TITLE OF INVENTION: MAGNETIC MOTOR

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION — FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) motors and more particularly it relates to electromagnetic attraction motors. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION — PRIOR ART

Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy using magnetic energy in ferromagnetic materials as the MEDIUM of energy conversion. Generator action, transformer action as well as self-induction in known electric motors prevent them from converting magnetic energy into mechanical energy --- a process that occurs briefly in nature between a natural magnet or magnetite (Fe3O4) and a piece of soft iron.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION — OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

The main object of the present invention is to exploit the magnetic properties of attraction between a magnet and soft iron and that of repulsion between magnets of similar polarities to convert magnetic energy in ferromagnetic materials into mechanical energy. This object is mainly achieved by the use of geometry and electrical resonance. An advantage of the invention is that even though a generated voltage is always present in the operation of a Magnetic Motor this voltage source remains unloaded and produces no counter-torque to prevent magnetic energy conversion so long as current or parallel resonance configuration is not used.

Another advantage is the use of a capacitor and a diode to neutralize self-induced voltages during motor operation allowing higher current flow at high motor speeds at relatively low source voltages.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

SUMMARY

Magnetic Motor converts magnetic energy into mechanical energy with intermittent electrical energy use to facilitate continuous energy conversion.

DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings, the centre of the motor's shaft would be taken as the reference point for stator and rotor pole face angles as well as angles subtended by arcs depicted by metallic studs and carbon brushes making up a timed commutator for converting direct current into alternating current.

DRAWINGS — Figures

Closely related figures in the drawings have the same numbers but different alphabetic suffixes.

Fig. 1A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a single unit Magnetic Motor with stator apd rotor poles in attractive position. Fig. 1B shows the same illustration of fig. 1A with stator and rotor poles in repulsive position.

Fig. 2 shows a timed commutator and slip rings with electrical wiring connections via brushes to a diode, capacitor and rotor windings. Fig. 3 shows a flywheel arrangement of a single unit Magnetic Motor with respect to its rotor poles.

DRAWINGS — Reference Numerals

10 stator 12 leading stator pole tip

14 trailing stator pole tip 16 rotor 18 rotor pole 20 shaft

22 windings 24 capacitor

26 timed commutator 28 conducting metal studs

30 insulator 32 brush connecting timed commutator

34 brush Connecting slipjings. 36 slip rings 38 flywheel 40 weight

DETAILED DESCRIPTION — FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2 AND 3 — PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figs. 1A and 1B show cross-sectional views of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a single unit Magnetic Motor. It has a stator 10 made up of a mild steel yoke, a pair of two-pole field magnets and mild steel pole shoes with leading pole tips 12

5 and trailing pole tips 14. While the drawings show a pair of permanent magnets, it will be understood that electro-magnets may be employed. Journalized on motor's shaft 20 and rotating inside stator 10 is a rotor 16 with salient poles 18 formed of a pile-up of steel laminations and carries windings 22. Fixed onto motor's shaft 20 and rotating with it is a timed commutator 26 made up of conducting metal studs 28 and an insulator 30.

10 Brushes 32 connect metal studs 28 via a diode to a source of electric power. Capacitors 24 also rotate with motor shaft 20.

Lines V - V' and H - H' are reference lines that help illustrate the plane in which rotor 16 lies as it follows the direction of rotation from the zone of attraction (V - V' to the leading stator pole tips 12 in fig. 1A ) into the zone of repulsion (from H - H' to

15 V' - V in fig. 1B ).

Angle AOB which is. 45° in fig. 1A is the preferred angle rotor 16 makes with H - H' where the natural torque on rotor poles 18 in the stator's magnetic field is highest.

The air-gaps between the stator pole tips and the rotor poles as shown in figs. lA and 1B vary as follows — the gaps between the leading and trailing stator pole tips 12

20 and 14 respectively and rotor poles 18 are the least; those at points y are the largest; from the trailing pole tips 14 to points x, the air-gaps are co-axial, they then decrease eccentrically from points y to points z which are also the leading stator pole tips 12.

The arc LI in fig. 1A is the trailing stator pole face length and arc L2 is the pole face . length of rotor pole 18; the ratio of L1 to L2 determines the size of the natural torque

25 that turns rotor 16 around. In the preferred embodiment, L1 is only a little fraction (about 1/10 th) of L2.

