Dynamic commutator profile system

• US 5,442,953 A
• Filed: 10/21/1993
• Issued: 08/22/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Fisher, William D., Hartmann, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr., Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dombroske, George M.
• Application Number:
  US08/140,587
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 73/105, 73/865.9, 73/866.5, 33/655, 33/656, 82/900
• US Class Current: 73/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/282 for measuring roundness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 82/90 Lathe thermal regulation

Abstract

A dynamic profiling system for measuring a profile of an outer surface of a moving motor component such as a commutator includes a movable probe assembly having a profile detecting probe and a probe cooling system for circulating a cooling liquid about the probe. The probe cooling system maintains the cooling liquid at a fixed temperature during circulation of the liquid. The detecting probe obtains profile measurement data from the outer surface of the rotating motor component when the motor component is at ambient and hot temperatures. Additionally data is collected while the commutator is rotating up to 4000 revolutions per minute. The system further includes a controller, an analog to digital converter for receiving and converting the data, and a monitor for displaying information processed by the controller. The controller directs a probe positioning device to reciprocally position the probe assembly relative to the moving motor component under test and a protective enclosure encloses the moving motor component while the test is in progress. An aperture in the protective enclosure allows the probe assembly to approach the moving motor component by passing through the aperture while a movable door can selectively block and unblock the aperture. A door sensor generates a door status signal to indicate the state of the door, wherein the controller receives the door status signal and generates a visual indication of the door status signal in response thereto.

Claims

1. A dynamic profiling system for measuring a profile of an outer surface of a moving motor component, the profiling system comprising:

a moveable probe assembly having a profile detecting probe; and

a probe cooling system for circulating a cooling liquid about the detecting probe and to maintain the cooling liquid at a fixed temperature during circulation of the cooling liquid wherein the detecting probe obtains profile measurement data from the outer surface of the moving motor component when the motor component is heated.

2. The profiling system as defined in claim 1 wherein the probe assembly further comprises:

a tubular enclosure;

a liquid-tight jacket having a forward end, the jacket being coaxially accommodated within the tubular enclosure;

the jacket having an inlet aperture for accepting the cooling liquid and an outlet aperture for removing the cooling liquid wherein the cooling liquid is supplied to the liquid-tight jacket for controlling the temperature of the detecting probe contained therein; and

the profile detecting probe having a probe tip, the profile detecting probe being coaxially accommodated within the liquid-tight jacket, the probe tip being disposed toward the forward end of the liquid-tight jacket.

3. The profiling system as defined in claim 2 wherein the water-tight jacket is a contiguous structure coaxially surrounding at least a portion of the probe tip.

4. The profiling system as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

an inlet pipe having an angled tip;

the inlet pipe extending within the water-tight jacket such that the angled tip is proximal to the forward end of the water-tight jacket for directionally supplying the cooling liquid to the forward end of the water-tight jacket.

5. The profiling system as defined in claim 2 wherein the detecting probe further comprises:

a capacitative transducer for measuring the distance from the detecting probe to the outer surface of the moving motor component.

6. The profiling system as defined in claim 1 wherein the probe cooling system further comprises:

means for cooling the cooling liquid to a fixed temperature;

means for monitoring the flow rate of the cooling liquid supplied to the detecting probe to maintain the detecting probe at a substantially fixed temperature; and

control means responsive to the flow rate monitoring means, for withdrawing the detecting probe from the motor component when the flow rate is beyond a predetermined threshold.

7. The profiling system as defined in claim 6 wherein the probe cooling system maintains the temperature of the detecting probe at approximately twenty-three degrees centigrade.

