Generator Motor Wedge With Wide Arm Span and Reduced Stress Levels
First Claim
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1. A wedge for use in an electric machine comprising:
- a central leg extending in a direction that will be radially inward when the wedge is mounted on a lamination stack, and said wedge having arms extending in both circumferential directions from said central leg, with a circumferentially outermost part of said arms having a curved contact surface that will be radially outward, and a flat inner surface that will be radially inward when the wedge in mounted in the lamination stack;
said wedge having a radially outer full surface defining a cylindrical aperture through an axial length of said full surface, and ledge surfaces at each axial end of said full surface of said wedge; and
a curved merging portion on an outer surface of said arms merging into said curved contact surface, said curved merging portion being formed on a radius of curvature centered from a point that will be spaced radially outwardly of said arm when said wedge is mounted on a lamination stack, and said curved contact portion being formed about a radius of curvature centered on a point that will be spaced radially inwardly of said curved contact surface when the wedge is mounted on a lamination stack.
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Abstract
A wedge for use in an electric machine has a central leg and arms extending in both circumferential directions. The wedge has a radially outer full surface defining a cylindrical aperture through an axial length, and ledge surfaces at each axial end of the full surface. A curved merging portion on an outer surface of the arms merges into a curved contact surface. A rotor, a machine and a method are also disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A wedge for use in an electric machine comprising:
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a central leg extending in a direction that will be radially inward when the wedge is mounted on a lamination stack, and said wedge having arms extending in both circumferential directions from said central leg, with a circumferentially outermost part of said arms having a curved contact surface that will be radially outward, and a flat inner surface that will be radially inward when the wedge in mounted in the lamination stack; said wedge having a radially outer full surface defining a cylindrical aperture through an axial length of said full surface, and ledge surfaces at each axial end of said full surface of said wedge; and a curved merging portion on an outer surface of said arms merging into said curved contact surface, said curved merging portion being formed on a radius of curvature centered from a point that will be spaced radially outwardly of said arm when said wedge is mounted on a lamination stack, and said curved contact portion being formed about a radius of curvature centered on a point that will be spaced radially inwardly of said curved contact surface when the wedge is mounted on a lamination stack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 9)
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6. A machine rotor comprising:
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a lamination stack having a plurality of poles extending radially outwardly from a central axis, and said poles having pole tips extending circumferentially at circumferential sides of said poles; field coils wound around each of said pole piece, such that between any two adjacent poles, there are portions of two field coils; a wedge positioned circumferentially intermediate said portions of said field coils, with a central leg extending radially inwardly to separate said portions of said field coils, and said wedge having circumferentially extending arms extending circumferentially to be radially inward of said pole tips on said lamination stack, with a curved contact surface on a circumferentially outermost portion of said wedge being in contact with a surface on a radially inward portion of said pole tip; said wedge having a radially outer full surface defining a cylindrical aperture through an axial length of said full surface, and ledge surfaces at each axial end of said full surface of said wedge; and a curved merging portion on an outer surface of said arms merging into said curved contact surface, said curved merging portion being formed on a radius of curvature centered from a point that will be spaced radially outwardly of said arm when said wedge is mounted on a lamination stack, and said curved contact portion being formed about a radius of curvature centered on a point that will be spaced radially inwardly of said curved contact surface when the wedge is mounted on a lamination stack. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 10)
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11. A machine comprising:
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a stator; a rotor including a lamination stack having a plurality of poles extending radially outwardly from a central axis, and said poles having pole tips extending circumferentially at circumferential sides of said poles, field coils wound around each of said pole piece, such that between any two adjacent poles, there are portions of two field coils; a wedge positioned circumferentially intermediate said portions of said field coils, with a central leg extending radially inwardly to separate said portions of said field coils, and said wedge having circumferentially extending arms extending circumferentially to be radially inward of said pole tips on said lamination stack, with a curved contact surface on a circumferentially outermost portion of said wedge being in contact with a surface on a radially inward portion of said pole tip; said wedge having a radially outer full surface defining a cylindrical aperture through an axial length of said full surface, and ledge surfaces at each axial end of said full surface of said wedge; and a curved merging portion on an outer surface of said arms merging into said curved contact surface, said curved merging portion being formed on a radius of curvature centered from a point that will be spaced radially outwardly of said arm when said wedge is mounted on a lamination stack, and said curved contact portion being formed about a radius of curvature centered on a point that will be spaced radially inwardly of said curved contact surface when the wedge is mounted on a lamination stack. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of replacing a wedge on a machine comprising the steps of:
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removing a wedge from a machine having a stator, and a rotor including a lamination stack having a plurality of poles extending radially outwardly from a central axis, and said poles having pole tips extending circumferentially at circumferential sides of said poles, and field coils wound around each of said poles, such that between any two adjacent poles there are portions of two field coils, the removed wedge previously positioned circumferentially intermediate said portions of said field coils; replacing said removed wedge with a replacement wedge; and the replacement wedge having a central leg extending in a radially inward direction, and said wedge having arms extending in both circumferential directions from said central leg, with a circumferentially outermost part of said arms having a curved contact surface, and a radially inward flat inner surface, said wedge having a radially outer full surface defining a cylindrical aperture through an axial length of said full surface, and ledge surfaces at each axial end of said full surface of said wedge, a curved merging portion on an outer surface of said arms merging into said curved contact surface, said curved merging portion being formed on a radius of curvature centered from a point spaced radially outwardly of said arm, and said curved contact portion being formed about a radius of curvature centered on a point spaced radially inwardly of said curved contact surface. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification