JP7601978B1 - Rotating Electrical and Generating Equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A novel rotating electrical machine is provided with a rotor that utilizes permanent magnets.
[Solution] A rotating electric device 100 has a rotor 20 configured to be rotatable about a central axis 22, a plurality of first permanent magnets 30 arranged in a circumferential direction centered on the central axis 22, and at least one second permanent magnet 40 fixed to the rotor 20 and disposed between the plurality of first permanent magnets 30 and the central axis 22. The plurality of first permanent magnets 30 are disposed with the same polarity facing toward the central axis 22. The second permanent magnet 40 is disposed with the same polarity facing away from the central axis 22.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to rotating electrical equipment and power generation equipment.

A rotating electric device is a device that has a rotatable rotor, such as an electric motor or a power generator. A known example of a power generator is one that uses electromagnetic induction. The following Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose power generators that use electromagnetic induction.

In the generator described in Patent Document 2, a first multi-layer, multi-pole coil plate with multiple coils arranged in a circumferential shape, an eccentric weight, and a second multi-layer, multi-pole coil plate with multiple coils arranged in a circumferential shape are arranged in this order. The eccentric weight includes a sliding body configured to be freely rotatable, and a disk-shaped or sector-shaped multi-pole magnet that is magnetized on both sides. The multi-pole magnet is arranged so that its center of gravity is offset from the axis. In the generator described in Patent Document 1, the eccentric weight rotates due to vibration, generating electricity through electromagnetic induction.

JP 2012-070535 A

In the power generating device described in Patent Document 2, external vibrations are converted into rotation of the eccentric weight due to the imbalance in the weight of the eccentric weight, and electricity is generated by electromagnetic induction between a magnet attached to the eccentric weight and a coil facing it. However, when converting the imbalance in the weight of the eccentric weight into rotation of the eccentric weight, if the relationship between the frequency of the external vibration and the imbalance in the weight does not match, it is difficult for the eccentric weight to rotate stably.

Therefore, there is a need for novel rotating electrical machines and/or generators with rotors that utilize permanent magnets.

A rotating electric device according to one embodiment has a rotor configured to be rotatable around a central axis, a plurality of first permanent magnets arranged in a circumferential direction around the central axis, and at least one second permanent magnet fixed to the rotor and disposed between the plurality of first permanent magnets and the central axis. The plurality of first permanent magnets are disposed with the same polarity facing toward the central axis. The second permanent magnet is disposed with the same polarity facing away from the central axis.

The power generating device according to one embodiment has the above-mentioned rotating electric device, at least one third permanent magnet fixed to the rotor, and a coil arranged facing the third permanent magnet in a direction along the central axis.

According to the above aspect, it is possible to provide a novel rotating electrical device and/or power generating device equipped with a rotor that utilizes permanent magnets.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a rotating electric device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the rotating electric device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a rotating electric machine according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of a rotating electric machine according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a rotating electric machine according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic top view of a rotating electric machine according to the third embodiment.

The following describes the embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar reference symbols. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and the ratios of dimensions may differ from the actual ones.

[First embodiment]
Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a rotating electric device according to a first embodiment. Note that in Fig. 1, for convenience of explanation of the structure of the rotating electric device, some structures are shown in cross section. Fig. 2 is a schematic top view of a rotating electric device according to a first embodiment. Note that in Fig. 2, for convenience of explanation of the structure of the rotating electric device, some structures are not shown or are shown in perspective. In particular, in Fig. 2, other structures are omitted as much as possible in order to explain the arrangement of the first permanent magnet 30, the second permanent magnet 40, and the third permanent magnet 50.

The rotating electric machine 100 according to the first embodiment can be suitably used as a power generating device. The rotating electric machine 100 may have a housing 10, a rotor 20, a plurality of first permanent magnets 30, at least one second permanent magnet 40, at least one third permanent magnet 50, and a coil 60. Here, the term "permanent magnet" has the same meaning as it is normally used, and does not necessarily mean that it is a member that continues to retain its magnetic properties permanently. In other words, unlike an electromagnet, a "permanent magnet" is a member that retains its magnetic properties for a long period of time.

Types of the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40 include iron-chromium-cobalt magnets, isotropic and anisotropic ferrite magnets, alnico magnets, rare earth magnets (samarium-cobalt magnets, neodymium magnets), etc. Among these, among the rare earth magnets, neodymium magnets can realize a high magnetic field and are suitable from the viewpoint of compactness and weight reduction.

