Patents Examined by David W. Scheuermann
  • Patent number: 8134260
    Abstract: A motor including a frame that defines a motor portion and an adjacent cooling portion, and a plurality of heat pipes disposed within and fully enclosed by the motor frame. Each heat pipe has an evaporator end disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the motor portion and a condenser end disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the cooling portion. A cooling chamber within the motor cooling portion is structured to have a fluid introduced therein by a working device such that at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion is cooled via the working fluid, thereby extracting heat from the heat pipe condenser ends and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: HPEV, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Hassett, Mark Hodowanec
  • Patent number: 8120220
    Abstract: To provide a fluid dynamic pressure bearing device that achieves high rigidity against moment without degradation in assembly precision and bearing performance, bearing sleeves are arranged in an axial direction and coaxiality of radial bearing surfaces formed on inner peripheral surfaces of the bearing sleeves is set to 3 ?m or less. This secures width precision between the radial bearing gaps to prevent a degradation in bearing performance and a failure such as wear etc. caused by contact between a shaft member and the bearing sleeves. Further, a first radial bearing surface and a second radial bearing surface are provided on at least one sleeve, and this allows a sleeve assembly constructed from the bearing sleeves to be supported at least three positions in the axial direction in a process of assembling the sleeve assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Yamashita, Masaaki Toda, Kimihiko Bitou, Masaharu Hori
  • Patent number: 8115358
    Abstract: A magnetic bearing arrangement for a rotary device includes circuitry for generating a multiphase excitation signal for energizing the phase windings of a magnetic bearing element. According to an embodiment of the present invention, circuitry for detecting the radial position of a rotor of the rotary device generates a position signal indicative of the radial position of the rotor of the rotary device relative to a desired rotor position. The position signal is used to modify the excitation signal to produce a modified excitation signal. The modified excitation signal is used to energize the phase windings of the magnetic bearing, thus providing a low-cost and efficient means for dynamically suspending the rotor of the rotary device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Inventor: Mikhail A Rakov
  • Patent number: 8106554
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a blower motor assembly for a vehicle. The blower motor assembly comprises an armature assembly, a motor body, a magnet, an upper case, and a lower case. The armature assembly comprises a rotatable armature shaft with an armature. The motor body is an open cylinder that houses the armature assembly. The magnet is installed between the motor body and the armature assembly. The upper case has a through-hole which permits the armature shaft to projects outward through. The lower case is coupled to the upper case. The motor body is installed in an internal space defined by the coupled upper and lower cases. The motor body is fixed in a correspondingly-shaped hollow portion defined by a wall of a motor body fixing portion formed in the lower case. The magnet is fixed to a magnet fixing portion formed in the lower case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Korea Delphi Automotive Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kwang Yong Lee, Dong Han Kim
  • Patent number: 8102088
    Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator with flux feedback control includes two poles located on opposite sides of a soft-magnetic target. A bias flux is introduced that flows into both poles. Magnetic circuitry may be designed so that the total bias flux is independent or substantially independent of a position of the target with respect to the poles or the control flux. The electromagnetic actuator also includes flux sensors introduced into each gap between the poles and the target. The electromagnetic actuator further includes an actuator control circuit to command the current in the control coil to bring a difference between the readings of the two flux sensors to a targeted level. In some aspects, the force exerted on the actuator target in this arrangement may be proportional to the command signal regardless of the position of the actuator target, MMF drop in the soft-magnetic parts of the magnetic circuit, or the frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Calnetix Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Alexei V. Filatov
  • Patent number: 8084905
    Abstract: An improved bearing for an electric motor includes a body portion having an open end configured to receive a portion of an armature shaft of an electric motor therein. In an illustrated embodiment, the bearing also includes a base configured to apply a spring force to an end surface of the armature shaft, and a connecting portion located between the body portion and the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Irfan A Bhatti
  • Patent number: 8063528
