Claims
- 1. A motor/generator for regulating an output voltage or a mechanical power output, comprising:
a rotor including a Halbach array; a stator including a plurality of electrically conductive windings; and means for adjusting a variable gap separating the rotor and the stator, whereby either the output voltage or the mechanical power output is regulated.
- 2. The motor/generator defined in claim 1 wherein:
the adjusting means is comprised of a plurality of supports upon which the windings are respectively mounted; and the supports include a variable dimension, with the gap being a dependent function of the dimension.
- 3. The motor/generator defined in claim 2 wherein:
the rotor is rotatable about an axis of rotation; the stator and the rotor are concentric, with the stator lying closer to the axis than the rotor; and the stator is stationary relative to the axis of rotation.
- 4. The motor/generator defined in claim 3 wherein the gap varies radially relative to the axis of rotation.
- 5. The motor/generator defined in claim 4 wherein:
the Halbach array
is comprised of a plurality of magnets configured in a cylindrical shape, and has an inner surface and an outer surface, with the inner surface being closer to the axis of rotation than the outer surface; and the rotor includes a cylinder attached to the outer surface.
- 6. The motor/generator defined in claim 5 wherein the cylinder is comprised of a fiber composite.
- 7. The motor/generator defined in claim 5 wherein:
the Halbach array generates a magnetic field having a pole order; and the plurality of magnets is a number equal to four times the pole order.
- 8. The motor/generator defined in claim 5 wherein:
each of the windings has an approximately rectangular shape including an inner section and an outer section, with the inner section being closer to the axis of rotation than the outer section; and the gap lies in between the inner surface of the Halbach array and the outer sections of the windings.
- 9. The motor/generator defined in claim 8 further comprising:
a plane intersecting each of the windings, respectively, and the axis of rotation; and the windings being azimuthally spaced apart from each other, whereby the windings are azimuthally disposed around the axis of rotation.
- 10. The motor/generator defined in claim 9 wherein:
each of the windings lies in between two other of the windings and is spaced apart from each of the two other windings by a spacing; and the spacing is equal for each of the windings.
- 11. The motor/generator defined in claim 10 further comprising:
a centripetal magnetic field emanating from the Halbach array; the magnetic field having a wavelength; and the spacing being at least one-half of the wavelength.
- 12. The motor/generator defined in claim 8 wherein the supports are located in between the axis of rotation and the inner sections of the windings.
- 13. The motor/generator defined in claim 12 wherein:
the supports are comprised of a singular cylinder having a diameter; and the variable dimension is the diameter.
- 14. The motor/generator defined in claim 2 wherein:
the rotor is rotatable about an axis of rotation at an angular velocity; and the gap is varied by the supports to maintain the output voltage at an approximately constant value independent of the angular velocity.
- 15. The motor/generator defined in claim 2 wherein:
a variable input voltage applied to the stator is converted into the mechanical power output; and the gap is varied by the supports to maintain the mechanical work output at an approximately constant value independent of the input voltage.
- 16. A method for regulating an output voltage of a generator comprising:
generating the output voltage by rotating a rotor including a Halbach array, with respect to a stator; and regulating the output voltage by varying a radial gap between the Halbach array and the stator.
- 17. A method for regulating output voltage as recited in claim 16 wherein the gap is varied by radially translating windings included in the stator, relative to the Halbach array.
- 18. A method for regulating output voltage as recited in claim 17 wherein the windings are radially translated by changing a dimension of a support attached to the windings.
- 19. A method for regulating a mechanical power output from a motor comprising:
generating the mechanical power output by applying a variable input voltage to a stator including a Halbach array and having a rotor rotatable relative thereto including a Halbach array; and regulating the mechanical power output by varying a radial gap between the stator and the Halbach array.
- 20. A method for regulating mechanical power output as recited in claim 19 wherein the gap is varied by radially translating windings included in the stator, relative to the Halbach array.
- 21. A method for regulating mechanical power output as recited in claim 20 wherein the windings are radially translated by changing a dimension of a support upon which the windings are mounted.
Government Interests
[0001] The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48 between the United States Department of Energy and The University of California for the operation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.