Segmented stator for an axial field device

Abstract

An axial rotary energy device including a segmented stator assembly having a plurality of segments arranged in an annular array. Each stator segment is constructed by stacking a plurality of PCB power conductor layers and a plurality of PCB series layers. Each layer having radial conductors extending from an inner via to an outer via. The vias electrically connect selected radial conductors of the series conductor layer and power conductor layer. Each power conductor layer includes a pair of positive and negative terminal vias for one phase of the electric current connected to selected outer vias. A daughter PCB layer electrically connects two adjacent segments together by having a first portion electrically connected to a negative terminal via located in one segment and a second portion electrically connected to a positive terminal via located in an adjacent segment together with a current conductor electrically connecting the two terminal vias together.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first conducting segment including a first set of conductors and a first set of terminal pairs, each terminal pair from the first set of terminal pairs including a first terminal and a second terminal;   a second conducting segment physically distinct from the first conducting segment and configured to be physically and electrically coupled to the first conducting segment to form at least a portion of an annular array, the second conducting segment including a second set of conductors and a second set of terminal pairs, each terminal pair from the second set of terminal pairs including a first terminal and a second terminal; and   a connecting segment configured to be physically and electrically coupled to the first conducting segment and to the second conducting segment to form a portion of a segmented winding of an electromagnetic machine, the connecting segment including a third set of terminal pairs, each terminal pair from the third set of terminal pairs including (1) a first terminal configured to be electrically coupled to the first terminal of a terminal pair from the first set of terminal pairs and (2) a second terminal configured to be electrically coupled to the second terminal of a terminal pair from the second set of terminal pairs.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the connecting segment is configured to allow electric current associated with an electrical phase to flow between the first terminal of a terminal pair from the first set of terminal pairs and the second terminal of a terminal pair from the second set of terminal pairs. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the connecting segment is configured to be physically and electrically coupled to the first conducting segment and the second conducting segment to form a portion of a segmented stator included in an axial field electromagnetic machine. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first set of conductors and the second set of conductors are configured to be associated with a three-phase electric current. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first conducting segment is a printed circuit board including conductive traces on at least one conductive layer. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the connecting segment is a daughter printed circuit board. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first conducting segment is a printed circuit board including a plurality of electrically connected conductive layers. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first conducting segment including a first set of conductors and a first set of terminal pairs, each terminal pair from the first set of terminal pairs including a first terminal and a second terminal; and   a second conducting segment physically distinct from the first conducting segment, the second conducting segment including a second set of conductors and a second set of terminal pairs, each terminal pair from the second set of terminal pairs including a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal of a terminal pair from the first set of terminal pairs configured to be electrically coupled to the second terminal of a terminal pair from the second set of terminal pairs to form a portion of a winding of an electromagnetic machine,   the second conducting segment configured to be physically and electrically coupled to the first conducting segment to form at least a portion of an annular array of the electromagnetic machine.   
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 a connecting segment configured to physically and electrically couple the first conducting segment with the second conducting segment.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the winding of the electromagnetic machine is associated with a phase from a plurality of phases of the electromagnetic machine. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the first terminal of each terminal pair from the first set of terminal pairs is a positive terminal and the second terminal of each terminal pair from the first set of terminal pairs is a negative terminal. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein each conductor from the first set of conductors is associated with a different electrical phase than the remaining conductors from the first set of conductors. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the first conducting segment is a printed circuit board including a plurality of electrically connected conductive layers. 
     
     
         34 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a first conducting portion included in a conducting segment, the first conducting portion including a set of conductors, each conductor from the set of conductors of the first conducting portion being associated with a different electrical phase of an electromagnetic machine than the remaining conductors from the set of conductors of the first conducting portion; and   a second conducting portion included in the conducting segment, the second conducting portion including a set of conductors, each conductor from the set of conductors of the second conducting portion being associated with a different electrical phase of the electromagnetic machine than the remaining conductors from the set of conductors of the second conducting portion,   the first conducting portion and the second conducting portion are arranged to define a first coil associated with a first electrical phase and a second coil associated with a second electrical phase, the first coil being interleaved with the second coil on the conducting segment.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the conducting segment is a first conducting segment, the first conducting segment is configured to be physically and electrically coupled to a second conducting segment to define a portion of an annular array of the electromagnetic machine. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the conducting segment is a printed circuit board including a plurality of electrically connected conductive layers, each electrically connected conductive layer from the plurality of electrically connected conductive layers including a portion of the first coil and a portion of the second coil. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the first conducting portion is a radial portion and the second conducting portion is at least one of an inner turn portion or an outer turn portion. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the conducting segment is a first conducting segment, the first conducting segment is configured to be physically and electrically coupled to a second conducting segment to form a portion of a segmented stator such that the segmented stator is electrically coupled to an electric circuit via a wye connection or a delta connection. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a terminal portion included in the conducting segment and having a set of terminal pairs, the terminal portion electrically connected to the second conducting portion such that an electric current is configured to flow from a first terminal of each terminal pair from the set of terminal pairs to a second terminal of that terminal pair from the set of terminal pairs via the first conducting portion and the second conducting portion.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the set of conductors of the first conducting portion and the set of conductors of the second conducting portion are configured to be associated with a three-phase electric current.