Method of assembling and disassembling a rotor retaining ring system

• US 4,967,465 A
• Filed: 10/31/1989
• Issued: 11/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Frank, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Carl E.
• Application Number:
  US07/429,815
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 29/598, 29/426.5, 310/260, 310/270, 310/271, 310/42
• US Class Current: 29/598
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/51 applicable to rotors only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49012 Rotor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49822 by applying force

Abstract

A retaining ring system for a rotating electrical device such as a generator, motor, or condenser, including an auxiliary ring adapted to be removably mounted around the end portion of the rotor of the rotating electrical device bridging the rotor winding slots, and a retaining ring removably mounted around the first ring. The retaining ring supports the amortisseur and the field end windings of the rotating electrical device. An external first taper defined by the auxiliary ring and an internal second taper defined by the retaining ring provide mating, continuous first and second tapered surfaces. The assembly process is begun by sliding or jacking the auxiliary ring onto the rotor. A high pressure feed fluid line defined in the auxiliary ring includes an inlet port and an outlet port opening at a circumferential groove between the mating first and second tapered surfaces between O-ring seals. For either assembly or disassembly, a source of high pressure fluid is connected to the inlet port of the feed fluid line and a high pressure fluid is sent between the first and second tapered surfaces sufficient to decrease the diametrical dimension of the first tapered surface of the auxiliary ring and to increase the diametrical dimensions of the second tapered surface of the retaining ring and thus to separate the auxiliary ring from the retaining ring devoid of the application of heat and also thus to allow either the mounting of the retaining ring to the auxiliary ring devoid of the application of heat or the disassembly of the retaining ring from the rotor devoid of the application of heat. Application of mechanical force to the retaining ring is combined with the application of high pressure oil during the assembly or disassembly process.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a retaining ring system which supports the field end windings of a rotting electrical device in accordance with the following steps:

(a) rotating an auxiliary ring until a key and keyway associated with an inward wall of the auxiliary ring and a radially aligned shoulder wall formed between a rotor end portion and the rotor main portion of the rotor of the rotating electrical device are in alignment so that an inlet port of an internal high pressure feed fluid line located in auxiliary ring is in alignment with a slot defined at a cylindrical outer wall or the rotor main portion;

(b) positioning the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring over the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor end portion bridging the rotor winding slots until the key and keyway are locked into alignment so as to align the key/keyway with the inward end wall of the auxiliary ring in contact with the shoulder wall;

(c) applying oil to the interfacing surfaces of the tapered outer wall of the auxiliary ring and the tapered inner wall of the retaining ring;

(d) sliding the tapered inner wall of the retaining ring onto the mating tapered outer wall of the auxiliary ring until the tapered inner wall covers a pair of spaced circumferential sealing O-rings positioned around the tapered outer wall of the auxiliary ring sealing the tapered mating surfaces of the auxiliary ring and the retaining ring, the auxiliary ring and the retaining ring being axially aligned with the axis of rotation of the rotor;

(e) connecting one end of an external high pressure feed fluid line to the internal high pressure feed fluid line to the inlet port; and

connecting the other end of the external high pressure feed fluid line to a source of high pressure fluid;

(f) activating the source of high pressure fluid so as to send the the high pressure fluid through the external and internal high pressure feed fluid lines so applying fluid at an initial pressure stage through an outlet port opening to a circumferential groove defined in the tapered outer wall of the auxiliary ring between the pair of O-ring seals between the mating, continuous surfaces of the tapered outer wall of the auxiliary ring and the tapered inner wall of the retaining ring with sufficient pressure to decrease the diametrical dimensions of the tapered outer wall and to increase the diametrical dimensions of the tapered inner wall;

(g) applying mechanical force to the retaining ring in an inward longitudinal direction while simultaneously increasing the pressure on the fluid being forced between the tapered outer wall and the tapered inner wall until the retaining ring is fully mounted to the auxiliary ring, and as a result simultaneously cold press-fitting the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring over the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor end portion; and

(h) deactivating the source of high pressure fluid and disconnecting the external high pressure feed fluid line from the internal high pressure feed fluid line.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring has a slightly greater diameter than the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor, and wherein the positioning of step (b) includes sliding the the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring over the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor end portion.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring has a slightly smaller diameter than the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor, and wherein the positioning of step (b) includes forcing the the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring over the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor end portion.

4. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid is an oil.

5. The method set forth in claim 1, wherein said fluid is a grease.

6. A method of assembling a retaining ring system which supports the field end windings of a rotating electrical device in accordance with the following steps:

(a) rotating an auxiliary ring until a key and keyway associated with an inward wall of the auxiliary ring and a radially aligned shoulder wall formed between a rotor end portion and the rotor main portion of the rotor of the rotating electrical device are in alignment so that an inlet port of an internal high pressure feed fluid line located in auxiliary ring is in alignment with a slot defined at a cylindrical outer wall or the rotor main portion;

(b) sliding the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring over the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor end portion bridging the rotor winding slots until the key and keyway are locked into alignment so as to align the key/keyway with the inward end wall of the auxiliary ring in contact with the shoulder wall, the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring having a slightly greater diameter than the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor;

(c) sliding the tapered inner wall of the retaining ring over the tapered outer wall of the auxiliary ring to the extent possible;

(d) heating the retaining ring sufficiently to increase the diametrical dimensions of the tapered inner wall;

(e) applying mechanical force to the retaining ring in a longitudinal direction until the retaining ring is fully mounted to the auxiliary ring, and as a result simultaneously cold press-fitting the cylindrical inner wall of the auxiliary ring over the cylindrical outer wall of the rotor end portion; and

(f) ceasing the application of mechanical force to the retaining ring.

7. A method of disassembling a retaining ring system which supports the field end windings of a rotating electrical device in accordance with the following steps:

(a) removing a plug from an inlet port of an internal high pressure fluid feed line in an auxiliary ring removably cold mounted to the end portion of the rotor of the rotating electrical device;

(b) connecting one end of an external high pressure feed fluid line to the internal high pressure feed fluid line to the inlet port; and

connecting the other end of the external high pressure feed fluid line to a source of high pressure fluid;

(c) activating the source of high pressure fluid as to send the high pressure fluid through the external and internal high pressure feed fluid lines and so applying fluid at an initial pressure stage through an outlet port opening to a circumferential groove defined in the tapered outer wall of the auxiliary ring between the mating, continuous surfaces of the tapered outer wall and the tapered inner wall between a pair of spaced circumferential sealing O-rings positioned around the tapered outer wall of the auxiliary ring sealing the tapered mating surfaces of the auxiliary ring and the retaining ring with sufficient pressure to decrease the diametrical dimensions of the tapered outer wall and to increase the diametrical dimensions of tapered inner wall;

(d) applying mechanical force to the retaining ring in an outward longitudinal direction while simultaneously increasing the pressure on the fluid between the tapered outer wall and the tapered inner wall until the retaining ring is fully separated from the auxiliary ring;

(e) removing the retaining ring from the auxiliary ring;

(f) deactivating the source of high pressure feed fluid and disconnecting the external high pressure feed fluid line from the internal high pressure feed fluid line;

(g) applying longitudinal pressure to the auxiliary ring in an outward direction with sufficient pressure to separate the auxiliary ring from the rotor; and

(h) removing the auxiliary ring from the rotor.