The rotor 20 may be configured to be rotatable around the central axis 22. The rotor 20 may have any shape as long as it is capable of fixing the second permanent magnet 40 and the third permanent magnet 50.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 20 includes an upper plate 24 and a lower plate 26. Each of the upper plate 24 and the lower plate 26 may have a disk shape centered on the central axis 22. The upper plate 24 and the lower plate 26 may be connected to each other by supports 25. A plurality of supports 25 may be arranged circumferentially around the central axis 22. Preferably, the supports 25 may be provided at a position far away from the central axis 22, i.e., near the outer ends of the upper plate 24 and the lower plate 26 in the radial direction R.

The housing 10 may have a cylindrical shape surrounding the rotor 20. The housing 10 may be made of, for example, a synthetic resin material, a metal material, or the like. The synthetic resin material may be, for example, polyvinyl chloride resin or other resin material. Preferably, the housing 10 is made of a non-magnetic material. That is, the housing 10 may be made of a cylindrical non-magnetic material.

The multiple first permanent magnets 30 may be arranged in a circumferential direction centered on the central axis 22. Specifically, the multiple first permanent magnets 30 may be arranged in a circumferential direction centered on the central axis 22 in a plane perpendicular to the central axis 22. Preferably, the multiple first permanent magnets 30 are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The first permanent magnets 30 are arranged with the same polarity facing the central axis 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the south pole of each of the first permanent magnets 30 faces the central axis 22.

The multiple first permanent magnets 30 may be supported by the housing 10. As described above, the housing 10 is preferably made of a non-magnetic material. When the housing 10 is made of a non-magnetic material, the multiple first permanent magnets 30 are supported by a cylindrical non-magnetic material. In this case, the housing 10 has almost no effect on the magnetic moment of the first permanent magnets 30, reducing the possibility of adversely affecting the rotation of the rotor 20 described below.

In the first embodiment, the rotating electric device 100 has a plurality of second permanent magnets 40. The second permanent magnets 40 may be fixed to the rotor 20. The plurality of second permanent magnets 40 are arranged between the plurality of first permanent magnets 30 and the central axis 22.

The second permanent magnets 40 are arranged with the same polarity as the polarity of the first permanent magnets 30 facing toward the central axis 22, facing away from the central axis 22. That is, in the illustrated embodiment, the south pole of each second permanent magnet 40 is arranged facing away from the central axis 22.

Here, although the S pole of each second permanent magnet 40 is arranged facing away from the central axis 22, the S pole does not need to be oriented in a direction that completely coincides with the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22. In this specification, even if the line connecting the S pole and N pole of the second permanent magnet 40 is inclined from the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22, when the S pole of the second permanent magnet 40 is located outside the N pole in the radial direction R, the S pole of the second permanent magnet 40 is considered to be arranged facing away from the central axis 22. That is, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it can be said that the S pole of the second permanent magnet 40 is arranged facing away from the central axis 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the line connecting the north and south poles of the second permanent magnet 40 is inclined with respect to the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22. The angle between the line connecting the north and south poles of the second permanent magnet 40 and the radial direction R may be, for example, greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, preferably in the range of 10 degrees to 80 degrees, and more preferably in the range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees. The inventors have hypothesized that this may promote the rotation of the rotor 20 due to the shaking of the rotating electric device 100, since the distribution of the magnetic flux density generated by the second permanent magnet 40 may be asymmetric in the circumferential direction centered on the central axis 22, as described below.

However, if the rotor 20 can rotate, the line connecting the north pole and south pole of the second permanent magnet 40 may coincide with the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22. In other words, the second permanent magnet 40 does not need to be inclined from the radial direction R.

In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of second permanent magnets 40 may be fixed to each of the upper plate 24 and the lower plate 26 of the rotor 20. The plurality of second permanent magnets 40 fixed to the upper plate 24 of the rotor 20 may be aligned in the circumferential direction about the central axis 22. Similarly, the plurality of second permanent magnets 40 fixed to the lower plate 26 of the rotor 20 may be aligned in the circumferential direction about the central axis 22.

In this embodiment, the multiple second permanent magnets 40 fixed to the upper plate 24 and the multiple second permanent magnets 40 fixed to the lower plate 26 are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The rotating electric device 100 may have a fourth permanent magnet 42 on the central axis 22 side of the second permanent magnet 40. Each fourth permanent magnet 42 is arranged in association with each second permanent magnet 40.

