WO2009022363A1

WO2009022363A1 - Permanent magnet motor

Info

Publication number: WO2009022363A1
Application number: PCT/IT2007/000687
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giuseppe Dell'anna Muia
Original assignee: Dell'anna Muia S.U.R.L.
Priority date: 2007-08-10
Filing date: 2007-10-02
Publication date: 2009-02-19

Abstract

The present invention refers to an engine (1) with magnets (permanent ones-6- and/or electromagnets-8) suitable for production of mechanical power available to a power takeoff, by way of example and not for limitative purposes, on a driving shaft. The engine (1) subject-matter of the present invention, by exploiting the properties of permanent magnets 6, requires no use of fuels.

Description

PERMANENT MAGNET MOTOR

DESCRIPTION

The present invention refers to an engine with permanent magnets and electromagnets, suitable for production of mechanical power available to a power takeoff, by way of example and not for limitative purposes, on a driving shaft .

Background of the Invention

In the current state of the art several engine typologies are known. Thereamong, in particular, thermal engines are the ones most used, e.g. in the automotive field. They may be of a driven or spontaneous ignition type, two- or four-stroke.

Their operation is obviously subjected to the laws of thermodynamics, and therefore they are apt to provide mechanical power by converting the chemical energy contained in a fuel employed. Fuel burning causes its expansion inside a cylinder, thereby producing a thrust on a piston. The piston motion thus produced, made a reciprocating motion by means of known mechanical contrivances, is transferred to a driving shaft connected with the wheels of the motor vehicle.

Drawbacks of the Prior Art Fuels most used today consist of hydrocarbons and are petroleum derivatives. The most known ones are gas (petrol), gas oil, methane and LPG.

The use of said fuels for thermal engine operation entails many drawbacks, like, e.g., environmental pollution. In particular, produced pollution involves not only the fuel-burning stage and the subsequent exhausting of fumes into the environment, but also the fuel extraction and transport stage, as well as its treatment in refineries.

Moreover, it is known that the efficiency of known-art engines is particularly low, above all owing to the ineffectiveness of the combustion process.

On top of that, a considerable increase of fuel purchase costs has been recorded over the years, costs ever-less sustainable by an average consumer.

Anyhow, said fuels constitute a non-renewable energy source, above all destined to run out.

Summary of the Invention

Hence, the technical problem set and solved by the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the known art. Such a problem is solved by an engine according to claim 1.

Preferred features of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims reported hereinafter.

The engine subject-matter of the present invention converts magnetic energy present in permanent magnets and in electromagnets, to provide a motive power available on a driving shaft.

In particular, the magnetic engine subject-matter of the present invention comprises means for generating and switching a magnetic field associated to an electromagnet or a permanent magnet in order to produce, as it will be better explained hereinafter in the present description, a reciprocating motion of pistons that, by way of example and not for limitative purposes, subsequently set in motion a driving shaft, thereby making mechanical power available thereon.

In particular, hereinafter the magnetic engine subject-matter of the present invention will be disclosed in two preferred embodiments thereof, both pertaining to the same inventive principle.

Hereinafter, there will be reported some technical information useful to an understanding of the present patent application.

A magnet, as it is known, can be of 'permanent' or 'induced' type. In this latter case, we will be talking about an 'electromagnet'.

A permanent magnet needs no external incitement to generate the magnetic field. It may form naturally in some rocks, but may also be artificially created.

An electromagnet is an electrotechnical member consisting of a core of ferromagnetic material (usually soft iron) onto which it is wound a solenoid, i.e. a coil having a plurality of turns of conductive material (customarily, copper is used). Unlike the permanent magnet, it generates the magnetic field when said turns are crossed by an electric current. It is in every respect equivalent to the magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet, with the sole difference that the magnetic field intensity produced by the electromagnet is adjustable by suitably adjusting the current intensity inside of the solenoid, whereas for the permanent magnet the magnetic field produced is not modifiable.

All magnets exhibit a 'North' and a 'South' pole: conventionally, the North pole constitutes the magnet end from which force lines exit, whereas the South pole constitutes the end thereof into which said force lines enter. In fact, as it is certainly known to a person skilled in the art, the magnetic force field exhibits a 'solenoid-like' pattern. Thus, when e.g. the South poles of two magnets are neared, the latter will repel each other, whereas when the South pole of the one is neared to the North pole of the other one, they will attract each other. Likewise, by nearing the South pole of a magnet to the South pole of an excited electromagnet the two items will repel each other.

