Generator auxiliary mode lubrication system and method

• US 5,034,638 A
• Filed: 03/14/1990
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Inventors: McCabria, Jack L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LaBalle, C.
• Application Number:
  US07/493,170
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 310/52, 310/53, 310/54, 310/57, 310/58, 310/59, 310/60 A, 310/60 R, 310/61, 310/63, 310/90, 310/112, 310/113, 322/33, 322/34, 290/2
• US Class Current: 310/54
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 39/02 by cooling heat-exchangers in general F28
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/19 for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil

Abstract

A generator system having a failure mode cooling-oil lubricating auxiliary compartment structurally integrated into the generator casing so as to provide a supplement to primary cooling and lubrication functions. A coupled driving unit and generating unit of an aircraft generating system has primary pump cooling and lubricating functions during productive rotating electrical power generation, and cooling friction and windage cooling function and a residual lubrication function is used for critical rotating components, during a fault mode of electrical non-power output production in the generator. This is provided in order to retard or eliminate damage and destruction of the coupled driving and generator units during an extended interim without power output of a failed generator unit, such as when its primary cooling and lubricating components have ceased to function.

Claims

1. A generator system adaptive, cooling-oil lubrication system, comprising:

a primary reservoir compartment and a power generation compartment in fluid communication with said primary reservoir compartment, said primary reservoir compartment being adapted for receiving from and pressurizing through an oil line to said power generation compartment, a cooling-oil lubricant;

a power generation section of said power generation compartment including means with a rotor rotatingly coupled to stationary means having a rotating electric field for producing electrical power generation output for said power generation section;

pump means for scavenging the cooling-oil lubricant at a plurality of indices of gravitational orientation for said primary reservoir compartment in order to pressurize the cooling-oil lubricant for forced return to said power generation compartment during operational cooling and lubricating of vital rotational and electrical components of said power generation section when fluid pressure and volume is within an established operational range;

a residual reservoir section of said power generation compartment in a casing adapted to cause primary recirculated fluid passage of the cooling-oil lubricant from said pump means, said casing having a plurality of fluid communicating passages for collecting and distributing a limited preselected volume of the cooling-oil lubricant to vital rotational components of said power generating section, the limited preselected volume being supplemental to a returnable primary fluid portion in the casing passages during normal fluid pressure operation of said power generation section, and the limited preselected volume of fluid being available for slinging the fluid to said communicating passages by rotor reaction during a fault or failure mode when the fluid pressure operation ceases,

said rotor means thereby imparting an energetic release of the cooling-oil lubricant to replenish a portion of said fluid communication passages for continuously recollecting and redistributing the limited preselected volume of cooling-oil lubricant, which remains available during a fault or failure mode to vital rotational and nominal electrical components, without returning the cooling-oil lubricant to the primary reservoir compartment.

2. The generator system of claim 1 wherein said casing of said power generation compartment includes a port for fluid communication return to said primary reservoir compartment so that the fluid runs off by gravity flow of the cooling-oil lubricant from the residual reservoir section during normal fluid pump pressure operation of said power generation section.

3. The generator system of claim 2 wherein said power generation compartment is separated from said residual reservoir compartment by a baffle with the relative position of the port for the fluid level in the residual reservoir normally occupying a higher level than fluid level in the primary reservoir so that the oil-cooling lubricant overflows into the primary reservoir during power generation of electrical output.

4. The generator system of claim 1 wherein said power generation section includes static electronic means for converting variable speed (VSCF) driving power frequency to constant frequency electrical output power.

5. The generator system of claim 1 wherein said rotor means is rotatingly coupled through a geared shaft to the output shaft of a primary engine and said geared shaft is not readily disengageable from the generator system upon primary fluid loss or pump modes of generator failure.

6. The generator system of claim 1 wherein said rotor means includes a hollow shaft, the hollow of said shaft encompassing means rotating with said shaft, for rectifying electrical power generation, said means for rectifying being cooled by oil-cooling lubricant communicating through said shaft from a casing passage fitting and being under fluid pressure when said generator is in a production mode of electrical power generation.

7. The generator system of claim 6 wherein the fluid returning to the primary reservoir communicates through cooler means for cooling the heat-laden cooling-oil lubricant in order to extract the heat therefrom by interaction with a heat exchange medium.

8. The generator of claim 6 wherein said rotor means is coupled through a geared shaft to the output shaft of a primary engine and said generator is adapted to be driven through a constant speed drive unit.

9. The generator of claim 1 wherein said fluid collecting communicating passages for said residual reservoir section includes a plurality of collecting slots in the generator casing interior cavity, each slot being positioned to collect at least a portion of the limited preselected volume of cooling-oil lubricant being slung by rotor reaction during a fault or failure mode.

10. The generator of claim 9 wherein said fluid distributing communicating passages for said residual reservoir section includes a plurality of exit ports, at least one of said exit ports being located for fluid discharging of a portion of the cooling-oil lubricant onto the surface of said rotor adjacent the end turns at one end of said rotor, and at least the other of said plurality of exit ports being located for fluid discharging the supplemental portion of the cooling-oil lubricant onto the surface of said rotor adjacent the end turns at the other end of said rotor.

11. A generator sited, cooling-oil lubrication system, comprising:

a primary reservoir compartment and a power generation compartment in fluid communication with said primary reservoir compartment, said primary reservoir compartment being adapted for receiving from and pressurizing through an oil line to said power generation compartment, a cooling-oil lubricant;

a power generation section of said power generation compartment including rotor means electromagnetically coupled to stationary means having a rotating electric field for producing electrical power generation output for said power generation section;

pump means for scavenging the cooling oil lubricant at a plurality of indices of gravitational orientation from said primary reservoir compartment in order to pressurize the cooling-oil lubricant for forced return to said power generation compartment during operational cooling and lubricating of vital rotational and electrical components of said power generation section when fluid pressure and volume is within a predetermined operational range;

a residual reservoir section of said power generation compartment in a casing being adapted to capture a minor portion of the fluid from the passage of the cooling-oil lubricant from said pump means, said casing having a plurality of fluid communicating passages for collecting and distributing the captured portion of the cooling-oil lubricant to vital rotational components of said power generating section supplemental to a returnable major fluid portion in the casing passages during electrical output, under normal fluid pressure operation of said power generation section, said captured fluid portion being available in said residual reservoir section during a fault or failure mode when the fluid replenishment from the pump operation ceases,

said rotor means including a rotor having a surface imparting an energetic release of the cooling-oil lubricant to form a fluid replenishing path for some of said fluid communication passages, thereby continuously recollecting and redistributing a trapped portion of cooling-oil lubricant to the vital rotational components, without returning the cooling-oil lubricant portion to the primary reservoir compartment, during the persistence of a fault or a failure mode.

12. A generator system comprising:

a generator casing;

a primary reservoir compartment communicating with the generator casing for containing a cooling-oil lubricant;

a cooling-oil lubricated auxiliary reservoir compartment structurally integrated with the generator casing so as to provide a supplement to primary cooling and lubrication functions;

a driving unit and a generating unit coupled thereto for producing electrical power output from said generating unit;

a primary pump for cooling and lubrication functions of said generating unit during productive rotating electrical power generation;

said auxiliary compartment having gravity fed fluid communicating passages for providing a cooling function to said generating unit for friction and windage losses and a gravity fed lubricating function to said generating unit for lubricating critical rotating components, during a fault mode of non-power output production of the generating unit;

said auxiliary compartment acting to collect and distribute the cooling-oil lubricant by the spinning action of said generating unit in order to retard damage and destruction of the coupled generating unit during an interim after one or more of the component primary cooling and lubricating operations malfunction.