The line connecting the south pole and north pole of the fourth permanent magnet 42 extends along the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22. The fourth permanent magnet 42 is also provided adjacent to the second permanent magnet 40 in the radial direction R. That is, one magnetic pole of the fourth permanent magnet 42 faces one magnetic pole of the second permanent magnet 40. Here, one magnetic pole of the fourth permanent magnet 42 and one magnetic pole of the second permanent magnet 40, which face each other, have different polarities. That is, the second permanent magnet 40 and the fourth permanent magnet 42 are arranged so as to be subjected to an attractive force from each other.

When the second permanent magnets 40 are inclined with respect to the radial direction R, it is considered that the magnetic flux emitted from the magnetic poles facing the central axis 22 of the second permanent magnets 40 extends in a direction inclined from the central axis 22. By providing the fourth permanent magnets 42, the magnetic flux toward the central axis 22 tends to extend generally straight along the radial direction R. This makes it possible to suppress the influence of the magnetic flux toward the central axis 22 from the magnetic poles facing the central axis 22 of a certain second permanent magnet 40 on an adjacent second permanent magnet 40.

In the first embodiment, the rotating electric machine 100 may have a plurality of third permanent magnets 50. The third permanent magnets 50 may be fixed to the rotor 20. The third permanent magnets 50 may be arranged to face the coils 60. The coils 60 may be arranged to face the third permanent magnets 50 in the direction along the central axis 22.

In the illustrated embodiment, the third permanent magnet 50 may be fixed to the lower part of the upper plate 24 and the upper part of the lower plate 26 of the rotor 20. The multiple third permanent magnets 50 fixed to the lower part of the upper plate 24 and the upper part of the lower plate 26 of the rotor 20 may be aligned in a circular direction around the central axis 22.

The coil 60 may be provided between a plurality of third permanent magnets 50 fixed to the upper plate 24 of the rotor 20 and a plurality of third permanent magnets 50 fixed to the lower plate 26 of the rotor 20. Preferably, the distance from the central axis 22 to the third permanent magnets 50 is approximately equal to the distance from the central axis 22 to the coil 60 (see FIG. 1). A plurality of coils 60 may be provided in the circumferential direction around the central axis 22.

The third permanent magnets 50 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are preferably arranged so that their magnetic poles face in different directions. Furthermore, the third permanent magnets 50 facing each other in the vertical direction are preferably arranged so that their magnetic poles face each other.

The multiple coils 60 may be arranged in a circumferential direction centered on the central axis 22. Preferably, the multiple coils 60 may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

A spacer 28 may be provided that can adjust the height position of the rotor 20 so that the second permanent magnet 40 does not collide with the coil 60 while the rotor 20 is rotating.

Here, the coil 60 is not fixed to the rotor 20. Therefore, it should be noted that even if the rotor 20 rotates, the coil 60 does not rotate. Therefore, as the rotor 20 rotates, the third permanent magnet 50 can move between a state in which it is located directly above or below the coil 60, and a state in which it is circumferentially separated from the coil 60. This causes a large change in the magnetic flux density in the coil 60, generating an induced electromotive force.

The coil 60 may be electrically connected to an external storage battery or an electrical load 200. Specifically, the wiring 62 extending from the coil 60 may be electrically connected to an external storage battery or an electrical load 200.

The rotating electrical device 100 may have a shaft member 70 extending along the central axis 22. The shaft member 70 may have a hollow cylindrical shape. The coil 60 may be connected to the shaft member 70. Specifically, the wiring drawn from the coil 60 may pass through the hollow portion of the shaft member 70 and extend outward from an opening 72 of the shaft member 70.

The rotating electrical device 100 may include a first elastic member 80 that supports at least one end of the shaft member 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower end of the shaft member 70 is supported by the first elastic member 80.

More specifically, the shaft member 70 is not directly connected to the bottom plate 12 of the housing 10. The shaft member 70 is connected to the bottom plate 12 of the housing 10 via a first elastic member 80. This allows the shaft member 70 to swing so that the central axis of the shaft member 70 tilts when an external force is applied.

