SINGLE PHASE SWITCHED RELUCTANCE MACHINE WITH AXIALLY EXTENDING STATOR LAMINATIONS

1 . A reluctance machine, comprising:

a stator having a plurality of stator poles; and

a rotor having a plurality of rotor poles and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation;

wherein each of the stator poles comprises:

a primary stator pole; and

an auxiliary stator pole,

wherein the auxiliary stator pole is axially aligned with the primary stator pole in the direction of the axis of rotation; and

wherein each stator pole is formed of a plurality of laminations extending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation.

2 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein each stator pole of the plurality of stator poles is magnetically isolated from each other stator pole of the plurality of stator poles.

3 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laminations define a single primary stator pole and a single auxiliary stator pole.

4 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein each lamination of the plurality of laminations has a U-shape with one leg of the U-shape defining the primary stator pole and another leg of the U-shape defining the auxiliary stator pole.

5 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein each rotor pole has a length extending in the direction of the axis of rotation sufficient to at least partially cover both the primary stator pole and axially aligned auxiliary stator pole.

6 . The machine of claim 5 , wherein a flux path passes axially along the rotor pole, across a first air gap and radially along the primary stator pole, axially along the stator, radially along the auxiliary stator pole and across a second air gap to the rotor pole.

7 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein each rotor pole of the plurality of rotor poles is magnetically isolated from each other rotor pole of the plurality of rotor poles

8 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the primary stator poles has a first winding and each auxiliary stator pole has second winding, and wherein the first and second windings of axially aligned primary and auxiliary stator poles are electrically connected.

9 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein each of the primary stator poles has a first winding and each auxiliary stator pole has second winding, and wherein the first and second windings of axially aligned primary and auxiliary stator poles exhibit opposite magnetic orientations.

10 . The machine of claim 1 , wherein multiple machines are stacked on a common axis of rotation.

11 . The machine of claim 1 , further comprising controlling circuitry coupled to drive windings on the stator poles.

12 . A reluctance machine, comprising:

a rotor having a plurality of rotor poles and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation;

a stator having a plurality of stator poles, each stator pole comprising:

a primary stator pole; and

an auxiliary stator pole,

wherein each stator pole is formed of a plurality of laminations, said laminations extending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation; and

wherein each lamination includes a first leg forming part of the primary stator pole, a second leg forming part of the auxiliary stator pole and a bridge member extending perpendicular to and joining the first and second legs.

13 . The machine of claim 12 , wherein each stator pole of the plurality of stator poles is magnetically isolated from each other stator pole of the plurality of stator poles.

14 . The machine of claim 12 , wherein the rotor includes a plurality of rotor poles, each rotor pole having a length extending in the direction of the axis of rotation sufficient to at least partially cover both the primary stator pole and auxiliary stator pole of one stator pole.

15 . The machine of claim 12 , wherein each primary stator pole has a first winding and each auxiliary stator pole has a second winding, and wherein the first and second windings of axially aligned primary and auxiliary stator poles are electrically connected.

16 . The machine of claim 15 , further comprising a drive circuit electrically connected to the first and second windings.

17 . The machine of claim 15 , wherein the first and second windings cause the primary and auxiliary stator poles to exhibit opposite magnetic orientations.