Generator for the production of electrical energy

• US 4,415,823 A
• Filed: 08/03/1981
• Issued: 11/15/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Christensen Company
• Original Assignee: Christensen
• Inventors: Jurgens, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Duggan, Donovan F.
• Application Number:
  US06/289,683
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 310/87, 310/112, 310/58-64, 310/90
• US Class Current: 310/87
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/00 Drives for drilling, used in the borehole
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 4/02 Fluid rotary type drives
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/0085 Adaptations of electric power generating means for use in boreholes
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines

Abstract

Generator for production of electrical energy to supply consumers located inside a bore hole, in particular, consumers for detection, transmission and remote control, where the generator is located in a flushing space inside of a drill string through which flushing liquid flows, which includes a stator and a rotor having a radial slot arranged coaxially to the stator and whose rotor is coupled to a motor which is energized by the flushing liquid, characterized by the fact that the stator contains a generator armature and the rotor contains an exciter equipped with a permanent magnet, that said slot between stator and rotor is connected with said flushing space, where a connecting path is directed counter-current to or at an acute angle to the flushing current on the intake side in the region of a branch-off from said flushing space, and that the rotor is supported by means of unsealed, erosion and abrasion-resistant radial and axial bearings.

Claims

1. Generator for production of electrical energy to supply consumers located inside a bore hole, in particular, consumers for detection, transmission and remote control, where the generator is located in a flushing space inside of a drill string through which flushing liquid flows, which includes a stator and a rotor having a radial space arranged coaxially to the stator said rotor being coupled to a motor which is energized by the flushing liquid, said stator containing a generator armature and said rotor containing an exciter equipped with permanent magnet means, characterized by the fact that said space between stator and rotor is connected with said flushing space, a connecting path is directed counter-current to the direction of the flushing current on the intake side, and that said rotor is supported by means of unsealed, erosion and abrasion-resistant radial and axial bearings.

2. Generator according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that adjacent said space, the generator armature is provided with an abrasion-resistant protective coating.

3. Generator according to one of the claims 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that the radial opening width of the connecting path is narrower than the smallest space width between rotor and stator.

4. Genarator according claim 3, characterized by the fact that the connecting path is constructed in the manner of a labyrinth.

5. Generator according to claim 4, characterized further by the fact that said radial bearing comprises roller bearings including rotary and fixed cages at the inlet and outlet sides of the generator, the intake side front side of the roller bearing cage of the intake side radial bearing borders on a shoulder of a rotor part and the fixed bearing cage of this bearing borders on a shoulder of the outer tube by way of a spacer sleeve, that spacers are located between the outlet side front side of the above-named radial bearing and the intake side front side of the outlet side radial bearing and that the outlet side front side of the rotor bearing shell of the outlet side radial bearing is fixed to the rotor piece by means of a projecting threaded sleeve, while the intake side front side of its stator bearing shell is fixed to another outer tube piece via spacers by means of the front side of a threaded lug.

6. Generator according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the spacer bodies between the radial bearings are formed to be cascaded rotor and stator blade wheels of a drive motor for the generator constructed as turbine.

7. Generator according to one of the claim 5, characterized by the fact that the rubbing surfaces of the radial bearings have a cemented carbide coating.

8. Generator according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the back side of the threaded sleeve carries the rotor bearing shell of the axial bearing, while the stator bearing shell is fastened onto an upper piece which serves as a spacer in fixing the radial bearings.

9. Generator according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the axial bearing is fashioned as a diamond bearing.