The shaft member 70 may be connected to the rotor 20 via a bearing 78. This allows the rotor 20 to rotate around the central axis 22 without the shaft member 70 rotating. In addition, since the rotor 20 is connected to the shaft member 70 via the bearing 78, the rotor 20 also oscillates in conjunction with the oscillation of the shaft member 70. The specific structure of the bearing 78 is not particularly limited. The bearing 78 may be, for example, a ball bearing or the like.

In particular, the rotor 20 oscillates so that the rotation plane of the rotor 20 is tilted due to the oscillation (tilting oscillation) of the shaft member 70. When the rotor 20 oscillates in a stationary state in the circumferential direction around the central axis 22, the rotor 20 deviates from a stable position in the circumferential direction due to the magnetism of the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40, and it is presumed that, combined with the vibration of the rotating electric device 100, the rotor 20 rotates to a certain extent in one direction.

As the rotor 20 rotates, electricity is generated by the action (electromagnetic induction) of the third permanent magnet 50 and the coil 60. The electricity generated in the coil 60 can be taken out to the outside through wiring.

As mentioned above, if the line connecting the north and south poles of the second permanent magnet 40 is inclined with respect to the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22, the distribution of magnetic flux density generated by the second permanent magnet 40 may become asymmetric in the circumferential direction centered on the central axis 22, and it is presumed that rotation of the rotor 20 due to vibration is more likely to occur.

In addition, in order to increase the asymmetry in the circumferential direction of the distribution of magnetic flux density generated by the second permanent magnet 40, a soft magnetic body 44 may be provided adjacent to the second permanent magnet 40. The soft magnetic body 44 is a material having a relatively high magnetic permeability. The soft magnetic body 44 may be provided asymmetrically in the circumferential direction around the central axis 22 with respect to the second permanent magnet 40. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the soft magnetic body 44 covers only one side of the second permanent magnet 40 in the circumferential direction. It is presumed that this makes it easier for the rotor 20 to rotate due to vibration.

The material of the soft magnetic body 44 is not particularly limited, but examples include ferromagnetic materials such as iron, molybdenum, and nickel. Alternatively, the material of the soft magnetic body 44 may be a laminate of aluminum or copper foil. The film thickness of the soft magnetic body 44 depends on the material, but is preferably selected from the range of 1 μm to 1000 μm, for example.

The rotating electrical device 100 may have a weight 16 provided on the vertical upper portion of the shaft member 70. This makes it easier for the shaft member 70 to swing horizontally when vibrated.

The rotating electrical device 100 may also have a plurality of second elastic members 90 that connect the housing 10 and the shaft member 70. The plurality of second elastic members 90 may be arranged in a line in the circumferential direction around the central axis 22. The second elastic members 90 may be provided to stably maintain the shaft member 70 in the vertical direction when no external force is applied.

(Experimental Example 1)
The rotating electric machine 100 described in the first embodiment was actually manufactured, and a power generation experiment was conducted. The housing 10 is cylindrical and made of polyvinyl chloride. A plurality of through holes are formed in the housing 10 at equal intervals of 6 mm in the circumferential direction, and a first permanent magnet 30 is provided in each through hole. The first permanent magnet 30 is a cylindrical neodymium magnet manufactured by Magfine Corporation. The south pole of the first permanent magnet 30 faces toward the central axis 22.

The second permanent magnet 40 is a rectangular parallelepiped neodymium magnet manufactured by Magfine. The fourth permanent magnet 42 is a rectangular parallelepiped neodymium magnet. The south pole of the second permanent magnet 40 faces outward in the radial direction R. The angle between the long axis of the second permanent magnet 40 and the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22 is 50 degrees. Seven second permanent magnets 40 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. A soft magnetic material 44 is provided on the right side of the second permanent magnet 40 when viewed from above. The soft magnetic material 44 is made by attaching three layers of permalloy tape manufactured by Daido Wire Mesh Co., Ltd. The thickness of the soft magnetic material 44, i.e., the total film thickness of the three layers, was approximately 150 μm.

The third permanent magnets 50 are square, plate-shaped neodymium magnets manufactured by Magfine Corporation. Eight third permanent magnets 50 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The eight third permanent magnets 50 are provided on each of the upper plate 24 and the lower plate 26. The third permanent magnets 50 adjacent in the circumferential direction are arranged so that the magnetic poles point in different directions. Furthermore, the third permanent magnets 50 facing each other in the vertical direction are arranged so that their different magnetic poles face each other.