As the electromagnet may be 'magnetized' by an electric-type command (by letting or not letting a current flow inside of the solenoid) it is possible to 'trigger' the repulsion (or the attraction) between a magnet and an electromagnet. In a first preferred embodiment this principle is applied, by way of example and not for limitative purposes, to a traditional piston engine. In fact, by fixing on the top portion of each piston a respective permanent magnet with the top face thereof expressing, e.g., the South pole, and opposing topwise thereto an electromagnet having, the same pole (in this case the South pole) facing the permanent magnet integral to the piston, it is possible to generate the force for reciprocatingly pushing the pistons by using the repulsion forces between the magnet and the electromagnet, giving current to the electromagnet in the instant in which their maximum nearness occurs.

The current intensity sent to the electromagnet may preferably be adjusted by a potentiometer, i.e. an electrical device equivalent to a variable resistive voltage divider, which can adjust the power that is to be obtained from the electromagnet itself, in practice performing the same function that to date is performed by a fuel inletting system in present-day thermal engines.

Alternatively, as it will be shown in a second preferred embodiment, it is possible to generate the force to reciprocatingly push the pistons by using the forces exchanged by two permanent magnets. In fact, by fixing on the top portion of each piston a respective permanent magnet with the top face thereof expressing, e.g., the South pole, and opposing topwise thereto a second permanent magnet having the same pole (in this case the South pole) facing the permanent magnet integral to the piston, it is possible to trigger the desired reciprocating motion of the pistons by operating, in this case, a shielding of the magnetic fields associated thereto during the nearing motion of the two permanent magnets caused by the piston ascent, and removing said shielding in a subsequent step of moving away thereof. Hereinafter further details are given, useful to understand how a magnetic field shielding is carried out.

As it is known, to carry out a magnetic shield it is only possible to "deviate", and not nullify, the lines of a magnetic field. By suitably deviating the lines of a magnetic field, it is possible to reduce nearly all of its influence in some zones confining therewith.

By placing inside of a magnetic field developing in air, produced e.g. by a permanent magnet, a material having high magnetic permeability, the lines of the field bend so as to thicken within the medium of higher permeability. Thus, therefore, said material having high magnetic permeability performs the function of magnetic "shield".

Therefore, the alloys studied for producing magnetic shields are optimized to have a high magnetic permeability. They are fundamentally comprised of 80% Nickel, and are produced by annealing processes. To date, one of these alloys is marketed under the name "Mu-metal ®"

Advantages of the Invention

The engine subject-matter of the present invention, by overcoming the above- mentioned drawbacks related to the art, entails several evident advantages, among which the lower cost for the production of mechanical power with respect to the systems currently used. In fact, as it will be made apparent hereinafter in the present application, no use of fuel whatsoever is required; moreover, for the production of mechanical power the properties of permanent magnets are exploited.

In addition, the present invention allows to produce clean energy having zero impact on the environment, it being free from fume emission as no fuel is used. Hence, the present invention concretely contributes to abate polluting emissions of CO₂ produced by traditional energy sources currently used, in addition responsible for the hothouse effect and generally the warming of the planet.

A further advantage of the present invention lies in the fact of reaching particularly high efficiencies, not suffering from ineffectiveness of fuel combustion process. Brief Description of the Figures

Other advantages, features and the operation modes of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example and not for limitative purposes.

Reference will be made to the figures of the annexed drawings, wherein: - Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a detail of the engine subject-matter of the present invention according to a first preferred embodiment thereof;

Figures 2 and 3 show each a block diagram of the engine subject-matter of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows a schematic view of a detail of the engine subject-matter of the present invention according to a preferred embodiment thereof.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Initially referring to Figure 1 , it is schematically depicted an engine 1 , according to a first preferred embodiment. The engine 1 has one or more members 2, each of which is apt to slide with a reciprocating motion, coupled to a respective guide 3. Therefore, evidently said member could move with a reciprocating motion between two end positions, i.e. between a top dead center (TDC), and a bottom dead center (BDC).

By way of example, Figure 1 refers to the case of pistons apt to slide into corresponding cylinders and apt to transmit their reciprocating motion to a crankshaft by respective connecting rods 4, in order to make available mechanical power on said crankshaft. Technical contrivances for implementing such a kinematic motion are widely known and frequently used in the art; being deemed to be within the reach of a person skilled in the art, they will no further be delved into hereinafter. In particular, in the embodiment of the present invention, shown here by way of example and not for limitative purposes, said members 2 can be almost entirely likened to standard pistons used on present-day thermal engines. Therefore, hereinafter in the present description they will be referred to as 'pistons'. In particular, Figure 1 shows an engine having three pistons. It is understood that the engine subject-matter of the present invention in the embodiment shown herein could work even with a single piston, though preferably an even number of pistons will be used in order to increase mechanical efficiencies of the same, reducing any mechanical vibrations that would unavoidably tend to shorten its life.

