SPRAY COOLED V-WEDGE FOR AEROSPACE GENERATOR

• US 20080252155A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McDowall, Gregor, Birdi, Balwinder S., Scherzinger, William M., Duddeck, Michael W., Down, Edward M., Waddell, Simon L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,786,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/58
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/325 between salient poles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/527 applicable to rotors only

Abstract

A high speed generator cooling system directs a cooling oil spray through a chamber inside a coil support wedge assembly, which may be disposed adjacent to the generator coils. Heat from the generator coils may be conducted through the walls of the coil support wedge assembly and into the chamber where it is removed by the cooling oil spray passing through the chamber. The cooling oil passes through a generator rotor shaft and into a cooling passage in least one of the rotor laminations.

Claims

1. An electric machine having a stator and a rotor rotationally mounted at least partially within said stator, comprising:

a hollow shaft having at least one orifice extending between a shaft inner surface and a shaft outer surface;

at least a first and a second pole, extending outward radially from said shaft, each pole spaced apart from one another to form an interpole region therebetween;

a coil support assembly positioned in said interpole region and having a longitudinally extending hollow main body enclosing a chamber, said coil support assembly having a coil support assembly fluid port extending therethrough in communication with said chamber;

a cooling fluid flow passage formed in said interpole region, said cooling fluid flow passage having an inlet in fluid communication with said shaft orifice and an outlet in fluid communication with said coil support assembly fluid port; and

said shaft orifice, said coil support assembly fluid port, and said lamination cooling fluid flow passage configured such that cooling fluid passes from said shaft to said coil support assembly chamber.

2. The electric machine of claim 1 further comprising:

a first coil wrapped around said first pole, said first coil including an outer surface;

a second coil wrapped around said second pole, said second coil including an outer surface; and

wherein said coil support assembly is in thermal contact with at least a portion of said first coil outer surface and at least a portion of said second coil outer surface.

3. The electric machine of claim 2 wherein said coil support assembly comprises:

an upper support wedge having a longitudinally extending main body enclosing said chamber and including at least an inner surface and an outer surface, said upper support wedge outer surface being in thermal contact with at least a portion of said first and second coil outer surfaces, whereby heat transfer occurs between said first and second coil outer surfaces, said upper support wedge, and said cooling fluid in said chamber.

4. The electric machine of claim 3 wherein said first and second coils each further include an inward facing edge that substantially faces said shaft, and wherein said coil support assembly further comprises:

a lower support wedge adjacent to said interpole region, said lower support wedge having a longitudinally extending main body, said main body including an outer surface having a top, a bottom, and first and second opposed sides having an opening in fluid communication with said cooling fluid flow passage whereby cooling oil to pass through to said chamber in said upper support wedge.

5. The electric machine of claim 1 wherein said coil support assembly upper support wedge is composed of thermally conducting material.

6. The electric machine claim 5 wherein said upper support wedge is composed of aluminum.

7. The electric machine of claim 1 wherein said cooling fluid flow passage is between 0.040 and 0.080 inches in diameter.

8. The electric machine of claim 1 wherein at least one of said orifices and said cooling flow passages are located longitudinally approximately at the middle along the length of said hollow shaft.

9. The electric machine of claim 1, said poles further comprising a plurality of laminations attached together in a stack.

10. A rotor for use in a high speed generator comprising:

a hollow shaft having at least one orifice extending between a shaft inner surface and a shaft outer surface;

at least a first and a second pole, each pole formed of at least one lamination and extending outward radially from said shaft, each pole spaced apart from one another to form an interpole region therebetween;

at least one upper support wedge positioned in said interpole region and having a longitudinally extending hollow main body enclosing a chamber, said upper support wedge having a fluid port extending therethrough in communication with said chamber;

at least one lower support wedge having a fluid port extending therethrough;

at least one cooling fluid flow passage formed in said at least one lamination, said cooling fluid flow passage having an inlet in fluid communication with said shaft orifice and an outlet in fluid communication with said upper and lower support wedge fluid ports; and

said shaft orifice and said lamination cooling fluid flow passage having narrow diameters such that cooling fluid passing from said shaft to said upper support wedge chamber under pressure enters said upper support wedge chamber as a cooling spray.

11. The rotor of claim 10 further comprising:

a first coil wrapped around said first pole, said first coil including an outer surface;

a second coil wrapped around said second pole, said second coil including an outer surface; and

wherein said upper support wedge is in thermal contact with at least a portion of said first coil outer surface and at least a portion of said second coil outer surface, whereby heat transfer occurs from said first and second coil outer surfaces to said upper support wedge and to said cooling oil spray in said upper support wedge chamber.

12. The rotor of claim 10 wherein said upper support wedge is composed of thermally conducting materials.

13. The rotor of claim 12 wherein said upper support wedge is composed of aluminum.

14. The rotor of claim 10 wherein said cooling fluid flow passage in said at least one lamination is between 0.040 and 0.080 inches in diameter.

15. The rotor of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of additional laminations attached together in a stack, said stack having first and second ends, said additional laminations not having cooling fluid flow passages and said at least one lamination having a cooling fluid flow passage being located approximately equidistant longitudinally from said first and second stack ends.

16. A cooling system for a high speed generator including a rotor rotating about an axis and having two ends, said cooling system including at least one cooling fluid pathway disposed at a longitudinal position between said two rotor ends, said cooling fluid pathway comprising:

a hollow shaft rotating about said axis and having at least one orifice extending between a shaft inner surface and a shaft outer surface;

at least a first and a second pole, each pole formed of at least one lamination and extending outward radially from said shaft, each pole spaced apart from one another to form an interpole region therebetween;

a first coil wrapped around said first pole, said first coil including an outer surface;

a second coil wrapped around said second pole, said second coil including an outer surface;

at least one upper support wedge positioned in said interpole region and having a longitudinally extending hollow main body enclosing a chamber, said upper support wedge having a fluid port extending therethrough in communication with said chamber;

at least one lower support wedge having a fluid port extending therethrough;

at least one cooling fluid flow passage formed in at least one of said laminations, said cooling fluid flow passage having an inlet in fluid communication with said shaft orifice and an outlet in fluid communication with said upper and lower coil support wedge fluid ports; and

said shaft orifice and said lamination cooling fluid flow passage having narrow diameters such that cooling fluid passing from said shaft to said upper support wedge chamber under pressure enters said upper support wedge chamber as a cooling spray.

17. The cooling system claim 16 further comprising:

wherein said upper support wedge is in thermal contact with at least a portion of said first coil outer surface and at least a portion of said second coil outer surface, whereby heat transfer occurs from said first and second coil outer surfaces, to said upper and lower support wedges, and to said cooling spray in said upper support wedge chamber.

18. The cooling system of claim 17 wherein said upper support wedge is composed of thermally conducting materials.

19. The cooling system of claim 18 further comprising a plurality of additional laminations attached together in a stack, said stack having first and second ends, said additional laminations not having cooling fluid flow passages and said at least one lamination having a cooling fluid flow passage being located approximately equidistant longitudinally from said first and second stack ends.

20. The cooling system of claim 16 further comprising a plurality of cooling fluid pathways disposed at a plurality of longitudinal positions along said length of said hollow shaft.