A permanent magnet electric machine (PM machine) includes a rotor with rotatable magnets and a stator defining an air gap with the rotor. An actuator rotates the rotatable magnets at predetermined operating points through an angular distance sufficient for changing magnetic pole orientations of the rotatable magnets, and thus modifies magnetic flux linkage with stator windings across the air gap. Fixed magnets may be arranged around a circumference of the rotor. The actuator may be actively or passively driven. Flux-shunting elements are optionally disposed in the rotor to further modify the flux linkage. A gear set connected to torque transfer elements may be driven by the actuator to rotate the rotatable magnets. A vehicle includes drive wheels, a transmission, and the PM machine. A method controls magnetic flux linkage in the PM machine noted above.

A retarder-equipped rotating electrical machine includes a rotor, a stator, and a retarder rotor. The stator has teeth at regular intervals in a circumferential direction. One ends of the teeth are disposed to face the rotor. The retarder rotor has a magnetic member continuously in the circumferential direction. The retarder rotor is disposed to face the other ends of the teeth of the stator and configured to rotate integrally with the rotor. A rotor-to-stator pole piece portion having pole pieces at regular intervals in the circumferential direction is disposed between the rotor and the stator. A stator-to-retarder rotor pole piece portion having pole pieces at regular intervals in the circumferential direction is disposed between the stator and the retarder rotor. Both pole piece portions are moved in the circumferential direction to switch between an operation as a motor or generator and an operation as a retarder.

An electromagnetic energy converter includes: a conducting coil; a main magnet in an inner space V formed by the conducting coil, retaining structure allowing the main magnet to rotate about an axis YY′ between two stable equilibrium positions; a first actuator magnet and a second actuator magnet disposed facing the first end and the second end respectively, the first and second actuator magnets being arranged to slide simultaneously in the same direction and parallel to the main axis XX′ once a force is exerted on either one of the first or second magnets.

The electric machine includes a rotor and a stator, wherein the stator has stator coils, each with a coil core. The electric machine additionally includes an error-recovery device configured to change a magnetic flux coupling of coil cores with one another by a flux conducting element. The hybrid electric aircraft is a hybrid electric airplane, in particular, and the hybrid electric aircraft has such an electric machine.

A hybrid drive system can include a shaft, an electrical machine comprising a rotor and a stator, and a mechanical disconnect system connecting the rotor to the shaft. The mechanical disconnect system is configured to mechanically connect the rotor to the shaft in a first state and to mechanically disconnect the rotor from the shaft in a second state such that rotor does not drive the shaft or such that the rotor is not driven by the shaft. The rotor can be a permanent magnet rotor, for example.

The present invention relates to a rotor (1) for an electrical machine having N primary magnetic poles (13) and N secondary magnetic poles (14). the poles are flux barriers having opening angles (θ1, θ2, θ3) for the poles to be asymmetrical. The invention further relates to an electrical machine comprising such a rotor.

A permanent magnet electric machine (PM machine) for a vehicle or other system includes a rotor assembly, fixed permanent magnets, a stator, an actuator, and one or more repositionable/moveable flux-shunting elements. The flux-shunting element is repositioned to control flux at specific operating points of the PM machine. The rotor assembly has a rotor coaxially surrounding and coupled to a rotor shaft. The permanent magnets are mounted to or in the rotor, and the moveable flux-shunting element is positioned between the rotor shaft and a respective one of the permanent magnets. Inboard and outboard ends of each respective permanent magnet may be oriented toward the rotor shaft and stator, respectively. The actuator selectively positions the moveable flux-shunting element at one or more operating points of the PM machine to vary reluctance in a magnetic circuit formed by the stator and rotor assembly.

A motor may include a shield member that screens a magnetic field between a stator and a rotor, and a moving member that controls a position of the shield member in response to an electromagnetic interaction with the stator such that the screening of the magnetic field is configured to be selectively performed. The motor may prevent a generation of a counter electromotive force or regenerative braking.

The present invention relates to a rotor (1) for an electric machine consisting of N primary magnetic poles (13) and N secondary magnetic poles (14), said poles consisting themselves of flux barriers (9, 10, 11) separated from axial housings (6) by magnetic bridges (19, 20, 21). According to the invention, on either side of axial housings (6), magnetic bridges (19, 20, 21) are aligned in a straight line, forming an angle α1 for primary magnetic poles (13) and an angle α2 for secondary magnetic poles (14) with respect to a radial direction, in such a way that α2=α1+1±0.5.

The invention further relates to an electric machine comprising such a rotor.

An electric machine includes a rotor including a channel defined between a pair of magnets and a bridge assembly within the channel. The bridge assembly includes a bridge element and a spring arranged to bias the bridge element toward a center of the rotor such that responsive to spinning of the rotor, the bridge element moves radially away from the center against a force of the spring to alter a magnetic flux pattern associated with the magnets.