Patent ID: 8278774

Claim:
A gas turbine engine having a compressor section and a turbine section, comprising: a first shaft being one of a main shaft having at least one turbine rotor of the turbine section concentrically directly mounted thereto and a tower shaft directly driven by the main shaft and extending generally radially therefrom; an electrical machine assembly having a rotor and a stator, the rotor coaxially secured to the first shaft for rotation therewith, the rotor including at least one field winding for conducting electrical current therein, the stator having a plurality of permanent magnets disposed adjacent an outer periphery of the rotor, the rotor and stator cooperating to provide in use a magnetic circuit surrounding the at least one winding for conducting magnetic flux around the at least one winding; and an electrical connection between the rotor winding and at least one of a power source and a power distribution system.