Dynamic blocking restraint of a rotor field winding contained by a non-metallic structural rotor enclosure

• US 6,313,561 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nygard, Robert J., Wang, Yu, Kaminski, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lam, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US09/491,861
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 310/261, 310/214, 310/215, 310/216, 310/217, 310/218, 310/262
• US Class Current: 310/261.1
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/527 applicable to rotors only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The conventional bar by bar assembly of a generator rotor can be replaced with a solid rotor having parallel slots milled into a rotor forging so that containment components can be replaced with a simplified enclosure. A dynamic blocking restraint assembly is beneficial to control winding position, to prevent load dissymmetries against the winding enclosure, and to provide sufficient preload to obtain predictable behavior in all expected modes of operation. The blocking assembly includes a sandwich construction of a first support block, at least one spring, additional wedge-shaped spacers in the case of multiple springs, and a second support block disposed in a symmetrical arrangement substantially aligned with the quadrature axis of the rotor. The assembly serves to provide circumferential restraint and to match the structural hoop stiffness of the winding enclosure. The construction of components can be configured to accommodate any desired degree of preloading.

Claims

1. A dynamic blocking restraint assembly for field windings of a generator rotor winding module contained by an enclosure, the dynamic blocking restraint assembly comprising:

a first support block engageable with a rotor field winding;

a first spring disposed engaging the first support block;

a second support block engageable with an adjacent rotor field winding;

a second spring disposed engaging the second support block; and

a wedge disposed between the first spring and the second spring.

2. A dynamic blocking restraint assembly according to claim 1, wherein the assembly is constructed in a sandwich for insertion between the rotor field winding and the adjacent rotor field winding in an order of the first support block, the first spring, the wedge, the second spring, and the second support block.

3. A dynamic blocking restraint assembly according to claim 2, further comprising at least one additional wedge and a corresponding at least one additional spring disposed between the wedge and the additional wedge.

4. A dynamic blocking restraint assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second springs are corrugated.

5. A dynamic blocking restraint assembly according to claim 4, wherein corrugations of the corrugated springs are oriented at an angle relative to edges of the springs.

6. A dynamic blocking restraint assembly according to claim 1, wherein structural characteristics of the first and second springs are selected to counterbalance circumferential forces exerted on the winding module.

7. A dynamic blocking restraint assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first and second support blocks each comprises at least one ridge for positioning and securing the assembly.

8. A generator rotor comprising:

a multi-pole magnetic core and a plurality of core assemblies, one for each pole, the core assemblies defining a winding module having a plurality of field windings;

an enclosure housing the core and the core assemblies; and

a dynamic blocking restraint assembly disposed between adjacent first and second field windings, the dynamic blocking restraint assembly comprising;

a first support block engaging the first field winding,

a first spring disposed engaging the first support block,

a second support block engaging the second field winding,

a second spring disposed engaging the second support block, and

a wedge disposed between the first spring and the second spring.

9. A generator rotor according to claim 8, wherein the dynamic blocking assembly is constructed in a sandwich for insertion between first and second field windings in an order of the first support block, the first spring, the wedge, the second spring, and the second support block.

10. A generator rotor according to claim 9, wherein the wedge of the dynamic blocking assembly is substantially aligned with a quadrature axis of the rotor.

11. A generator rotor according to claim 9, wherein the dynamic blocking assembly further comprises at least one additional wedge and a corresponding at least one additional spring disposed between the wedge and the additional wedge.

12. A generator rotor according to claim 8, wherein the first and second springs are corrugated.

13. A generator rotor according to claim 12, wherein corrugations of the corrugated springs are oriented at an angle relative to edges of the springs.

14. A generator rotor according to claim 8, wherein structural characteristics of the first and second springs are selected to counterbalance circumferential forces exerted on the winding module.

15. A generator rotor according to claim 8, wherein the first and second support blocks each comprises at least one ridge for positioning and securing the assembly.