the ferromagnetic over-mold is not between the busbar and the magnetic field sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Wolf, Michael W. Degner, Franco Leonardi, Seth Avery
  • Patent number: 11799361
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to thermal management for an electric machine, such as an electric motor, of an electrified vehicle. An example assembly includes a stator having a core and a jacket at least partially surrounding the core. The jacket radially encloses a slot and is configured to permit fluid to flow within the slot from a first face of the stator to a second face of the stator. The assembly further includes a first end cover covering the first face of the stator. The first end cover has an inlet port and is configured to direct fluid from the inlet into the slot. Further, the assembly includes a second end cover covering the second face of the stator and configured to direct fluid that exits the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Man Prakash Gupta, Franco Leonardi, Alfredo R. Munoz, Michael W. Degner, Prasad Dev Hanumalagutti
  • Patent number: 11772507
    Abstract: An energy facility, such as a charge station operable for charging electrified vehicles, includes a controller. The controller controls the energy facility to charge at a current time an EV present at the charge station with electricity stored in an onsite battery of the charge station in response to an amount of renewable energy expected to be available at the charge station at a future time during which the EV is expected to not be present at the charge station exceeding an available electricity storage capacity of the onsite battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Lan Yu, Michael W. Degner
  • Publication number: 20230290546
    Abstract: A permanent magnet formed by additively manufacturing magnetic phases and buffer phases is disclosed. The buffer phase(s) may improve performance, enhance mechanical properties and allow the magnet to better tolerate stresses such that defects such as cracking do not occur or are less likely to occur. The buffer phase may be a magnetic or non-magnetic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Wanfeng Li, Chuanbing Rong, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 11757147
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an electric machine, a battery, an inverter, and a controller. The controller switches the inverter at a switching frequency selected to generate an AC current to heat the battery, adjusts a d-axis current of the electric machine to increase a battery heating power, and adjusts a q-axis current of the electric machine according to the adjusted d-axis current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yang Xu, Jiyao Wang, Silong Li, Joseph Sherman Kimmel, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 11742770
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traction battery and a converter. The converter includes a switch and first and second busbars electrically connected in parallel between the traction battery and the switch. The second busbar has an inductance less than the first busbar and includes a resistor having a resistance at least an order of magnitude greater than a resistance of the first busbar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Krishna Prasad Bhat, Chingchi Chen, Michael W. Degner, Man Prakash Gupta
  • Publication number: 20230264577
    Abstract: An electrified vehicle and associated inverter configured for powering two different types of external loads include first and second phase/line legs combined with a first neutral leg coupled to a vehicle chassis, and a second floating neutral leg that is not coupled to the vehicle chassis. The first/second phase legs and first neutral leg are coupled to a first receptacle configured to receive a corresponding plug to power a first load, such as a power tool or accessory. The first/second phase legs and the second neutral leg are coupled to a second receptacle configured to receive a corresponding plug to power a second load, such as a home or building having an earth grounding electrode. The inverter may include an isolation transformer between the loads and the traction battery, and/or may be configured to provide single phase, split-phase, or three-phase power for either or both of the neutral connections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xi LU, Krishna Prasad BHAT, Ke ZOU, Chingchi CHEN, Michael W. DEGNER
  • Publication number: 20230260685
    Abstract: Magnetic cores including a bonding material having magnetic filler therein is disclosed, as well as devices including the same. The magnetic cores may have superior magnetic properties or adopt the benefits of both soft magnetic composite cores and laminate cores. The magnetic cores disclosed herein exhibit greater relative magnetic permeability in the normalized direction as well as greater saturation flux density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Leyi Zhu, Franco Leonardi, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 11728702
    Abstract: A rotor for an electric machine includes pairs of magnets with a bridge region therebetween. Lamination that comprise the rotor may define openings in the bridge region between the magnets of each of the pairs. A clip may be installed in the openings and a bonding material may fill the remainder of the bridge region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Franco Leonardi, Michael W. Degner, Chun Tang, Edward Chan-Jiun Jih, Kewei Xiao
  • Publication number: 20230253843
    Abstract: A rotor for an electric machine includes a core comprised of stacked laminations that define pockets between a hub portion and a pole portion. Each of the pockets are configured to receive magnetic material and define center cavities between regions of magnetic material to eliminate a flux leakage path between the magnetic materials. A cured mixture including an epoxy and a magnetic powder is disposed within the center cavities. The magnetic material may include sintered magnets and a cured mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Franco Leonardi, Chuanbing Rong, Chun Tang, Wanfeng Li, Michael W. Degner
  • Publication number: 20230238163
    Abstract: A core for an electrical apparatus includes a plurality of electrical steel sheets having a ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic coating applied to both sides of the electrical steel sheets. The electrical steel sheets are arranged in a stack to form a laminated stack. The ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic coating is applied to both sides of the electrical steel sheets. The coating may comprise MnZn ferrites, NiZn ferrites, MgMnZn ferrites, CoNiZn ferrites, Co ferrites, Ni ferrites, Yttrium iron garnets (Y3Fe5O12) or other ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic coating materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Leyi ZHU, Franco LEONARDI, Michael W. DEGNER