IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,341,380
Granted Patent B2
US 12,341,380 · App. 18/442,783 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Axial flux motor

Inventors: Satoru Simizu (Pittsburgh, PA); Paul Richard Ohodnicki, Jr. (Allison Park, PA); Michael Edward McHenry (Pittsburgh, PA)
Assignees: Carnegie Mellon University; U.S. Department of Energy
H02K1/2796H02K1/02H02K3/12H02K19/10H02K21/44
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,341,380
App. No.
18/442,783
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is an axial flux motor including a rotor having a wound ribbon core, the wound ribbon core including a metal amorphous nanocomposite material. The axial flux motor further includes a stator assembly spaced apart from the rotor along a rotation axis of the rotor. The stator assembly includes a body including a metal amorphous nanocomposite material and a plurality of permanent magnets substantially free of rare-earth materials. The plurality of permanent magnets is arranged on the body of the stator assembly.

Claims (35)

1. An axial flux motor comprising:

a rotor comprising a wound ribbon core, the wound ribbon core comprising a metal amorphous nanocomposite material without secondary crystallization; and

a stator assembly spaced apart from the rotor along a rotation axis of the rotor, the stator assembly comprising:

at least one second wound ribbon core comprising a metal amorphous nanocomposite material without secondary crystallization; and

a plurality of permanent magnets arranged on the at least one second wound ribbon core.

2. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the stator assembly comprises:

a first stator spaced apart from a first side of the rotor; and

a second stator spaced apart from a second side of the rotor.

3. The axial flux motor of claim 2 , wherein magnetic forces between the first stator and second stator and the rotor are balanced, thereby causing the rotor to be axially suspended between the first stator and second stator.

4. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises:

a first rotor arranged on a first side of the stator assembly; and

a second rotor arranged on a second side of the stator assembly,

wherein the first rotor and the second rotor are connected via a shaft.

5. The axial flux motor of claim 4 , wherein magnetic force exerted in an axial direction by a single stator of the stator assembly against the first and second rotors balances the first and second rotors on either side of the single stator.

6. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a single rotor, and the stator assembly comprises a single stator,

wherein magnetic force exerted by the single stator on the single rotor induces the single rotor to move in an axial direction relative to the single stator.

7. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the metal amorphous nanocomposite material without secondary crystallization comprises a FeNi-based composition.

8. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the metal amorphous nanocomposite material without secondary crystallization comprises a cobalt-based composition.

9. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of permanent magnets include less than 2% by weight of rare-earth materials.

10. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of permanent magnets include 0% by weight of rare-earth materials.

11. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the stator assembly comprises a plurality of slots,

wherein a coil is wound around a permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets and each slot of the plurality of slots.

12. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , further comprising a housing, the stator assembly being fixed to the housing and the rotor being rotatable relative to the housing.

13. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein:

the rotor comprises a plurality of poles arranged around a circumference of the rotor;

the stator assembly comprises a stator comprising a plurality of slots arranged around a circumference of the stator; and

each permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets are arranged around the circumference of the stator between two of the plurality of slots.

14. The axial flux motor of claim 13 , wherein a magnetic polarity of each permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets is aligned with a circumferential direction and in an alternating direction with a magnetic polarity of a neighboring permanent magnet of the plurality of permanent magnets.

15. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a hollow cylindrical structure with a plurality of poles projecting axially therefrom, the rotor formed of the wound ribbon core comprising the metal amorphous nanocomposite material without secondary crystallization.

16. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the stator assembly comprises a stator comprising a body formed of the at least one second wound ribbon core comprising the metal amorphous nanocomposite material without secondary crystallization.

17. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the stator assembly comprises a three-phase stator, such that windings are provided with alternating current (AC) in three offset phases.

18. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a number of poles, and the stator assembly comprises a stator comprising a number of slots,

wherein a ratio of the number of poles to the number of slots is selected from a group consisting of 2:3, 5:6, 7:6, and 4:3.

19. The axial flux motor of claim 1 , wherein flux patterns from the plurality of permanent magnets and a current are both sinusoidal.

20. The axial flux motor of claim 19 , wherein a back electromotive force (back-emf) is sinusoidal.

Assignments (3)
PARTIAL ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jul 25, 2024
From: CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 068149/0381 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Apr 16, 2024
From: CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 067126/0634 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2024
From: SIMIZU, SATORU; OHODNICKI, PAUL RICHARD, JR.; MCHENRY, MICHAEL EDWARD
To: CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 066634/0016 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16733593 · Jan 3, 2020
Provisional Application 62766825 · Nov 5, 2018
Related Publication 20240250568A1 · Jul 25, 2024
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