A stepper motor comprising: a stator and a rotor; a plurality of N greater than two electromagnets mounted to the stator or to the rotor, each of the electromagnets comprising a core having at least one contact surface, wherein the at least one contact surface of any of the cores is rotatable about a same first axis of rotation with a same first radius of rotation into substantial congruence with at least a portion of the at least one contact surface of any other of the electromagnet cores; and a coupling of the rotor to the stator configured to enable rotation of the rotor and contact of the stator and rotor along at least one contact surface during operation of the motor.

A bearingless motor includes a rotor, a stator for applying support force and torque to the rotor, and a first displacement sensor and a second displacement sensor for detecting a radial position of the rotor. The stator includes a motor winding for generating a magnetic flux having p poles to produce the torque, and a support winding for generating a magnetic flux having p?2 poles or two poles to produce the support force. The first displacement sensor and the second displacement sensor are disposed at positions axially different from each other.

An electric motor is provided, comprising: a first magnetic component, a second magnetic component, and a circuit configured to electromagnetically activate at least one of the first magnetic component and the second magnetic component. The electromagnetic activation causes a change in a gap between the first magnetic component and the second magnetic component, the change in the gap resulting in rotation of at least one of the first magnetic component and the second magnetic component.

A wobble plate drive system may include a stator having a central axis and a plurality of stator teeth disposed on an inner cylindrical surface. The system may further include a wobble plate having a wobble axis disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the central axis, an outer cylindrical surface, and an upper annular surface. A plurality of wobble teeth may be disposed on the outer cylindrical surface and a plurality of face teeth may be disposed on the upper annular surface. The system may further include an output gear having an output axis substantially aligned with the central axis and a lower annular surface. A plurality of output teeth may be disposed on the lower annular surface. The wobble plate may be configured to rotate, the plurality of wobble teeth may be configured to engage with the plurality of stator teeth, and the plurality of face teeth may be configured to engage with the plurality of output teeth as the wobble plate nutates around the stator.

A stator assembly for an electric motor includes a drive plate, a first magnetic core and a second magnetic core. A first core slot is formed in the first magnetic core and a second slot is formed in the second magnetic core. The first and second magnetic cores each include two elongated members joined at one end by a base member which are defined by the respective core slots. The two elongated members extend from the base member substantially parallel to each other toward the drive plate. A stator coil is wound through the first core slot and the second core slot. An electrical current flowing in the stator coil generates a magnetic field about the stator coil that is absorbed by the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core to generate a magnetic flux in each of the magnetic cores that magnetically attracts the drive plate.

A method and apparatus for operating a reluctance motor. The apparatus comprises a stator and a rotor device. The stator comprises a first stator component and a second stator component. The first stator component has at least three poles. The second stator component has at least three corresponding poles. The at least three poles and the at least three corresponding poles form pole pairs. The rotor device is positioned between the first stator component and the second stator component. The rotor device has two rotor poles.

A mechanical virtual elliptical drive, including an input motor, a wobble plate, a stator gear, and an output plate. The input motor may have a rotation axis, a substantially flat surface, and a rounded protrusion extending from the flat surface. The wobble plate may have a wobble axis disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the rotation axis. The rounded protrusion of the motor may engage a substantially flat face of the wobble plate, thereby causing the wobble plate to nutate around the stator gear.

A method and apparatus for operating a reluctance motor. The apparatus comprises a stator and a plate. The stator includes a plurality of electromagnetic coils having an overlapped configuration. Applying multi-phase current to the plurality of electromagnetic coils generates a magnetic field. The plate forms a virtual pole when a portion of the plate contacts the stator in response to the magnetic field. Rotating the magnetic field about a center axis through the stator rotates the virtual pole about the center axis.

A stator assembly for an electric motor includes a drive plate, a first magnetic core and a second magnetic core. A first core slot is formed in the first magnetic core and a second slot is formed in the second magnetic core. The first and second magnetic cores each include two elongated members joined at one end by a base member which are defined by the respective core slots. The two elongated members extend from the base member substantially parallel to each other toward the drive plate. A stator coil is wound through the first core slot and the second core slot. An electrical current flowing in the stator coil generates a magnetic field about the stator coil that is absorbed by the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core to generate a magnetic flux in each of the magnetic cores that magnetically attracts the drive plate.

A magnetic driver generates a magnetic field that rotates about an axis and induces nutation in a disc with an array of magnets (wobble plate). The magnetic driver can be a drive disc with an array of magnets and rotated by a drive motor, or can be electromagnetic coils sequentially energized, to provide the rotating magnetic field. The wobble plate nutates about the axis of the rotating magnetic field but is constrained from rotating about the axis. The wobble plate can be enclosed in a pump housing where nutation of the wobble plate causes pumping of a fluid to occur, such as in an implanted Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) or a Total Artificial Heart (TAH). Driven in reverse, an input pumping fluid may induce nutation of the wobble plate which in turn induces rotary motion of a drive disc that drives a generator or a motor/generator.