A rotor for a rotating electric machine has interference and lightening holes. The rotor includes a shaft and a rotor iron core. The shaft is press fitted in the rotor iron core. The rotor iron core includes a shaft hole, an outer area, an inner area in which the shaft is press fitted, a plurality of ribs connecting the outer area and the inner area. Each of the ribs includes a plurality of outer rib joints adjacent to the outer area, a plurality of outer rib portions adjacent to the outer area, a plurality of inner rib joints adjacent to the inner area, and a plurality of inner rib portions adjacent to the inner area. The outer rib portions are connected to the inner rib portions and the total number of the inner rib joints is larger than that of the outer rib joints.

A rotation-detecting apparatus includes the following: a rotor coil provided on a rotor; detection coils provided on stators; a control circuit that detects the relative rotational angle between the rotor and the stators by processing detection signals induced in the detection coils as a result of the rotor coil being excited by an excitation signal; and a communicating means for performing data communication with an external device. The control circuit in the rotation-detecting apparatus has functionality whereby a switch signal that turns on and off at preset rotational angles is outputted on the basis of the aforementioned detection signals. Also, the control circuit is designed such that the set rotational angles for the aforementioned switch signal can be changed by the external device via the abovementioned communicating means.

A rotor for an electric machine having posts extending partially or completely between end irons. Each end iron is formed of a single piece of magnetic material with the posts extending from it, including the other end iron where the posts extend completely between them. Magnets are arranged between the posts with poles facing the posts to concentrate flux. In order to prevent too much of the flux from being drawn into flux paths through the end irons, the total magnetic flux is made to exceed a saturation flux of at least a portion of the flux path. This may be achieved by using interdigitated posts extending only partially between the end irons to provide gaps in the flux path, by providing flux resistors in the end irons to reduce a saturation flux below the total flux, or by using high aspect ratio magnets or posts so that the magnetic flux exceeds a saturation flux of the posts or end irons.

A rotor for an electric machine having posts extending partially or completely between end irons. Each end iron is formed of a single piece of magnetic material with the posts extending from it, including the other end iron where the posts extend completely between them. Magnets are arranged between the posts with poles facing the posts to concentrate flux. In order to prevent too much of the flux from being drawn into flux paths through the end irons, the total magnetic flux is made to exceed a saturation flux of at least a portion of the flux path. This may be achieved by using interdigitated posts extending only partially between the end irons to provide gaps in the flux path, by providing flux resistors in the end irons to reduce a saturation flux below the total flux, or by using high aspect ratio magnets or posts so that the magnetic flux exceeds a saturation flux of the posts or end irons.

An electric machine may include a rotor defining a cavity containing a magnet, an outer periphery and a top bridge therebetween. The top bridge defines at least two segments. Each of the segments has a width that is minimum closest to a Q-axis, is maximum closest to a D-axis, and monotonically increases from the minimum to the maximum such that during operation a rate of change of rotor magnetomotive force associated with each segment differs.

A rotor includes a unitary, single material substrate defining a rotor lamination having pockets defining legs and configured to contain permanent magnets therein to establish a magnetic pole of the rotor. The rotor includes a first region having a predefined magnetic permeability. The rotor includes a second region defined between the legs and an outer periphery of the lamination. The second region has a magnetic permeability less than the first region to reduce torque ripple of a predetermined harmonic order.

A laminated core includes: a laminate in which 1.sup.st to N.sup.th (N is a natural number of two or more) core members are laminated in this order; and a distinguishing mark formed with a marking that is placed on a peripheral surface of the laminate so as to be continuously positioned over all of the 1.sup.st to N.sup.th core members.

An electric machine comprising a first carrier having an array of electromagnetic elements and a second carrier having electromagnetic elements defining magnetic poles, the second carrier being arranged to move relative to the first carrier. An airgap is provided between the first carrier and the second carrier. The electromagnetic elements of the first carrier include posts, with slots between the posts, one or more electric conductors in each slot, the posts of the first carrier having a post height in mm. The first carrier and the second carrier together define a size of the electric machine. The magnetic poles having a pole pitch in mm. The size of the motor, pole pitch and post height are selected to fall within a region in a space defined by size, pole pitch and post height that provides a benefit in terms of force or torque per weight per excitation level.

A rotor for an electric machine having posts extending partially or completely between end irons. Each end iron is formed of a single piece of magnetic material with the posts extending from it, including the other end iron where the posts extend completely between them. Magnets are arranged between the posts with poles facing the posts to concentrate flux. In order to prevent too much of the flux from being drawn into flux paths through the end irons, the total magnetic flux is made to exceed a saturation flux of at least a portion of the flux path. This may be achieved by using interdigitated posts extending only partially between the end irons to provide gaps in the flux path, by providing flux resistors in the end irons to reduce a saturation flux below the total flux, or by using high aspect ratio magnets or posts so that the magnetic flux exceeds a saturation flux of the posts or end irons.

A rotary generator comprising: at least one magnetic annulus pair comprising a first magnetic annulus and a second magnetic annulus with a gap therebetween; a coil annulus in the gap; the first and second magnetic annuli and the coil annulus having a common axis; the first and second magnetic annuli of the at least one magnetic annulus pair each having: a sequence of principle permanent magnets spaced around the common axis with alternating north and south poles facing the gap, corresponding principle permanent magnets of the first and second magnetic annuli of a magnetic annulus pair, with unlike poles facing the gap, facing each other across the gap such that lines of magnetic flux cross the gap between the corresponding principle permanent magnets, and a sequence of intermediate permanent magnets, each of the intermediate permanent magnets being positioned between two of the principle permanent magnets, each intermediate permanent magnet having adjacent the gap a north pole facing a side of the principle permanent magnet of the two principle permanent magnets having a north pole facing the gap and each intermediate permanent magnet having adjacent the gap a south pole facing a side of the principle permanent magnet of the two principle permanent magnets with a south pole facing the gap, the coil annulus having a sequence of coils arranged around the common axis such that the lines of magnetic flux cut the turns of the coils and thus induce electric currents in the coils as the magnetic annuli are caused to rotate relative to the coil annulus, wherein the first and second magnetic annuli of the at least one magnetic annulus pair each further comprise a backing plate of ferromagnetic material, the principle permanent magnets being positioned between the backing plate and the gap and mounted to the backing plate such that adjacent principle permanent magnets are magnetically coupled to one another through the backing plate.