ROTOR ASSEMBLY FOR AN ELECTRIC MACHINE

• US 20160149451A1
• Filed: 11/24/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Koontz, Winfred Dwight Jr., Kloos, David George, Teter, Joseph Kenneth, Mahle, James Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 10,461,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/32 with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/325 between salient poles
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/24 with channels or ducts for cooling medium between the conductors
• 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 rotor assembly for an electric machine includes a core having at least one post and a cap wherein electrical windings are wound about the rotor assembly to define a pole. The rotation of the rotor and rotor pole relative to a stator generates a current supplied from the electric machine to a power consuming device.

Claims

1. A rotor assembly for an electric machine comprising:

a rotor core having a rotatable shaft having hollow interior defining a coolant conduit and at least one post defining a winding pole;

a winding wound around the pole and having an end portion extending axially beyond the post to define an end turn segment; and

a coolant manifold supported by the shaft and fluidly coupled to the coolant conduit, the manifold having at least a portion in a thermally conductive relationship with at least a portion of the end turn segment, wherein heat from the end turn segment is transferred by conduction to the at least a portion of the coolant manifold.

2. The rotor assembly of claim 1 wherein the winding has opposing end turns on opposite ends of the rotor core and further comprising a coolant manifold on opposite ends of the rotor core, with each of the manifolds being in a thermally conductive relationship with a corresponding one of the opposite end turn segment.

3. The rotor assembly of claim 2 further comprising at least one coolant tube extending axially along the post and wherein at least one face of the coolant tube is in a thermally conductive relationship with a portion of the windings, and the coolant tube fluidly couples the coolant manifolds.

4. The rotor assembly of claim 3 wherein the heat from the winding is further transferred by conduction to the coolant tube.

5. The rotor assembly of claim 4 wherein the coolant tube comprises a first face in thermal contact with a first winding and a second face in thermal contact with a second winding.

6. The rotor assembly of claim 1 further comprising a cooling cage defined by opposing coolant manifolds on opposite ends of the rotor core, and at least one coolant tube fluidly coupling the manifolds, wherein at least a portion of the winding is in thermal contact with at least one corresponding coolant tube and a portion of each end turn segment is in thermal contact with a corresponding one of the opposing coolant manifolds.

7. The rotor assembly of claim 6 further comprising four poles.

8. The rotor assembly of claim 7 further comprising four coolant tubes.

9. The rotor assembly of claim 8 wherein each coolant tube comprises a first face in thermal contact with a first winding and a second face in thermal contact with a second winding.

10. The rotor assembly of claim 1 further comprising a thermally conductive layer provided on the winding.

11. The rotor assembly of claim 10 wherein the thermally conductive layer is a coating applied to the winding.

12. The rotor assembly of claim 1 wherein the coolant manifold is in thermal contact with at least a portion of multiple end turn segments.

13. An electric motor comprising:

a cavity housing a rotor assembly and a stator;

the rotor assembly comprising;

a rotor core having at least one post at least partially defining a first face of a winding seat;

at least one coolant manifold at least partially defining a second face of the winding seat;

at least one coolant tube at least partially defining a second face of the winding seat; and

a winding wound around the post and at least partially supported by the winding seat, wherein the winding includes at least one side segment extending axially along the post and at least one end turn segment extending axially beyond the post;

wherein a portion of the at least one coolant manifold is in a thermally conductive relationship with at least a portion of the end turn segment and the at least one coolant tube is in a thermally conductive relationship with at least a portion of the side segment.

14. The electric motor of claim 13 wherein the cavity further comprises a dry cavity.