METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN INDUCTION ROTOR

• US 20120217838A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Kleber, Richard M., Perry, Thomas A., Agapiou, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,910,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/211
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0012 Manufacturing cage rotors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 17/20 having deep-bar rotors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49012 Rotor

Abstract

A rotor for an induction motor includes a rotor core having first and second ends and a plurality of conductor bars. Each conductor bar has a respective first end extending beyond the first end of said rotor core. Each first exposed end has a respective enclosed opening. The rotor also includes an end ring comprising a casting of material flowed between the respective first ends of the conductor bars and through the respective closed openings.

Claims

1. Method for fabricating a rotor for an induction motor, comprising:

providing an induction rotor assembly comprising a rotor core having first and second ends, and a plurality of conductor bars, each conductor bar having a respective first exposed end extending beyond the first end of said rotor core, each first exposed end having a respective enclosed opening; and

casting molten material to flow between said first exposed ends and through said respective enclosed openings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said each conductor bar has a respective second exposed end extending beyond the second end of said rotor core, each second exposed end having a respective enclosed opening;

and

further comprising

casting molten material to flow between said second exposed ends and through said respective enclosed openings.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising surface treating said first exposed ends.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein surface treating comprises applying an intermediate element to promote bonding between said first exposed ends and the molten material.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein surface treating comprises applying a flux material to remove oxides during the casting molten material.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein surface treating said first exposed ends comprises surface treating all of each conductor bar.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising preheating the rotor assembly prior to the casting molten material.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each conductor bar comprises a copper material.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each conductor bar comprises an aluminum material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the molten material comprises an aluminum material.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the molten material comprises a copper material.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising casting said molten material into a plurality of heat sinks.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising machining said molten material subsequent to cooling into a plurality of heat sinks.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductor bars have an acute angle relationship with an axis of rotation of the rotor.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of conductor bars comprises all conductor bars of said induction rotor assembly.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of conductor bars is spaced periodically around a circumference of the rotor core.

17. Rotor for an induction motor, comprising:

a cylindrically-shaped laminate stack having a plurality of peripheral grooves running from a first end of the laminate stack to a second end of the laminate stack;

a plurality of conductor bars, each carried within a respective one of the plurality of said grooves and each having a respective first end extending beyond the first end of the laminate stack and a respective second end extending beyond the second end of the laminate stack, each respective first and second end of the conductor bars having a respective enclosed opening;

a first metal end ring comprising a casting interlocking with each of the enclosed openings of the first end of the conductor bars; and

a second metal end ring comprising a casting interlocking with each of the enclosed openings of the second end of the conductor bars.

18. The rotor of claim 17, wherein each peripheral groove is oriented at an acute angle with an axis of rotation of the rotor.

19. The rotor of claim 17, wherein the plurality of conductor bars comprise copper, and the first and second metal end rings comprise aluminum.

20. Rotor for an induction motor, comprising:

a rotor core having first and second ends;

a plurality of conductor bars, each conductor bar having a respective first end extending beyond the first end of said rotor core, each first end of the conductor bars having a respective enclosed opening; and

an end ring comprising a casting of material flowed between the respective first ends of the conductor bars and through the respective closed openings.