Always referring to Figure 1 , each piston 2 has at least one free external surface 5, corresponding to the crown of the piston 2. On said surface 5 a first permanent magnet 6 is fixed.

Said first permanent magnet 6 is arranged in such a manner as to have a North-South polarity aligned with the direction of movement of the piston onto which it is fixed. E.g., the polarities could be arranged, by way of example, as indicated in Figure.

The engine 1 subject-matter of the present invention comprises respective means (100) for generating and switching a magnetic field internal to each guide 3. Said generating and switching means (100) comprises, in this first preferred embodiment, an electromagnet 8, said electromagnet being fixed on a closure member 7 placed substantially in correspondence of a top end of said guide 3 and made integral thereto.

Also said electromagnet 8 is arranged in such a manner as to have a North- South polarity aligned with the direction of movement of the underlying piston 2.

The engine 1 subject-matter of the present invention comprises synchronization and distribution means 11 , apt to sense the presence or the absence of each piston in the top and bottom positions in which motion is inverted, i.e. when it is at its top dead center (TDC) as well as in its bottom dead center (BDC).

Said synchronization and distribution means 11 could comprise, by way of example, a device connected with the driving shaft, apt to calculate the angular position thereof and therefore obtaining the spatial positions of each piston. Said device could comprise, by way of example and not for limitative purposes, an encoder (not shown in figure). Said encoder will not be further described hereinafter, as it is well known in the state of the art.

Alternatively, said synchronization means could comprise for each piston a respective pair of position sensors 9, 10, apt to sense just the presence or the absence of the piston in the positions in which motion is inverted, i.e. when it lies in correspondence of its top dead center (TDC) and of its bottom dead center (BDC).

Said position sensors are them also known in the state of the art, therefore they will no further be delved into. Said synchronization and distribution means 11 further comprises, by way of example and not for limitative purposes, a control unit, schematically denoted in the figure by the reference number 11.

The technical contrivances for implementing such a control unit 11 are deemed within the reach of a person skilled in the art, therefore they will no further be delved into.

Each electromagnet 8 is electrically driven by said synchronization and distribution means 11 , in a manner such as to carry out just a switching of the magnetic field produced thereby.

Hereinafter, there will be illustrated the operation principle of the engine subject-matter of the present invention. When the piston 2 lies, e.g., in correspondence of its TDC, the position sensor detects its presence and sends a corresponding signal to said electronic control unit 11.

The control unit 11 then sends to the electromagnet 8 an electric current oriented in such a manner as to create a magnetic field repulsive with regard to the permanent magnet 6. Therefore, in the case described here by way of example and not for limitative purposes, said magnetic field induced in the electromagnet will have the South Pole in the direction of the piston 2.

Thus, a repulsive force is generated that pushes said piston downward. The downward motion of the piston 2, owing to how the crankshaft is made, produces the upward thrust for a next piston 2, which as soon as it is in the respective TDC position in turn triggers the production of a repulsive electric field by the respective electromagnet 8', according to the process highlighted above.

Therefore, it will be appreciated that said pistons 2 are connected by means of transmission members - in particular, in the embodiment given here by way of example and not for limitative purposes, a driving shaft - in such a manner that, reciprocatingly, at least a first one of said pistons 2 be positioned in correspondence of the bottom dead center when at least a second one of said members 2 is positioned in correspondence of the top dead center. In order to allow the ascent of the piston from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the repulsive magnetic field should necessarily be nil; this is made possible by the fact that the second sensor 10, as the piston ascends, by sensing the position of the piston in its bottom dead center (BDC) sends a signal to the control unit, which interrupts the sending of current to the electromagnet.

Therefore, said control unit has the function of synchronizing and distributing the sending of current to the various electromagnets on the basis of signals that it receives from said position sensors in order to cause the reciprocating motion of the pistons, thereby making available mechanical power on said crankshaft.

In particular, the control unit, after having received the signal from the sensor 10 (therefore at the instant in which the piston is in its bottom motion-reverting center, i.e. in its bottom dead center) can alternatively send a current signal with a sense such as to generate this time an attractive magnetic field, returning the piston toward the electromagnet 8. The present invention could work, according to the embodiment disclosed above, even in case the engine has a single piston; in such a case, the returning force pushing said piston toward the electromagnet is given by the inertia of the motor itself.

