Permanent magnet energy convertor
A permanent magnet energy converter is described wherein the converter comprises: a stator structure including a stator magnet having a spiral geometry; the stator magnet having a U-shaped cross-section, a first leg of the U-shaped cross-section forming a first magnetic pole and a second leg of the U-shaped cross-section forming a second magnetic pole; an elongated rotor structure having a first and second end being positioned within the stator structure, the rotor structure being configured to rotate about rotation axis, wherein the rotor structure includes: first and second elongated core elements of a magnetizable material, a first end and second end of the first core element being aligned with the first magnetic pole of the stator magnet and a first end and second end of the second core element being aligned with second magnetic pole of the stator magnet; one or more permanent magnets arranged to magnetize the first and second elongated core elements; and, a first magnetic coil structure for reversing the magnetic polarity of the first end of the first and second core elements and a second magnetic coil structure for reversing the magnetic polarity of the second end of the first and second core elements.
1 . An energy conversion system comprising a plurality of permanent magnet energy convertors arranged next to each other along their rotational axis, wherein said permanent magnet energy converters each comprise:
a circumferential stator structure including a stator magnet having a spiral geometry, wherein the stator magnet has a U-shaped cross-section and comprises a plurality of U-shaped magnets, such that a first leg of the U-shaped cross-section forms a first magnetic pole and a second leg of the U-shaped cross-section forms a second magnetic pole; and
an elongated rotor structure positioned within the circumferential stator structure and configured to rotate about a rotational axis, the elongated rotor structure having a first end and a second end,
wherein:
the elongated rotor structure comprises a first elongated core element and a second elongated core element;
the first elongated core element and the second elongated core element are formed from a magnetizable material;
both ends of the first elongated core element are aligned with the first magnetic pole of the stator magnet;
both ends of the second elongated core element are aligned with the second magnetic pole of the stator magnet;
the elongated rotor structure further comprises at least one permanent magnet arranged to magnetize each of the first elongated core element and the second elongated core element, such that both ends of the first elongated core element are attracted to the first magnetic pole of the stator magnet and both ends of the second elongated core element are attracted to the second magnetic pole of the stator magnet;
the elongated rotor structure further comprises a first magnetic coil structure for reversing a magnetic polarity of a first end of the first elongated core element and the second elongated core element, and the elongated rotor structure further comprises a second magnetic coil structure for reversing a magnetic polarity of a second end of the first elongated core element and the second elongated core element;
a gap is present between the rotor structure and the circumferential stator structure, such that a width of the gap varies about a circumference of the circumferential stator structure; and
the width of the gap varies between a minimal gap and a maximal gap.
2 . The energy conversion system according to claim 1 , further comprising a current source for controlling current pulses through the first coil structure and the second coil structure.
3 . The energy conversion system according to claim 2 , wherein the current source is computer-controlled.
4 . The energy conversion system according to claim 2 , wherein the current pulses are timed such that they are applied when an end of the elongated rotor structure passes the minimal gap.
5 . The energy conversion system according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetizable material of the first elongated core element and the second elongated core elements is made of a soft-magnetic cobalt-iron alloy with a magnetic saturation up to 1.5 Tesla.
6 . The energy conversion system according to claim 5 wherein the magnetizable material comprises 49% by weight cobalt, 49% by weight iron and a balance of one or more other component selected from vanadium, niobium, chromium, tantalum, zirconium, manganese, aluminum, or a combination thereof.
7 . The energy conversion system according to claim 6 , wherein the circumferential stator structures are clocked relative to one another such that the minimal gaps are separated by a radial angle of 120 degrees.
8 . The energy conversion system according to claim 1 , further comprising a common rotatable axle to which each of the elongated rotor structures is mounted.
9 . The energy conversion system according to claim 1 , wherein the circumferential stator structures are clocked relative to one another such that the minimal gaps are equidistantly arranged about the rotation axis.
10 . The energy conversion system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of permanent magnet energy convertors is three permanent magnet energy convertors.