Patent ID: 7262539

Claim:
An electric alternator/motor comprising: a rotor having a plurality of permanent magnets; a stator 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 defined in the stator and rotor which encircles at least one first slot in which the first winding is disposed; at least a second magnetic circuit encircling at least one of the second slots in which the first winding is disposed, the second magnetic circuit sharing a common portion of the stator with the first magnetic circuit, the second magnetic circuit including a magnetically saturable portion of the stator distinct from the common portion; at least a second winding disposed adjacent the first winding in a plurality of second slots; a third magnetic circuit defined in the stator and including the magnetically saturable portion of the stator, the third magnetic circuit operatively associated with current passing through the second winding; a current source connected to the second winding and adapted to pass a sufficient amount of said current through the second winding to substantially saturate said magnetically saturable portion of the stator; and a controller adapted to vary said current provided to the second winding to vary a saturation level of the magnetically saturable portion.