ENHANCED SPRAY COOLING TECHNIQUE FOR WEDGE COOLING

• US 20130015729A1
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Waddell, Simon, Scherzinger, William, Birdi, Balwinder Singh
• Granted Patent: US 8,729,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/54
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/32 with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/197 in which the rotor or stator space is fluid-tight, e.g. to provide for different cooling media for rotor and stator

Abstract

A wedge cooling apparatus and method for cooling a rotating machine, such as a generator, disperses a spray of cooling fluid into the wedges of the generator via a pipe that runs along the length of each of the wedges. The pipe may include a plurality of spray delivery devices to spray cooling fluid from the pipe to the inside of the wedges. The spray cooling method results in a high heat transfer coefficient of about 2000-3000 W/m²C as opposed to conventional conduction cooling, which has a heat transfer coefficient of about 200-300 W/m²C. The apparatus and method of the present invention efficiently removes heat from high powered, high current density designed generators.

Claims

1. A spray cooling manifold comprising:

a manifold ferrule adapted to circumscribe a shaft of a rotating machine;

a manifold pipe having a bend of about 90 degrees having a first end attached to the manifold ferrule and a second, opposite end;

a cooling fluid channel running from an inside surface of the manifold ferrule to the second, opposite end of the manifold pipe; and

a pipe extending from the second, opposite end of the manifold pipe, the pipe adapted to extend into a wedge of the rotating machine, the pipe having a plurality of holes formed therealong.

2. The spray cooling manifold of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one o-ring disposed about the second, opposite end of the manifold pipe; and

first and second o-rings disposed on the inside surface of the manifold ferrule.

3. The spray cooling manifold of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes each include a spray delivery device.

4. The spray cooling manifold of claim 3, wherein the spray delivery device is a spray nozzle.

5. The spray cooling manifold of claim 3, wherein the spray delivery device is a sieve.

6. The spray cooling manifold of claim 5, wherein the sieve has a plurality of passages from about 0.030 inch to about 0.040 inch.

7. The spray cooling manifold of claim 1, wherein from about four to about eight manifold pipes form from about four to about eight cooling fluid channels from the inside surface of the manifold ferrule to the second, opposite end of the manifold pipes.

8. A rotating machine rotor comprising:

a shaft;

a plurality of coils disposed on the shaft;

a plurality of wedges disposed between the coils;

bands securing the wedges on the rotor; and

a manifold comprising a manifold ferrule adapted to circumscribe the shaft;

a plurality of manifold pipes, having a first end attached to the manifold ferrule and a second, opposite end attached to a wedge pipe extending into the wedges;

a plurality of a cooling fluid channel running from an inside surface of the manifold ferrule to the wedge pipe; and

a plurality of holes disposed along the wedge pipe.

9. The rotating machine rotor of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one o-ring disposed about the second, opposite end of the manifold pipe; and

first and second o-rings disposed on the inside surface of the manifold ferrule.

10. The rotating machine rotor of claim 8, further comprising a spray delivery device at each of the plurality of holes.

11. The rotating machine rotor of claim 10, wherein the spray delivery device is either a spray nozzle or a sieve.

12. The rotating machine rotor of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of through holes in the shaft, the through holes fluidly communicating with the cooling fluid channels of the manifold.

13. The rotating machine rotor of claim 12, further comprising a shaft plug adapted to divert cooling fluid into the plurality of through holes.

14. The rotating machine rotor of claim 8, wherein the manifold is disposed on an anti-drive end of the shaft.

15. The rotating machine rotor of claim 14, wherein a drive end of the plurality of wedges is open and a drive end of the wedge pipe is sealed with a pipe plug.

16. The rotating machine rotor of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of pipe supports adapted to support the pipe centrally in the wedge.

17. A cooling system through which a cooling medium can be circulated for dissipating heat from a rotating machine, comprising:

a shaft adapted to be rotated and having an axial bore through the cooling medium can be circulated;

a plurality of coils disposed on the shaft;

a plurality of wedges disposed between the coils;

bands securing the wedges on the rotor; and

a manifold comprising a manifold ferrule adapted to circumscribe the shaft;

a plurality of manifold pipes, having a first end attached to the manifold ferrule and a second, opposite end attached to a wedge pipe extending into the wedges;

a plurality of a cooling fluid channel running from an inside surface of the manifold ferrule to the wedge pipe; and

a plurality of holes disposed along the wedge pipe.

18. The cooling system of claim 17, further comprising:

at least one o-ring disposed about the second, opposite end of the manifold pipe; and

first and second o-rings disposed on the inside surface of the manifold ferrule.

19. The cooling system of claim 17, further comprising a spray delivery device at each of the plurality of holes, wherein the spray delivery device is either a spray nozzle or a sieve.

20. The cooling system of claim 17, further comprising:

a plurality of through holes in the shaft, the through holes fluidly communicating with the cooling fluid channels of the manifold; and

a shaft plug adapted to divert cooling fluid into the plurality of through holes.