Referring to Figure 2, it is depicted a block diagram schematically denoting the operation of the engine subject-matter of the present invention. In particular, said engine 1 is apt to produce mechanical power available on said crankshaft. From the same crankshaft a fraction of the power is collected to drive an electric energy generator 12, in particular an alternator, serving as power supplier of said above-discussed synchronization and distribution means 11. Always referring to Figure 2, the engine further comprises starting means 13. Said starting means, required to give to the engine an initial acceleration, could comprise mechanical or electromechanical devices apt to allow a first rotation of the shaft.

Referring to Figure 3, an engine according to the present invention further comprises a battery 14, kept under charge by said electric energy generator 12. The battery supplies said starting means to trigger the operation process of the engine subject-matter of the present invention, and moreover provides to said synchronization means 11 the energy required in order to make said process last over time. Finally, the current sent by the control unit to the electromagnet at the instant in which the piston transits in the TDC, could alternatively be such as to generate a magnetic field attractive with regard to the permanent magnet fixed on the piston. The process is inverted with respect to the hereto-described one, yet essentially alike, with the sole difference that this time the engine in order to work should preferably comprise at least two pistons.

Referring now to Figure 4, it is shown the engine subject-matter of the present invention according to a second embodiment thereof, comprising, by way of example, two pistons.

Always referring to Figure 4, in this second preferred embodiment said generating and switching means 100 comprises for each guide 3 a respective second permanent magnet 120 integral thereto and positioned in correspondence of a top end thereof on said closure member 7. Moreover, said generating and switching means 100 comprises, always for each guide 3, a respective shielding member, apt to shield just the magnetic fields associated to said second permanent magnet 120 and to the corresponding permanent magnet 6 integral to the piston 2. Said member comprises, by way of example and not for limitative purposes, a plate denoted in Figure by number reference 105.

Said generating and switching means 100 further comprises actuating means 107, apt to reciprocatingly move said plate, as shown in Figure, between a first shielding configuration in which it is interposed between the permanent magnet 120 and the corresponding magnet 6, and a second configuration in which it does not interfere with the magnetic fields associated to said magnets.

In particular, said actuating means comprises an actuator 108, by way of example and not for limitative purposes of electromechanical type. Inside of said actuator 108 there slides at least one plunger 111 , by a prismatic-type coupling, in turn connected with said shielding plate 105 and being integral thereto.

Always referring to Figure 4, when the piston 2 lies, e.g. in correspondence of its top dead center (TDC), the synchronization and distribution means, by way of example and not for limitative purposes an encoder (not shown in Figure) detects its presence and sends a corresponding signal to the control unit. The control unit therefore controls the actuator 108 to bring the shielding plate 105 in the configuration in which it does not interact with the magnetic fields associated to the permanent magnets 120 and 6. Thus, the repulsive magnetic fields produce the movement toward the bottom dead center BDC of the piston 2.

The movement toward the bottom dead center BDC of the piston 2 produces the movement toward the top dead center TDC of a subsequent piston 2'

Likewise, when the piston 2 reaches its bottom dead center BDC, its position is detected by the synchronization and distribution means 11 , which sends a corresponding signal to the control unit. Said unit in this case controls the actuator 108 to bring the plate 105 in said shielding position, in a manner such as to allow the nearing motion of the piston 2 toward its top dead center TDC.

The constituent material of the plate 105 is such as to substantially carry out a thickening therein of the lines of the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 120, in a manner such as to shield said magnetic field from the nearing permanent magnet 6, present on the crown of the piston 2. When the piston 2 reaches the top dead center TDC, a removing of the plate from the shielding configuration restores the magnetic field produced by the magnet 120 inside of the guide 3, producing a repulsive action with regard to the piston 2.

The characteristics and peculiarities of such a material are well-known in the state of the art, therefore they will not be described hereinafter. By way of example, a type of material that might be used for this purpose is that marketed under the name "MU-metal ®".

The second embodiment described hereto has been disclosed in a version comprising, by way of example and not for limitative purposes, two pistons, but it is understood that it may comprise even one piston. It is understood that in order to improve the efficiency of the engine subject- matter of the present invention, anyhow already remarkably superior to that of thermal engines, it will be within the competence of a person skilled in the art to suitably select and size, e.g., the pistons, the electromagnets, the solenoid windings, the current intensity sent thereto, in such a manner as to keep the process operating with the highest viable efficiency, even depending on the triggering given by said starting means.

Finally, for brevity's sake, the engine subject-matter of the present invention has been described in a configuration in all similar to that employed in the operation of standard thermal engines. It goes without saying that the engine subject-matter of the present invention might take on different shapes, even by constructive processes simpler than those used for the manufacturing of present-day engines, offering a variety of solutions under several aspects: shape, number and dimensions of the reciprocally sliding members, absence of components used in thermal engines, such as carburetors, spark plugs, pipes, intake and exhaust valves, air filters, fume exhaust systems, etc.

