Use of transverse-flux machines in a free-piston generator

This paper investigates the use of transverse-flux machines (TFMs) in a free-piston generator, an integration of a combustion engine and a linear electrical machine. For hybrid vehicles (the intended application), this integrated device has benefits in efficiency, emissions, reliability, etc. Conventional TFMs are dimensioned and their shortcomings illustrated. Several surface-mounted TFM designs are suggested. These designs, initially believed to be promising, are later discovered to be poor during the three-dimensional finite-element method (3-D FEM) analysis. These designs suffered from a large axial pole-to-pole armature-flux leakage in the stator. This problem is solved in the proposed buried-magnets TFM variants, for which patents have been filed as well. A 5-kW proof-of-concept prototype of one such design is dimensioned that allowed the near fulfilment of 3-D FEM verifiable system demands. One phase of this dimensioned three-phase prototype is built. Measurements on this prototype showed that the use of short pole lengths in the machine had led to manufacturing defects. Nevertheless, the electromagnetic viability of the design could still be approximately verified.