Method for assembling bolted stator coils

• US 4,912,831 A
• Filed: 06/13/1989
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: Levino, Andre J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Application Number:
  US07/366,337
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 29/596, 29/407, 310/42, 310/260, 310/270, 310/52, 310/54, 310/57, 310/58
• US Class Current: 29/596
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0093 Manufacturing or repairing cooling fluid boxes, i.e. terminals of fluid cooled windings ensuring both electrical and fluid connection
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/22 consisting of hollow conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/505 for large machine windings, e.g. bar windings H02K3/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49778 with aligning, guiding, or instruction

Abstract

In an electrical generator, a connector for connecting stator coil sections and the method of making that connection, each coil section ending in a header cap of a predetermined geometry, and the connector being provided with openings of complementary geometry and spaced and aligned so as to receive the header caps. A recording tool is used for recording the spacing and alignment of a pair of header caps to be connected, the recorder being used in conjunction with a drill rig for drilling the openings in accordance with the recorded spacing and alignment information. The solid connector bar is placed over the header caps which are received within the drilled openings, and the bar is clamped onto the header caps with nuts.

Claims

1. A method of building stator coils of an electrical generator, the coils having connected coil section ends, comprising

placing coil sections in the stator,

measuring the spacing and alignments of a pair of coil section ends which are to be connected,

separately machining a connector element with openings having said measured spacing and alignments, said machining being carried out while other coil sections are being placed, and

clamping said connector element to said coil section ends, said ends being received in said openings.

2. A method for connecting coil sections of a stator in an electric generator, the connection being made to the headers on the ends of a pair of coil sections, the connected ends having a given spacing within a given tolerance and respective alignments within a given tolerance, comprising

recording said spacing and alignments in a recording means, drilling receiving openings in a connector element for receiving said two coil ends, said drilling step including spacing said openings in accordance with said recorded spacing and aligning said openings in accordance with said recorded alignments, so as to drill said openings to mate with said two coil ends, and receiving said coil ends in said drilled connector openings and clamping said connector element to said ends, to achieve mechanical and electrical connection.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein said recording step is carried out by using a mechanical simulating tool.

4. The method as is described in claim 2, wherein said drilling step is carried out by using a drilling rig, and comprises transforming the recorded spacing and alignment from said simulating tool to said drilling rig.

5. The method as described in claim 2, wherein said clamping steps comprises mechanically clamping by tightening nuts onto said coil ends after said connector has been placed over said headers.

6. The method as described in claim 2, comprising forming each of said headers of a predetermined geometry, and wherein said drilling step comprises drilling said openings to mate with said headers.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein said geometry is conical.

8. A method of connecting a pair of stator coil ends of an electric generator, comprising

using a simulating tool to record the respective alignments of the pair of coil ends and the spacing therebetween;

placing said simulating tool in a drilling rig and adjusting said rig for drilling a first opening;

removing said simulating tool and drilling said first opening at an alignment corresponding to the recorded alignment of a first of said coil ends;

removing said connector bar and placing said simulating tool in said drilling rig and positioning said rig for drilling of a second opening at an alignment corresponding to the recorded alignment of the second coil end and at a spacing equal to the recorded spacing;

removing said simulating tool from said rig and replacing said connector bar into said rig, adjusting the position of said rig for drilling said second hole at said spacing, and drilling said second hole in a position spaced from said first hole by said spacing and at an alignment corresponding to said second coil end alignment;

removing said bar from said drilling rig and placing it over said pair of coil ends so that said ends are received in said openings; and

clamping said bar to said coil ends, to provide a firm electrical and mechanical connection.

9. The method as described in claim 8, comprising positioning a spacing location guide in said drilling rig for fixing the position of the first recorded hole of said simulating tool relative to the axis of the drill, thereby recording in said rig the spacing of said simulating tool.