The first elastic member 80 was a helical spring with a spring constant of 0.41 N/mm and a natural length of 5 cm. The weight 16 was a 200 g weight. The four second elastic members 90 were rubber bands.

Four coils 60 were provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The interval between the coils 60 and the second permanent magnet 40 along the direction of the central axis 22 was approximately 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. Each coil 60 was made of enameled wire wound 100 times around a resin cylinder with a diameter of 10 mm. All four coils 60 were electrically connected in series. As the rotor 20 rotated, the four coils 60 were configured to simultaneously generate electromotive voltages of the same phase. The wiring 62 drawn from the coils 60 was connected to an external power extraction circuit. The voltage generated in the coils 60 was measured by the power extraction circuit.

In the power generation experiment, the rotating electrical device 100 was manually oscillated 30 times in 10 seconds (i.e., a frequency of 3 Hz). This caused the rotor 20 to rotate, and it was confirmed that an electromotive force of approximately 400 mV was generated stably. When the oscillation of the rotating electrical device 100 was stopped, the rotation of the rotor 20 immediately stopped.

It is known that the frequency of vibrations occurring under normal circumstances is approximately 1 Hz to 30 Hz. For example, the frequency of earthquake motion is thought to be approximately 10 Hz. The frequency of vibrations from civil engineering works is thought to be approximately 20 Hz. The frequency of vibrations caused by traffic such as automobiles is thought to be approximately 1 Hz to 30 Hz. Furthermore, the frequency of vibrations caused by people walking or running is thought to be approximately 1 Hz to 5 Hz.

The above power generation experiment shows that the rotating electric device 100 is capable of generating electricity with a vibration of 3 Hz. Therefore, it is believed that the rotating electric device 100 is capable of generating electricity at the vibration frequency that occurs under normal circumstances. It is also believed that by adjusting the design of each structure of the rotating electric device 100, it is possible to configure it to generate electricity at frequencies other than 3 Hz.

Here, we removed all of the first permanent magnets 30 from the rotating electric device 100 and conducted a similar power generation experiment (external oscillation) under the same conditions as above, and confirmed that the rotor 20 did not rotate. We also removed all of the second permanent magnets 40 from the rotating electric device 100 and conducted a similar power generation experiment (external oscillation) under the same conditions as above, and confirmed that the rotor 20 did not rotate.

From the above results, it can be seen that in the rotating electric device 100 according to this embodiment, the rotor 20 rotates due to an external force from the outside, i.e., due to the oscillation of the rotating electric device 100, and due to the action of both the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40.

[Second embodiment]
Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of a rotating electric device according to a second embodiment. Note that in Fig. 3, for convenience of explanation of the structure of the rotating electric device, some structures are shown in cross section. Fig. 4 is a schematic top view of a rotating electric device according to a second embodiment. Note that in Fig. 4, for convenience of explanation of the structure of the rotating electric device, some structures are not shown or are shown in perspective. In particular, in Fig. 4, other structures are omitted as much as possible in order to explain the arrangement of the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40.

Please note that in the second embodiment, configurations similar to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their explanations may be omitted.

The rotating electric device 100 according to the second embodiment may have a housing 10, a rotor 20, a plurality of first permanent magnets 30, and at least one second permanent magnet 40.

The rotor 20 may be configured to be rotatable around the central axis 22. The rotor 20 may have any shape as long as the second permanent magnet 40 can be fixed thereto. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 20 has a disk-like shape.

The arrangement of the multiple first permanent magnets 30 is the same as in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the rotating electric device 100 has one second permanent magnet 40. The second permanent magnet 40 may be fixed to the rotor 20. The multiple second permanent magnets 40 are arranged between the multiple first permanent magnets 30 and the central axis 22. The direction of the magnetic poles of the second permanent magnet 40, the orientation of the second permanent magnet 40 (inclination angle from the radial direction), etc. are the same as in the first embodiment.

As in the first embodiment, it is preferable that the line connecting the north and south poles of the second permanent magnet 40 is inclined with respect to the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22. The angle φ between the line connecting the north and south poles of the second permanent magnet 40 and the radial direction R may be, for example, greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, preferably in the range of 10 degrees to 80 degrees, and more preferably in the range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees (see also FIG. 4). However, as long as the rotor 20 can rotate, the line connecting the north and south poles of the second permanent magnet 40 may coincide with the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22. In other words, the second permanent magnet 40 does not need to be inclined with respect to the radial direction R.

