Patent ID: 7830057

Claim:
An electric machine assembly comprising: a shaft having a major axis; a ring coil adapted to carry electrical current; a stator assembly comprising: a first stator segment positioned circumferentially around the major axis of the shaft and having a plurality of first ferromagnetic poles and a plurality of first slots located about a periphery of the first stator segment wherein each of the first slots is radially aligned with one of the first ferromagnetic poles; a second stator segment positioned circumferentially around the major axis of the shaft and axially spaced from the first stator segment having a plurality of second ferromagnetic poles and a plurality of second slots located about a periphery of the second stator segment wherein each of the second slots is radially aligned with one of the second ferromagnetic poles; and a plurality of ferromagnetic yokes extending axially between the first and second stator segments to create a plurality of U-shaped magnetic circuits, wherein each yoke has a first end positioned in one of the first slots of the first stator segment and a second end positioned in one of the second slots of the second stator segment, and wherein each of the U-shaped magnetic circuits is comprised of a first ferromagnetic pole associated with the first stator segment, a second ferromagnetic pole associated with the second stator segment, and one of the ferromagnetic yokes connecting the first and second ferromagnetic poles associated with the first stator segment and the second stator segment, respectively; and a rotor assembly having a plurality of permanent magnets.