    Abstract: A counter-rotatable generator includes a generator stator concentric with concentric counter-rotatable radially inner pole and outer magnet rotors. The magnet rotor encircles the pole rotor and the pole rotor encircles the generator stator. A rotor air gap is disposed between the magnet and pole rotors, and a transformer air gap is disposed between the pole rotor and the stator. The magnet rotor includes a circular array of magnets having circumferentially alternating north/south and south/north orientations, retained within a magnet retention ring, and the magnets are circumferentially separated from each other by non-magnetic material spacers. One stator includes an annular hub, axial windings around equi-distantly spaced axial poles on the annular hub, radial cores extending radially outwardly from and equi-angularly spaced about a pole hub on the annular hub between the first and second axial windings, and radial windings around the radial cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Peter David Toot
  • Patent number: 8063525
    Abstract: Disclosed is a retainer bearing (1) for retaining a rotor shaft of an electric machine. Said retainer bearing (1) comprises an outer bearing ring (2) and an inner bearing ring (5). At least one gliding element (7) which is preloaded in a radial direction of the retainer bearing (10) is inserted between the outer bearing ring (2) and the inner bearing ring (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter Petereit, Gunnar Schubert, Günther Siegl, Hartmut Walter
  • Patent number: 8058757
    Abstract: An electric motor (102) with passive integral brake (104) includes a stator (204) with one or more magnetic field controllable coils (206) and a rotor (208) with a rotor shaft (210) positioned within an inner diameter (212) of the stator (204). The rotor (208) is operable to rotate about a longitudinal axis (214) of the rotor shaft (210). The electric motor (102) with passive integral brake (104) also includes a brake shoe (302) positioned within the inner diameter (212) of the stator (204) along the longitudinal axis (214) of the rotor shaft (210). The brake shoe (302) is operable to apply a braking force to the rotor shaft (210) and remove the braking force from the rotor shaft (210) responsive to a magnetic field strength produced by the one or more magnetic field controllable coils (206). One or more springs (220) passively apply the braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Himmelmann
  • Patent number: 8053940
    Abstract: A magnetic motor generator that produces electric power by rotating a one piece magnetic floating flywheel assembly that is operated by a linear induction motor and repelled upward by a stationary natural magnet. The floating flywheel assembly magnetic axel rotates inside magnetic collar bearings, which have repelling stationary magnets to center the axel at speed. The floating flywheel assembly rotors move inside generator stators to generate electric power. The floating flywheel assembly has no physical contact with other components to prevent bearing losses at speed. A timing computer controls the operation of the linear induction motor, assesses the speed of the floating flywheel assembly and fires only when necessary to maintain rotation. The moving components are enclosed in a vacuum chamber to prevent wind resistance, or windage losses at speed. Surplus electric power can ether be stored/used by the system or used to supply a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Inventor: Michael Marion McCulley
  • Patent number: 8030814
    Abstract: The present invention provides a device and a method to enhance thrust load capacity in a rotor-bearing system. The load-enhancing device comprises a stator and a rotor arranged in such as way as to achieve a magnetic thrust load capacity enhancement by employing at least one permanent magnet, which produces an attracting force or an expulsing force between the rotor and the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Danfoss Turbocor Compressors B.V.
    Inventors: Lin Xiang Sun, Huai Lu Lin
  • Patent number: 8018106
    Abstract: A magnetic bearing device and a method of operation for such a device are provided. The device comprises a group (410) of electromagnetic actuators (411, 412, 413, 414). Each actuator is electrically connected to an amplifier unit (701). The actuators of a first subgroup are connected to a first common node (608), while the actuators of a second subgroup are connected to a second common node (609). The common nodes (608, 609) are connected either directly or through means like an additional actuator. Preferably the common nodes (608, 609) have no additional electrical connection to the amplifier unit. According to a special embodiment of the invention, each subgroup of actuators consists of only one single actuator and the common node has an electrical connection to the amplifier. Thus the device comprises two actuators in a series configuration connected to an H bridge. The common node may be connected to either of two different voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Mecos Traxler AG
    Inventor: Philipp Buhler
  • Patent number: 8004129
    Abstract: The aim is to avoid damaging lubricating-film discharges occurring via bearings (WL) in electrical machines. For this reason, provision is made for a current to be forced to flow through the bearing (WL) specifically, with the aid of a current source (IQ). The current then flows from one of the two bearing components via the lubricating film to the other bearing component. Alternating currents are particularly suitable since the lubricating film is conductive, so that the capacitance defined by the lubricating film cannot be charged, or can be charged only slightly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Armin Schrepfer, Andreas Binder, Jürgen Wolf
  • Patent number: 8004137