8. A dynamic profiling system for measuring a profile of an outer surface of a moving motor component, the profiling system comprising:

a moveable probe assembly having a profile detecting probe;

a probe cooling system for circulating a cooling liquid about the detecting probe and to maintain the cooling liquid at a fixed temperature during circulation of the liquid wherein the detecting probe obtains profile measurement data from the outer surface of the moving motor component when the motor component is heated;

control means for processing the profile measurement data collected by the detecting probe and for controlling the position of the probe assembly;

a rotation platform having a base and a rotation means for rotating the motor component;

means for enclosing the moving motor component;

an aperture, defined by an opening in the enclosure means, configured to allow the probe assembly to approach the moving motor component by passing through the aperture;

a movable door for selectively blocking the aperture; and

door sensing means for generating a door status signal to indicate to the control means whether the aperture is blocked or unblocked by the door.

9. The profiling system as defined in claim 8 wherein the control means is responsive to the door status signal and generates a visual indication of the door status signal in response thereto.

10. The profiling system as defined in claim 8 further comprising:

an auxiliary position control means, responsive to the door status signal for positioning the probe assembly relative to the moving motor component wherein the auxiliary position control means is disabled by the control means so that the probe assembly will not pass through the aperture when the door is blocking the aperture.

11. The profiling system as defined in claim 8 wherein the enclosure means further comprises:

a temperature control means for heating the area enclosed by the enclosure means.

12. The profiling system as defined in claim 8 further comprising:

a probe positioning means for positioning the probe assembly relative to the moving motor component.

13. The profiling system as defined in claim 12 wherein the probe positioning means further comprises:

an X-Y table for securing the probe assembly;

a first motor for positioning the probe assembly longitudinally in the X direction and responsive to a first drive signal generated by the control means; and

a second motor for positioning the probe assembly vertically in the Y direction responsive to a second drive signal generated by the control means.

14. The profiling system as defined in claim 8 further comprising:

an analog to digital converter for converting the profile measurement data collected by the profile detecting probe into digital data for transmission to the control means for processing.

15. A dynamic profiling system for measuring a profile of an outer surface of a moving motor component, the profiling system comprising:

a movable probe assembly having a profile detecting probe;

a probe cooling system for circulating a cooling liquid about the detecting probe and to maintain the cooling liquid at a fixed temperature during circulation of the cooling liquid wherein the detecting probe obtains profile measurement data from the outer surface of the moving motor component when the motor component is heated;

control means for processing the data collected by the profile detecting probe and for controlling the position of the probe assembly;

an analog to digital converter for converting the data collected by the detecting probe into digital data and for transmitting the data to the control means for processing;

visual display means for providing information processed by the control means;

probe positioning means for positioning the probe assembly relative to the moving motor component;

auxiliary position control means for manually positioning the probe assembly relative to the moving motor component;

a rotation platform having a base and a rotation means for rotating the motor component;

means for enclosing the moving motor component wherein the enclosure means releasably attaches to the rotation platform;

an aperture defined by an opening in the enclosure means configured to allow the probe assembly to approach the moving motor component by passing through the aperture;

a movable door for selectively blocking the aperture;

door sensing means for generating a door status signal to indicate to the control means whether the aperture is blocked or unblocked by the door; and

the control means being responsive to the door status signal and for generating a visual indication of the door status signal in response thereto.

16. The profiling system as defined in claim 15 wherein the control means further comprises:

a door open request signal generated by the control means and received by a door actuating means and responsive thereto.

17. The profiling system as defined in claim 15 wherein the control means further comprises:

a cooling liquid flow rate error signal issued by the probe cooling system and received by the control means;

an excessive vibration signal issued by the rotation platform and received by the control means;

a rate of rotation signal issued by the rotation platform and received by the control means; and

a temperature indication signal issued by the rotation platform and received by the control means.

18. The profiling system as defined in claim 15 further comprising:

an auxiliary position control means, responsive to the door status signal for positioning the probe assembly relative to the moving motor component such that the auxiliary position control means is disabled by the controller so that the probe assembly will not pass through the aperture when the door is blocking the aperture.

19. The profiling system as defined in claim 15 wherein the control means generates graphical and tabular representations of the data collected by the detecting probe and at different temperatures for display to an operator.

20. The profiling system as defined in claim 19, wherein the graphical representation of the data collected by the detecting probe at hot and ambient temperatures may be overlayed and viewed on the display.