Fig. 2 shows the electrical circuit arrangement of the present invention: It shows a Magnetic Motor whose capacitors 24 could not rotate with its shaft 20. A direct current (DC) flows through a series diode D to the timed commutator 26 via brushes 32. The direct current is then converted into an alternating current (AC). Conducting metal studs 28 connect and conduct the alternating current to windings 22 and slip rings 36. The circuit is completed with series capacitor 24 via brushes 34. The electrical circuit in fig. 2 is a series or voltage resonant circuit. A single unit Magnetic Motor's flywheel 38 is shown in fig. 3. It has a pair of weights 40 attached in line with rotor poles 18. Weights 40 ensure continuous rotation. of rotor 16 as it reaches neutral plane V - V' in fig. IB.

Operation — Figs, 1, 2 and 3

The present invention has no self-starting property; motor shaft 20 is turned by an external drive (not shown in the drawings) until the rotor is running at its normal operating speed. Electric circuit current is switched off by timed commutator 26 when rotor 16 reaches V - V' which is a neutral plane. It continuous to rotate by virtue of flywheel 38 and its weights 40 till rotor poles 18 reach the position shown in fig. 1A; this is the position where the largest torque is exerted on the rotor by the stator's magnetic field. This torque is due to the natural force of attraction between the field magnet and the mild steel rotor core.

The reason for the large torque is as follows — the central line of rotor 16 is inclined at 45° with the plane H - H' whilst the tips of rotor poles 18 are just about to overlap with the trailing stator pole tips 14. The co-axial air-gaps between the stator and rotor pole faces from the pole tips 14 to points x are amongst the least and beyond points x, the air-gaps sharply widen a bit to points y as shown in fig. 1 from where they reduce eccentrically to points z. To ensure that the rotor does not stop abruptly after the initial large torque, the length LI which is the arc depicted by the trailing stator pole face is made MUCH SMALLER THAN L2 which is the arc depicted by the rotor pole- face. The disparity in arc lengths LI and L2 allows the initial large torque on rotor 16 to continue till its poles reach points z.

. Shortly before points z is reached, a well-tuned circuit of fig. 2 which produces virtually no sparks across the switches of timed commutator 26 is energized so as to bring about repulsion between rotor poles 18 and the leading stator pole tips 12, the Omni-present natural force of attraction notwithstanding. The armature core of rotor 16 is so designed that it saturates quite easily when subjected to a low magnetizing force when windings 22 are energized providing a high reluctance magnetic flux path and at the same time offer a magnetic flux path of very low reluctance when the electric circuit is de-energized, in the present embodiment the rotor armature core is made quite thin. .

The saturated rotor core reduces considerably the torque due to natural magnetic attraction effect which is now dragging the rotor facilitating easy repulsion of rotor poles 18 from leading stator pole tips 12. Rotor 16 then reaches plane V - V' and the cycle continues.

Additional Embodiments — (Not shown in the drawings)

The efficiency of the present invention increases as the number of its-unit increases. A magnetic motor with two or more units coupled together have units identical to the described unit (figs, l and 2) with modification to flywheel 38 (fig. 3). In the case of a two-unit magnetic motor, the stator poles of the units are aligned whilst their rotor poles are displaced from one another by 90°. Flywheel 38 then has two-pairs of weights 40 aligned with the rotor poles of each unit. A three-unit magnetic motor has rotor poles displaced from one another by 60° — etc.

Alternative Embodiments — (Not shown in the drawings)

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is a rotating field magnet with salient mild steel poles and a stationary armature. The armature mild steel core then has all the characteristics of the rotor armature core described in figs. 1 and 2.

Another alternative embodiment has an electronic switching system comprising of photo-diodes and photo-transistors that replaces timed commutator 26 and brushes 32 in figs. 1 and 2. The use of alternating current (AC) source of electric power instead of the direct current (DC) source described in figs. 1 and 2 is also another alternative embodiment.

Advantages

From the description above, the main advantage of my motor becomes evident: magnetic energy is converted into mechanical energy and does not merely serve as a medium of energy conversion.

Another advantage is that an Electric Motor could have the features of a Magnetic Motor and convert both electrical and magnetic energy into mechanical energy.

Conclusion, Ramifications and Scope

Accordingly, the reader will see that this invention can be used to tap magnetic energy in ferromagnetic materials which is found in abundance to augment the dwindling energy resources of the world.

Like its solar and hydro counter-parts magnetic energy is a renewable source of energy and its use means a reduction in air pollution which has become a major problem worldwide.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing an illustration of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, for example the stator and rotor can have other shapes; the series capacitors and diodes can initially be shorted out for a multi-unit magnetic motor to become self-starting, etc.

Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than the examples given.