The rotating electric device 100 may have a shaft member 70 extending along the central axis 22. The shaft member 70 is preferably made of a non-magnetic material. In the second embodiment, the shaft member 70 is configured to be rotatable together with the rotor 20. The shaft member 70 may extend between the lower substrate 18 and the upper substrate 19. Here, the lower substrate 18 and the upper substrate 19 do not rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the rotor 20.

A pair of first bearing magnets 74 are provided on the upper part of the shaft member 70. The pair of first bearing magnets 74 are arranged with the same polarities facing each other so that they repel each other. Furthermore, the pair of first bearing magnets 74 are arranged on both sides of the upper substrate 19. This reduces the possibility that the shaft member 70 will come into contact with the upper substrate 19 when the rotor 20 rotates, causing friction loss.

Similarly, a pair of second bearing magnets 75 are provided at the bottom of the shaft member 70. The pair of second bearing magnets 75 are arranged with the same polarities facing each other so that they repel each other. Furthermore, the pair of second bearing magnets 75 are arranged on both sides of the lower substrate 18. This reduces the possibility that the shaft member 70 will come into contact with the lower substrate 18 when the rotor 20 rotates, causing friction loss.

In the second embodiment, the second elastic member 90 connects the housing 10 and the upper substrate 19. A plurality of second elastic members 90 may be provided. Specifically, the upper substrate 19 is supported by the second elastic members 90. When an external force (oscillating force) is applied to the rotating electrical device 100, the upper substrate 19 oscillates due to the action of the second elastic member 90. In other words, the upper substrate 19 has the same function as the weight 16 described in the first embodiment.

As the upper substrate 19 swings, the central axis of the shaft member 70 swings so as to tilt, and the rotor 20 swings so that the rotation plane of the rotor 20 is tilted. As a result, it is presumed that the rotor 20 rotates to a certain extent in one direction in combination with the vibration of the rotating electrical device 100, just like in the first embodiment.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, only one second permanent magnet 40 is provided. Alternatively, as in the first embodiment, multiple second permanent magnets 40 may be fixed to the rotor 20.

When the rotating electric device 100 is used as a power generating device, a third permanent magnet 50 and a coil 60 may be provided, as in the first embodiment.

(Experimental Example 2)
The rotating electrical machine 100 described in the second embodiment was actually manufactured and an experiment was carried out. The housing 10 was made of polyvinyl chloride and had a cylindrical shape. Four second elastic members 90 were provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

Multiple through holes are formed in the housing 10 at equal intervals of 5 mm in the circumferential direction, and a first permanent magnet 30 is provided in each through hole. The first permanent magnet 30 is a cylindrical neodymium magnet manufactured by Magfine Corporation. The south pole of the first permanent magnet 30 faces toward the central axis 22.

The second permanent magnet 40 is a rectangular parallelepiped neodymium magnet manufactured by Magfine Corporation. The angle φ between the long axis of the second permanent magnet 40 and the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22 is 50 degrees. A soft magnetic material 44 is provided on the right side of the second permanent magnet 40 when viewed from above. The soft magnetic material 44 is made by attaching three layers of permalloy tape manufactured by Daido Wire Mesh Co., Ltd. The thickness of the soft magnetic material 44, i.e., the total film thickness of the three layers, was approximately 150 μm.

A measuring device for measuring rotational torque was attached to the rotating electrical device 100 (see also FIG. 3). The measuring device 300 shown in FIG. 3 has a first gear 205 attached to a shaft member 70 and a plurality of gears (reduction gear group) 210 connected to the first gear 205. A spiral spring 240 is attached to a rotating shaft 220 attached to the reduction gear group 210.

When the shaft member 70 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the rotor 200, the first gear 205 and the reduction gear group 210 rotate. As the reduction gear group 210 rotates, the rotating shaft 220 rotates, which causes the spiral spring 240 to wind. The magnitude of the rotational torque can be calculated from the number of turns of this spiral spring 240.

In addition, a clutch (not shown) is provided between the spiral spring 240 and the reduction gear group 210, and the spiral spring 240 is released by disconnecting the spiral spring 240 from the reduction gear group 210 using the clutch. The rotational energy generated at the time of this release is provided to the generator motor 250, generating electric power according to the magnitude of the rotational torque. The magnitude of the rotational torque is indirectly calculated by measuring this electric power with a voltmeter 260.