Moreover, it is understood that the present invention refers exclusively to a power unit, operating according to the above-disclosed principles, and that may be used for the most varied purposes, from vehicle drive to generating sets, or other. Evidently, each time a person skilled in the art will complete the motion drive system with suitable known mechanisms, such as change gears, ratiomotors, reduction gear, or other.

The present invention has hereto been described with reference to two preferred embodiments thereof. It is understood that other embodiments might exist, all falling within the concept of the same invention, and all comprised within the protective scope of the claims hereinafter.

Claims

1. An engine (1) suitable for production of mechanical power available on a driving shaft, comprising at least one member (2) apt to slide with a reciprocating motion between a top dead center (TDC) and a bottom dead center (BDC), coupled to a respective guide (3), each of said at least one member (2) comprising a corresponding first permanent magnet (6), arranged in correspondence of an external surface (5) thereof, in such a manner that a 'North-South' polarity of a magnetic field associated thereto be aligned with the direction of movement of the member (2) to which it is fixed; means (100) for generating and switching a magnetic field substantially internal to said guide (3) such as to have a North-South polarity aligned with the direction of movement of the underlying member (2); synchronization and distribution means (11) apt to control said generating and switching means (100) at each invertion of the motion of the member (2), in such a manner as to generate a repulsive force on said first permanent magnet (6) during the motion of the member (2) between the top dead center (TDC) and the bottom dead center (BDC), and nullify said repulsion during a subsequent motion between the bottom dead center (BDC) and the top dead center (TDC).

2. The engine according to claim 1 , further comprising starting means (13) apt to give to the engine an initial acceleration.

3. The engine according to claim 1 or 2, comprising two or more members (2), connected therebetween by means of transmission members, in such a manner that, reciprocatingly, at least a first one of said members (2) be positioned in correspondence of the bottom dead center when at least a second one of said members (2) be positioned in correspondence of the top dead center.

4. The engine according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising an electric energy generator (12), actuated by means of a mechanical connection to said driving shaft.

5. The engine according to claim 4, wherein said electric energy generator is apt to provide electric energy to said synchronization and distribution means (11) to supply said generating and switching means (100).

6. The engine according to claims 4 or 5 and 2, further comprising a battery kept under charge by said electric energy generator (12), to supply said starting means (13) and said distribution and synchronization means (11).

7. The engine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said generating and switching means (100) comprises for each guide (3) a respective electromagnet (8) integral thereto and positioned substantially in correspondence of a top end thereof.

8. The engine (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein said generating and switching means (100) comprises for each guide (3) a respective second permanent magnet (120) integral to said guide (3) and positioned substantially in correspondence of a top end thereof, and a respective shielding member (105) apt to shield the magnetic fields associated to said second permanent magnet (120) and to the corresponding permanent magnet (6).

9. The engine (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said shielding member (105) comprises a plate (105) made of a material exhibiting high magnetic permeability such as to cause a shielding of said magnetic fields.

10. The engine (1) according to the preceding claims, wherein said material contains a high percentage of Nickel.

11. The engine (1) according to claims 9 or 10, wherein said plate (105) is made of "MU-metal ®".

12. The engine (1) according to any one of the claims 9 to 11, wherein said generating and switching means (100) further comprises actuating means

(107) apt to move said plate (105) between a first shielding configuration in which it is interposed between said first permanent magnet (6) and said second permanent magnet (120), and a second configuration in which it does not interfere with the magnetic fields associated to said permanent magnets (6,

13. The engine (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said distribution and synchronization means (11) is apt to control said actuating means (107) to bring said plate in said second configuration during the motion of said member (2) between the bottom dead center BDC and the top dead center TDC, and to bring said plate in said first shielding configuration during the motion of said member (2) between the top dead center TDC and the bottom dead center BDC.

14. The engine (1) according to claims 12 or 13, wherein said actuating means

(107) comprises an actuator (108).

15. The engine (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said actuator is of electromechanical type.

16. The engine (1) according to one of the claims 14 or 15, wherein inside of said actuator (108) there slides at least one plunger (111) integral to said plate (105).

17. The engine (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said actuator

(108) is coupled to said at least one plunger by a prismatic-type coupling.

19. The engine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said distribution and synchronization means (11) comprises a device connected with said driving shaft and apt to detect the angular position thereof.

20. The engine (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein said device comprises an encoder.