A method of operating an electric or hybrid system comprising a synchronous reluctance electric motor coupled to an electric or hybrid powertrain is described herein. The method comprises determining (i) a torque demand required of the electric motor and (ii) a speed of rotation of the rotor of the electric motor, and storing kinetic energy in a rotor of the electric motor from the powertrain in response to at least one of (i) the determined torque demand falling below a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor being below a selected rotor speed threshold. The method further comprises operating the electric motor by powering the electric motor with electricity to deliver energy to the powertrain in response to at least one of: (i) the determined torque demand rising above a selected torque demand threshold and (ii) the speed of the rotor falling below a selected rotor speed threshold.

A rotary electrical machine including an annular stator having a stator core around which an armature winding is wound, and a rotor arranged on an inner circumference of the stator, a permeance of a q-axis magnetic circuit is made larger than a permeance of a d-axis magnetic circuit. The machine includes a switch for supplying power to a field winding and controller. The controller calculates the duty ratio on the condition that an upper limit of the duty ratio of the switch is a predetermined value and turns on/off the switch based on the calculated ratio. The predetermined value is set to a value larger than the duty ratio corresponding to the field current that gives the maximum reduction amount of the inductance of the field winding with respect to an increasing amount of the field current in a range that the current can take and is less than 100%.

A rotary electrical machine including an annular stator having a stator core around which an armature winding is wound, and a rotor arranged on an inner circumference of the stator, a permeance of a q-axis magnetic circuit is made larger than a permeance of a d-axis magnetic circuit. The machine includes a switch for supplying power to a field winding and controller. The controller calculates the duty ratio on the condition that an upper limit of the duty ratio of the switch is a predetermined value and turns on/off the switch based on the calculated ratio. The predetermined value is set to a value larger than the duty ratio corresponding to the field current that gives the maximum reduction amount of the inductance of the field winding with respect to an increasing amount of the field current in a range that the current can take and is less than 100%.

Improved apparatuses and methods of returning magnetic energy of a motor to the motor system. Improved battery systems and configurations are disclosed to enhance recovery of magnetic energy of a motor, to enhance motor efficiency. A power source has a first pole and a second pole. A phase coil is configured to receive electrical energy from the power source to form a magnetic field for imparting motion to a rotor. A battery has a first pole and a second pole, the first pole of the battery configured to receive energy of the magnetic field of the phase coil, the second pole of the battery being coupled to the first pole of the power source and having a polarity that is opposite a polarity of the first pole of the power source.

A rotary electrical machine including an annular stator having a stator core around which an armature winding is wound, and a rotor arranged on an inner circumference of the stator, a permeance of a q-axis magnetic circuit is made larger than a permeance of a d-axis magnetic circuit. The machine includes a switch for supplying power to a field winding and controller. The controller calculates the duty ratio on the condition that an upper limit of the duty ratio of the switch is a predetermined value and turns on/off the switch based on the calculated ratio. The predetermined value is set to a value larger than the duty ratio corresponding to the field current that gives the maximum reduction amount of the inductance of the field winding with respect to an increasing amount of the field current in a range that the current can take and is less than 100%.

A rotor for an electrical machine includes a rotor body and an axis of revolution which extends in an axial direction and about which the rotor body is rotatable. The rotor further includes an outer casing surface which delimits the rotor body, at least one pole arrangement, and a movement mechanism for the at least one pole arrangement. The movement mechanism is designed such that the at least one pole arrangement is movable about a rotation axis which is oriented substantially parallel to the axis of revolution of the rotor. The at least one pole arrangement is also movable about the rotation axis in addition to rotation about the axis of revolution of the rotor.

An electric machine includes a stator, a rotor, and magnets. The stator includes multiple flux members having ferrous material. The rotor is configured to rotate relative to the stator and spaced from the stator by an air gap. The magnets are rigidly mounted to the flux members of the stator. At least a first magnet and a second magnet of the magnets includes an elongated axis parallel to a radius of the rotor and a minor axis perpendicular to the elongated axis, and a first pole of the first magnet having a first polarity and positioned along the minor axis to face a first pole of the second magnet having the first polarity.

An electric machine includes a stator, a rotor, and magnets. The stator includes multiple flux members having ferrous material. The rotor is configured to rotate relative to the stator and spaced from the stator by an air gap. The magnets are rigidly mounted to the flux members of the stator. At least a first magnet and a second magnet of the magnets includes an elongated axis parallel to a radius of the rotor and a minor axis perpendicular to the elongated axis, and a first pole of the first magnet having a first polarity and positioned along the minor axis to face a first pole of the second magnet having the first polarity.

A circuit for recapturing magnetic energy is provided. When a magnet approaches a coil, a switching circuit may activate an electrical path to direct current from a power source through the coil. When the magnet moves away from the coil, the switching circuit may deactivate the electrical path to substantially decrease current from the power source to the coil, a magnetic field induced in the coil may at least partially collapse, and energy from the at least partially collapsing magnetic field may be captured in the storage device, charging the storage device.

A circuit for recapturing magnetic energy is provided. When a magnet approaches a coil, a switching circuit may activate an electrical path to direct current from a power source through the coil. When the magnet moves away from the coil, the switching circuit may deactivate the electrical path to substantially decrease current from the power source to the coil, a magnetic field induced in the coil may at least partially collapse, and energy from the at least partially collapsing magnetic field may be captured in the storage device, charging the storage device.