    Abstract: A system and method for moving an object is disclosed. In one aspect, there is a device for moving an object. The device comprises a penetrating structure comprising an externally threaded surface. The device further comprises a receiving structure comprising an internally threaded cylinder surrounding the penetrating structure. The device further comprises a source of magnetic flux configured to magnetize the externally threaded surface with a first polarity and to magnetize the internally threaded cylinder with a second polarity that is different from the first polarity. The device further comprises a conductor positioned between the penetrating structure and the receiving structure configured to conduct an electric current. The device further comprises a sensor configured to determine the radial position of the penetrating structure with respect to the receiving structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Inventor: Philip Albert Studer
  • Patent number: 7990006
    Abstract: A generator for a wind turbine including a rotor arrangement and a stator arrangement is provided. The rotor arrangement includes a cylinder barrel or a sleeve enclosing a rotor element provided for the production of energy and having an outer cylinder barrel shaped surface in relation to a centre axis of the generator acting as a bearing surface of the rotor arrangement. The stator arrangement includes a cylinder barrel or a sleeve covering a stator element provided for the production of energy and having an inner cylinder barrel shaped surface in relation to the centre axis of the generator acting as a bearing surface of the stator arrangement. The bearing surfaces of the rotor arrangement and the stator arrangement are arranged oppositely to each other with a substantially cylinder barrel shaped air gap in-between, wherein the air gap comprises a lubricant. Also, a wind turbine including a generator is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Henrik Stiesdal
  • Patent number: 7986065
    Abstract: A rolled pole housing for an electric motor includes a sealed enclosure formed by a frame body, a flange and an end cap. Therefore, the rolled pole housing may be used in both sealed and unsealed applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Irfan A Bhatti, Mark K Besenti
  • Patent number: 7977838
    Abstract: A magnetic levitation motor including a stator having magnetic bearing units and a motor unit, and a rotor provided to the stator. And the occurrence of an eddy current at a magnetic bearing is suppressed and the rotation loss of the rotor can be reduced, and also to provide a pump using such the magnetic levitation motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Iwaki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Onuma
  • Patent number: 7977839
    Abstract: An energy-saving magnetic bearing device with no bias current for making the relation between the excitation current and the magnetic force of the electromagnet linear is provided. In a magnetic bearing device for supporting a rotor 1 serving as the magnetic piece in a levitating state allowing free rotation at a specified position by the magnetic force of a pair of electromagnets 2, 3, the electromagnets 2, 3 are constituted to interpose the rotor 1 and face each other. A driver 204 is a PWM (pulse width modulation) type driver for controlling the excitation current in the electromagnets 2, 3 by modulating the pulse width of a voltage driven at a specified carrier frequency fc, and includes a resonator means for electrically resonating at a frequency equal to the carrier frequency fc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Barada, Toshiya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7977837
    Abstract: A rotary body used in an energy storage device and capable of storing a large amount of external energy is provided in an energy storage device that stores external energy as the energy of the rotary motion of the rotary body for which the frictional resistance of the bearing parts has been reduced to a high degree using the fishing effect of superconductivity. The rotary body is used in an energy storage device capable of storing energy by rotating the rotary body for which the frictional resistance of the bearing parts having floating support that makes use of the fishing effect of superconductivity has been made very small. The rotary body is made of CFRP, and the required compressive stress is applied to it in the direction opposite to the centrifugal force of the rotary body when rotating. The rotary body has a bar-like structure elongated in the direction of the centrifugal force when the rotary body rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Six One Kaihatsukikou Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Terutsugu Oyama
  • Patent number: 7944105
    Abstract: A superconductive synchronous machine having superconductive magnetic bearings. A superconductor (6) on the stator side as a first bearing part is disposed opposite from a second bearing part (12) on the rotor side, the second being part being magnetically and mechanically connected via a flux feed section (11) to the pole core (9) of the rotor. A superconductive exciting coil (10) in the rotor pole core (9) excites both the pole core (9) and the second bearing part (12). In order to cool the superconductive exciting coil (10), coolant feeds (16, 16?, 24, 25) are provided, which are sealed in relation to the rotor shaft (8, 8?) by ferrofluid seals (26). The power for the exciting coil is fed via slip rings (21) or by being inductively connected (29) at the rotor shaft (8?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Peter Kummeth