In fact, the rotor 200 was rotated by manually swinging the rotating electrical device 100 described above, and the spiral spring 240 was wound until the restoring force of the spiral spring 240 and the torque of the rotation were balanced. The rotation torque was calculated from the maximum number of turns of the spiral spring 240 at this time (see Table 1 below). The rotation torque Tr is proportional to the total number of turns of the spiral spring 240, N, so it can be calculated from the measured total number of turns.

Next, the clutch was released, and the maximum electromotive force generated by the generator motor was measured during the time it took for the spiral spring 240 to rewind to its original state (see Table 1 below). In Experimental Example 2, the rotational torque was 101 [N·mm], and the maximum electromotive force was 1.58 [V].

(Experimental Example 3)
An experiment was conducted with the same configuration and under the same conditions as in Experimental Example 2, except that the angle φ between the major axis of the second permanent magnet 40 and the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22 was set to 90 degrees. In Experimental Example 3, the rotational torque was 14 [N mm], and the maximum electromotive voltage was 0.3 [V].

(Experimental Example 4)
An experiment was conducted with the same configuration and under the same conditions as in Experimental Example 2, except that the angle φ between the major axis of the second permanent magnet 40 and the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22 was set to 0 degrees. In Experimental Example 4, the rotational torque was 6 [N mm] and the maximum electromotive voltage was 0.1 [V].

(Table 1)

From the results shown in Table 1, it can be seen that it is preferable for the line connecting the north and south poles of the second permanent magnet 40 to be inclined with respect to the radial direction R centered on the central axis 22. From this perspective, it is preferable for the angle φ to be, for example, greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, in the range of 10 degrees to 80 degrees, or in the range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees. However, it should be noted that even if the line connecting the north and south poles of the second permanent magnet 40 is not inclined, rotational torque and maximum electromotive force are generated, so the angle φ may be 0° and 90°.

(Experimental Example 5)
An experiment was conducted with the same configuration and under the same conditions as in Experimental Example 4, except that the soft magnetic material 44 was removed from the rotating electrical machine 100 of Experimental Example 4. In this case, it was confirmed that the measured values of rotational torque and maximum electromotive voltage were smaller than those of Experimental Example 4.

[Third embodiment]
Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of a rotating electric device according to a third embodiment. Note that in Fig. 5, some structures are shown in cross section for convenience of explanation of the structure of the rotating electric device. Fig. 6 is a schematic top view of a rotating electric device according to a third embodiment. Note that in Fig. 6, some structures are not shown or are shown in perspective for convenience of explanation of the structure of the rotating electric device. In particular, in Fig. 6, other structures are omitted as much as possible in order to explain the arrangement of the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40.

Please note that in the third embodiment, configurations similar to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their explanations may be omitted.

The rotating electric device 100 according to the third embodiment may have a rotor 20, a plurality of first permanent magnets 30, and at least one second permanent magnet 40. The rotor 20 may be configured to be rotatable about a central axis 22. The rotor 20 may have any shape as long as the second permanent magnet 40 can be fixed thereto. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 20 has a disk shape.

In the third embodiment, the multiple first permanent magnets 30 are provided on the bottom plate 12 and the top plate 14 of the housing. The multiple first permanent magnets 30 provided on the bottom plate 12 of the housing may be aligned in the circumferential direction around the central axis 22. The multiple first permanent magnets 30 provided on the top plate 14 of the housing may be aligned in the circumferential direction around the central axis 22. The arrangement of the multiple first permanent magnets 30 in the circumferential direction and the orientation of the magnetic poles are the same as in the first embodiment (see also FIG. 6).

The second permanent magnet 40 may be fixed to the rotor 20. In the third embodiment, the multiple second permanent magnets 40 are provided on the upper part of the disk-shaped rotor 20 and on the lower part of the disk-shaped rotor 20. The multiple second permanent magnets 40 provided on the upper and lower parts of the rotor 20 may be aligned in the circumferential direction around the central axis 22. The arrangement of the multiple second permanent magnets 40 in the circumferential direction and the orientation of the magnetic poles are the same as in the first embodiment (see also FIG. 6).

In the third embodiment, the second permanent magnets 40 provided on the upper and lower parts of the rotor 20 face the first permanent magnets 30 provided on the upper and lower plates 14 and 12 of the housing, respectively. This makes it possible to further strengthen the effect of the magnetic forces of the first permanent magnets 30 and the second permanent magnets 40.

