APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR INCREASING AIRFLOW THROUGH INDUCTION MOTORS

• US 20140070642A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Large Drives LLC (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Lang, Nicholas G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/23 using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/32 with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 17/20 having deep-bar rotors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/82 Elements for improving aerodynamics

Abstract

Induction motors may have a rotor core assembly that includes a plurality of rotor laminations having an arrangement of vents therein. The arrangement of vents may provide increased airflow through the induction motor without adversely affecting the electromagnetic properties of the motor. The arrangement of vents includes first and second circular rows of vents, wherein each vent of the first row may be radially aligned with a respective vent of the second row, and each radially aligned pair of first and second row vents may be radially aligned with a respective conductor bar slot in the rotor lamination. The number of rotor bar slots may equal the number of first row vents and the number of second row vents. Systems and methods of facilitating ventilation in an induction motor are provided, as are other aspects.

Claims

1. A rotor core assembly of an induction motor, comprising:

a plurality of rotor laminations, each rotor lamination comprising;

a plurality of slots arranged around an outer radial periphery of a rotor lamination and passing through the rotor lamination, each slot configured to receive a rotor conductor bar there through;

a first row of vents passing axially through the rotor lamination; and

a second row of vents passing axially through the rotor lamination.

2. The rotor core assembly of claim 1 wherein the first row of vents is arranged in a first ring and the second row of vents is arranged in a second ring.

3. The rotor core assembly of claim 1 wherein the second row of vents is positioned radially outward from the first row of vents.

4. The rotor core assembly of claim 1 wherein each vent of the first row of vents has a first shape and each vent of the second row of vents has a second shape different from the first shape.

7. The rotor core assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of slots, the first row of vents, and the second row of vents are equal in number.

8. The rotor core assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of rotor conductor bars inserted through the plurality of slots;

a shaft upon which the plurality of rotor laminations are mounted; and

a pair of end caps, each end cap mounted to a respective securement ring at an axial end of the rotor core assembly.

5. The rotor core assembly of cairn 1 wherein each vent of the first row is radially aligned with a respective vent of the second row.

6. The rotor core assembly of claim 5 wherein each pair of radially aligned first and second vents is radially aligned with a respective slot.

9. A method of facilitating ventilation in an induction motor, the method comprising:

receiving motor specifications at a hardware processor;

determining motor performance by a hardware processor in response to receiving the motor specifications;

receiving vent arrangement information at a hardware processor;

analyzing airflow by a hardware processor based on at least the vent arrangement information; and

analyzing electromagnetic properties by a hardware processor based on at least the vent arrangement information,

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising modifying the vent arrangement information in response to at least one of the analyzing airflow and the analyzing electromagnetic properties.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving the modified vent arrangement information at a hardware processor;

analyzing airflow by a hardware processor based on the modified vent arrangement information; and

analyzing electromagnetic properties by a hardware processor based on the modified vent arrangement information.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the motor specifications comprise at least one of a starting load, a starting duty value, motor component information, a power value, a voltage value, a revolutions-per-minute value, a frequency value, or rotor lamination vent information.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the determining motor performance comprises determining at least one of a torque, a current, a power loss, a power factor, an efficiency value, a duty value, an equivalent circuit, a temperature rise, an analytically-derived noise value, an empirically-derived noise value, a numerically-derived noise value, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the analyzing airflow comprises:

identifying at least one of airflow sources and airflow restrictions; and

calculating flow rates and pressure drops.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the analyzing electromagnetic properties comprises at least one of:

calculating at least one of magnetic flux density, iron loss, saturation level, or magnetizing current; and

plotting magnetic field lines through a rotor lamination.

16. A system configured to facilitate ventilation in an induction motor, the system comprising:

one or more storage devices configured to store data and programming instructions; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the one or more storage devices and operative to execute the programming instructions to;

receive motor specifications;

determine motor performance in response to receiving the motor specifications;

receive vent arrangement information;

analyze airflow based on the vent arrangement information; and

analyze electromagnetic properties based on the vent arrangement information.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the hardware processor is further operative to execute the programming instructions to:

receive modified vent arrangement information;

analyze airflow based on the modified vent arrangement information; and

analyze electromagnetic properties based on the modified vent arrangement information.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the hardware processor is operative to determine a revised motor performance in response to receiving modified vent arrangement information.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the motor specifications comprise at least one of a starting load, a starting duty value, motor component information, a power value, a voltage value, a revolutions-per-minute value, a frequency value, or rotor lamination vent information.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the motor performance comprises at least one a torque, a current, a power loss, a power factor, an efficiency value, a duty value, an equivalent circuit, a temperature rise, an analytically-derived noise value, an empirically-derived noise value, a numerically-derived noise value, or a combination thereof.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the analyze airflow comprises:

identify at least one of airflow sources and airflow restrictions; and

calculate flow rates and pressure drops.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the analyze electromagnetic properties comprises at least one of:

calculate at least one of magnetic flux density, iron loss, saturation level, or magnetizing current; and

plot magnetic field lines through a rotor lamination.