An electrical synchronous machine is provided for a rail-free vehicle. The vehicle has drive wheels and the synchronous machine is designed to generate a torque, which propels the vehicle, at the drive wheels. The synchronous machine has a stator and a rotor which rotates around the stator, wherein the stator has a stator winding of at least three-phase construction for forming a rotating stator magnetic field, and wherein the rotor has at least one rotor winding which is designed for forming a rotor magnetic field. A method for at least partially circumferentially establishing a current-excited synchronous machine provides a rotor yoke, provides a large number of rotor poles, fastens the rotor poles to the rotor yoke for forming a rotor, provides a stator, and inserts the stator into the rotor.

A cycloidal reluctance machine includes a stator surrounding a rotor. Stator windings and rotor windings form respective concentric rotor and stator electromagnets. The rotor is eccentrically positioned with respect to the stator to move with two degrees of freedom (2DOF), including rotating motion about a rotary axis of the rotor and orbiting motion about a center axis of the stator. A rotor constraint mechanism (RCM) constrains motion of the rotor, such that the rotor is able to generate and transmit output torque to a coupled load in at least one of the 2DOF. A magnetic field polarity of stator poles and/or rotor poles of the respective stator and rotor changes over one electrical cycle of the polyphase voltage. The coupled load may be a drive axle of a vehicle in some embodiments. In others, the stator and rotor windings are driven via different power inverters.

A cycloidal reluctance machine includes a stator surrounding a rotor. Stator windings and rotor windings form respective concentric rotor and stator electromagnets. The rotor is eccentrically positioned with respect to the stator to move with two degrees of freedom (2DOF), including rotating motion about a rotary axis of the rotor and orbiting motion about a center axis of the stator. A rotor constraint mechanism (RCM) constrains motion of the rotor, such that the rotor is able to generate and transmit output torque to a coupled load in at least one of the 2DOF. A magnetic field polarity of stator poles and/or rotor poles of the respective stator and rotor changes over one electrical cycle of the polyphase voltage. The coupled load may be a drive axle of a vehicle in some embodiments. In others, the stator and rotor windings are driven via different power inverters.

A cycloidal reluctance machine includes a stator surrounding a rotor. Stator windings and rotor windings form respective concentric rotor and stator electromagnets. The rotor is eccentrically positioned with respect to the stator to move with two degrees of freedom (2DOF), including rotating motion about a rotary axis of the rotor and orbiting motion about a center axis of the stator. A rotor constraint mechanism (RCM) constrains motion of the rotor, such that the rotor is able to generate and transmit output torque to a coupled load in at least one of the 2DOF. A magnetic field polarity of stator poles and/or rotor poles of the respective stator and rotor changes over one electrical cycle of the polyphase voltage. The coupled load may be a drive axle of a vehicle in some embodiments. In others, the stator and rotor windings are driven via different power inverters.

A cycloidal reluctance machine includes a stator surrounding a rotor. Stator windings and rotor windings form respective concentric rotor and stator electromagnets. The rotor is eccentrically positioned with respect to the stator to move with two degrees of freedom (2DOF), including rotating motion about a rotary axis of the rotor and orbiting motion about a center axis of the stator. A rotor constraint mechanism (RCM) constrains motion of the rotor, such that the rotor is able to generate and transmit output torque to a coupled load in at least one of the 2DOF. A magnetic field polarity of stator poles and/or rotor poles of the respective stator and rotor changes over one electrical cycle of the polyphase voltage. The coupled load may be a drive axle of a vehicle in some embodiments. In others, the stator and rotor windings are driven via different power inverters.

Unique systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of exciterless synchronous machines are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a fractional slot synchronous machine comprising a rotor including a first pole pair including a first pole including a first plurality of slots having a first center point and arranged on a first outer surface in a slot pattern; a second pole pair including a second pole including a second plurality of slots having a second center point and arranged on a second outer surface in the slot pattern; energy harvest windings arranged in a winding pattern within a portion of the first plurality of slots and arranged in the same winding pattern within a portion of the second plurality of slots, the energy harvest winding being structured to receive a harmonic power from the stator; and a rectifier structured to receive the harmonic power from the energy harvest winding.

A synchronous machine (100) has a frame (110), a shaft (115), a main section (120), and an exciter section (125). The main section (120) has a stator winding (130) which is mounted on the frame, and a rotor winding (135) which is mounted on the shaft. The exciter section has a transformer (140) and a rectifier (145). The transformer has a primary winding (140A) mounted on the frame and a secondary winding (140B) mounted on the shaft. The rectifier is mounted on the shaft and rectifies an output of the secondary winding to provide a rectified output to the rotor. A control unit (170) provides a high-frequency control signal to the primary winding. This signal is magnetically coupled to the secondary winding, rectified, and then applied to the rotor to control the operation of the synchronous machine.

A synchronous machine (100) has a frame (110), a shaft (115), a main section (120), and an exciter section (125). The main section (120) has a stator winding (130) which is mounted on the frame, and a rotor winding (135) which is mounted on the shaft. The exciter section has a transformer (140) and a rectifier (145). The transformer has a primary winding (140A) mounted on the frame and a secondary winding (140B) mounted on the shaft. The rectifier is mounted on the shaft and rectifies an output of the secondary winding to provide a rectified output to the rotor. A control unit (170) provides a high-frequency control signal to the primary winding. This signal is magnetically coupled to the secondary winding, rectified, and then applied to the rotor to control the operation of the synchronous machine.

An actuator assembly includes an electric motor including a rotor assembly and a stator assembly configured to be actuated to cause the rotor assembly to rotate based on an amount of magnetic flux in the rotor assembly is disclosed. The assembly also includes a controllable magnetic device coupled to the rotor assembly, an actuator coupled to the rotor assembly; and a controller configured to apply electric current to the controllable magnetic device to adjust an amount of torque provided by the electric motor by adjusting the magnetic flux in the rotor assembly.

An actuator assembly includes an electric motor including a rotor assembly and a stator assembly configured to be actuated to cause the rotor assembly to rotate based on an amount of magnetic flux in the rotor assembly is disclosed. The assembly also includes a controllable magnetic device coupled to the rotor assembly, an actuator coupled to the rotor assembly; and a controller configured to apply electric current to the controllable magnetic device to adjust an amount of torque provided by the electric motor by adjusting the magnetic flux in the rotor assembly.