Patent ID: 7948139

Claim:
An electric alternator/motor comprising: a rotor having a plurality of permanent magnets; a stator having at least two non-overlapping sectors, each sector having a plurality of first slots and a plurality of second slots, the first slots being located on a periphery of the stator opposing the rotor, the second slots being located on an opposite side of the first slots relative to the rotor, at least a first winding disposed in a plurality of said first and second slots, at least a first magnetic circuit which encircles at least one first slot in which a portion the first winding is disposed, at least a second magnetic circuit encircling at least one of the second slots in which another portion of the first winding is disposed, the second magnetic circuit remote from the first magnetic circuit, at least a second winding disposed adjacent to the first winding in the plurality of second slots, a third magnetic circuit defined in the stator, the third magnetic circuit operatively associated with current passing through the second winding, and a current source connected to the second winding and adapted to pass current through the second winding to thereby cause magnetic flux to circulate third magnetic circuit; and at least one slit between each sector of the stator adjacent to the respective third magnetic circuits, each slit separating the third magnetic circuits of adjacent sectors and thereby adapted to impede magnetic flux crossing between the third magnetic circuit of each sector.