The rotor 200 may be spaced apart from the bottom plate 12 and the top plate 14 in the direction of the central axis 22 by the repulsive force between the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40. In this case, the rotor 200 does not need to be fixed to the shaft member 70. In other words, it is sufficient that the shaft member 70 is passed through a through hole provided in the center of the rotor 200.

In the third embodiment, the shaft member 70 is configured to be rotatable together with the rotor 20, as in the second embodiment. Therefore, the shaft member 70 is attached to the top plate 14 and bottom plate 12 of the housing via bearings 79.

As the bearing 79, for example, a ball bearing, an oil bearing, an air bearing, a magnetic bearing, a fluid bearing, etc. may be used. In addition, a one-way (not shown) may be provided to restrict rotation in the direction opposite to the rotation direction.

The rotating electric device 100 according to the third embodiment may include a drive device 400 that moves the bottom plate 12 and/or the top plate 14 in the direction of the central axis 22. The drive device 400 may have, for example, a gear 410, a drive unit 420, and a clutch mechanism (not shown). The gear 410 may be, for example, a rack and pinion gear.

The gear 410 may be meshed with a gear (not shown) provided on the bottom plate 12 and/or the top plate 14. The clutch mechanism is a device that disconnects the connection between the gear 410 and the bottom plate 12 and/or the top plate 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the gear 410 is engaged with a gear (not shown) provided on the upper plate 14. In this state, the driving unit 420 drives the gear 410, thereby allowing the upper plate 14 to move along the axial direction 22.

This allows the distance between the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40 to be changed in the direction along the axial direction 22. The drive unit 400 can also be used when installing and/or removing the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40 (rotor 200).

In the third embodiment, the rotor 20 and the shaft member 70 do not oscillate as described in the first and second embodiments. Even in this case, the rotation mechanism of the rotor 20 using the first permanent magnet 30 and the second permanent magnet 40 is considered to be usable for various applications.

However, in the third embodiment, the rotor 20 and the shaft member 70 may be configured to be swingable as described in the first and second embodiments.

When the rotating electric device 100 is used as a power generating device, a third permanent magnet 50 and a coil 60 may be provided, as in the first embodiment.

According to the above aspect, the rotating electric device 100 can be used as a power source for various machines, a power generation device, etc. In particular, it can be expected to be used as a vibration power generation device that utilizes vibrations in the natural environment.

As described above, the contents of the present invention have been disclosed through the embodiments, but the descriptions and drawings forming part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is determined only by the invention-specific matters relating to the scope of the claims that are appropriate from the above explanation.

Reference Signs List 100 Rotary electric device 16 Weight 20 Rotor 22 Central shaft 30 First permanent magnet 40 Second permanent magnet 44 Soft magnetic body 50 Third permanent magnet 60 Coil 70 Shaft member 80 First elastic member 90 Second elastic member R Radial direction

Claims (7)

A rotor configured to be rotatable around a central axis;
A plurality of first permanent magnets arranged in a circumferential direction around the central axis;
at least one second permanent magnet fixed to the rotor and disposed between the plurality of first permanent magnets and the central axis;
The first permanent magnets are arranged with the same polarity facing toward the central axis,
The second permanent magnet is arranged with the same polarity as the polarity facing away from the central axis,
The rotary electric device, wherein the rotor is configured to be oscillating in a direction intersecting the central axis . The rotating electrical device according to claim 1, further comprising a soft magnetic body adjacent to the second permanent magnet and arranged asymmetrically in the circumferential direction around the central axis. The rotating electrical device according to claim 1, wherein a line connecting the north pole and south pole of the second permanent magnet is inclined with respect to a radial direction centered on the central axis. A shaft member extending along the central axis;
2. The rotary electric machine of claim 1 , further comprising: a first resilient member supporting at least one end of said shaft member. A shaft member extending along the central axis;
2. The rotary electric machine according to claim 1 , further comprising: a weight provided on an upper portion of said shaft member in a vertical direction. A shaft member extending along the central axis;
A housing provided around the rotor;
2. The rotary electric device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of second elastic members connecting said housing and said shaft member. A rotating electrical machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ;
at least one third permanent magnet fixed to the rotor;
a coil disposed opposite the third permanent magnet in a direction along the central axis.

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