A motor includes a stator, a rotor, a case, and back-surface magnet portions. The rotor has a first rotor core, a second rotor core and a field magnet. Each of the first and second rotor cores has a core base and claw-shaped magnetic poles. The field magnet is sandwiched between the first rotor core and the second rotor core and causes the claw-shaped magnetic poles of the first rotor core and the second rotor core to function as different magnetic poles. The back-surface magnet portions include a second and a first back-surface magnet portions respectively provided on the back surfaces of the claw-shaped magnetic poles of the second rotor core and the first rotor core. Size of the second back-surface magnet portion differs from size of the first back-surface magnet portion are different from each other.

The method according to the invention involves a hot-forging step and a cold-forging step that occurs after the hot-forging step. A polar wheel (10, 11) incorporating a plurality of finite chamfers (102) formed on exterior parts of the polar teeth (10g, 11g) is produced during the hot-forging step. According to the invention, the cold-forging step involves substeps of placing the polar wheel in a die, cold die-stamping the polar wheel with a first and a second blow in the axial direction of the polar wheel, upsetting material onto interior parts of the polar teeth (10g, 11g) so as to form magnet-housing grooves (100) and magnet lips (101).

An alternating current generator for vehicles includes a stator, a rotor having a Lundell type core and a magnetic field winding, first and second cooling fans which are fixed to an axial end surface of the Lundell type core and generate cooling air along with the rotation of the rotor, and a fan base which is disposed between the second cooling fan and the Lundell type core and regulates the cooling air. The Lundell type core includes a plurality of U-shaped clearances formed in the outer periphery of the axial end surface being circumferentially spaced apart from each other. The fan base includes a plurality of alternately and circumferentially disposed large-diameter portions and small-diameter portions, with at least one of the small-diameter portions being disposed axially confronting a U-shaped clearance.

A rotor for a rotating electric machine includes a field core having a plurality of claw-shaped magnetic pole portions, a field coil wound on the field core, and a hollow cylindrical core member disposed to cover radially outer peripheries of the claw-shaped magnetic pole portions of the field core. The core member is formed of a plurality of soft-magnetic bodies that are laminated in an axial direction of the core member. At least some of the soft-magnetic bodies forming the core member are fixed to one another by at least one staking portion that is formed along the axial direction of the core member.

A salient pole machine (30) comprises a rotor (20) rotating about a machine axis, said rotor (20) having at its circumference a rotor rim (21) with a predetermined outer radius (29), whereby a plurality of salient poles (22), each extending in radial direction, is attached to said rotor (20) at said rotor rim (21) at a respective pole-rim interface (24).

The mechanical properties of the configuration are improved by providing at said pole-rim interface (24) a plurality of axial rib-like rim extensions (25) projecting radially from said rotor rim (28) with a predetermined circumferential distance (d) between neighboring rim extensions (25), by each salient pole (22) having a plurality of axial pole grooves (26) matching and receiving said rib-like rim extensions (25) at the respective pole-rim interface (24), and by providing fixing elements (27) to fix said rib-like rim extensions (25) in said pole grooves (26).

In a rotor for a rotary electric machine, a claw pole assembly includes first claw poles and second claw poles. An annular cover member covers the outer circumferential surfaces of the first and second claw poles. The pole cover segments and the inter-pole cover segments are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the rotor. Each of the pole cover segments has a circular-arc shape around a first center, and each of the inter-pole cover segments has a circular-arc shape around a second center different from the first center. The first circumferential width of each pole cover segment and the second circumferential width of a corresponding one of the inter-pole segment adjacent to the pole cover segment have a predetermined ratio. The predetermined ratio varies in an axial direction of the rotor.

Provided is a drive control device including: a DC voltage source; an inverter configured to switch a switching element, to thereby apply a drive voltage to a rotary electric machine to cause a drive current to flow through the rotary electric machine; and a control unit configured to: control an output voltage of the DC voltage source; and perform control of causing, based on a torque command value for the rotary electric machine, a drive current to flow through the switching element in a first control mode, in which a drive current having a value equal to or smaller than a first current limit value is caused to flow, and a second control mode, in which a drive current having a value larger than the first current limit value is caused to flow.

A method for starting up a rotor of a single-phase claw-pole motor, wherein the claw-pole motor comprises a permanently excited rotor which executes a movement in a running direction in nominal operation, an electronically commutated stator and a Hall sensor for determining the relative rotor position, wherein the method comprises the steps of generating a pulse for moving the rotor in the direction opposite to the running direction by energizing a stator winding on the basis of an inverted Hall sensor signal; and starting up the rotor for movement in the running direction by energizing a stator winding on the basis of a Hall sensor signal.

In a rotating electric machine, a rotor includes a field core, a field coil and permanent magnets. The field core has a boss portion and claw-shaped magnetic pole portions. Each of the permanent magnets is arranged between one circumferentially-adjacent pair of the claw-shaped magnetic pole portions. A d-axis magnetic circuit and a magnet magnetic circuit share a magnetic path in at least parts thereof. Along the d-axis magnetic circuit, magnetic flux generated by the magnetomotive force of the field coil flows through the boss portion, one pair of the claw-shaped magnetic pole portions and a stator core. Along the magnet magnetic circuit, magnetic flux generated by the magnetic force of a corresponding one of the permanent magnets flows. The relationship of Ast>Af is satisfied, where Ast is a magnetic path cross-sectional area of a stator and Af is a magnetic path cross-sectional area of the rotor.

A vehicle brushless alternator assembly comprising: a claw pole rotor assembly having a pair of opposing pole pieces, the rotor defining an axis of rotation, each of the pole pieces having a plurality of circumferentially spaced pole fingers extending axially, the pole fingers of the rotor alternating between north and south magnetic polarities upon energization of the field coil; a cylindrical stator comprising armature enveloping the magnetic claw poles, the stator arranged coaxially relative to the drive shaft; a field coil structured to be positioned coaxially within an internal cavity of said rotor to arrange the field coil in a spaced apart relationship relative to internal walls defining the internal cavity of the said rotor; and a housing assembly surrounding said cylindrical stator with the drive shaft being supported by the housing assembly wherein the field coil is fixedly mounted to the housing assembly.