Power generation system interchangeability device and related methods

• US 6,538,339 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
• Inventors: Montgomery, Lon W., Pipkin, James R., Krizek, James J., Ross, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J.
• Application Number:
  US09/797,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20010033081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R, 290/1.A
• US Class Current: 290/1.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/225 Terminal boxes or connection arrangements specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters

Abstract

A power generation system (40) including an interchangeability component connecting device is provided. The system preferably includes an outer housing (60), an inner housing (50), a power generator (70), interchangeable main and neutral leads (102, 116), main side (84) and neutral side (94) current transformers assembled on the respective main and neutral leads, and lead connector interfaces (130, 140) having a plurality of lead connectors (135, 145) are provided. The lead subassemblies (80, 90) preferably include lead subassembly platforms (82, 92) having main leads (102) with main side current transformers (84) and neutral leads (116) with neutral side (94) current transformers positioned thereon The main (102) and neutral (116) leads are interchangeably connected to first (72) and second (74) side portions of the power generator (70). The present invention also provides methods of interchangeably installing main (102) and neutral (116) leads to first (72) and second (74) side portions of the power generator (70). The present invention further provides methods of installing the main leads (102) in a second configuration such that with no change to the power generator (70), the phase sequence delivered at the power connections will be reversed as compared to a first configuration.

Claims

1. A power generation system comprising:

an outer housing;

an inner housing positioned substantially within the outer housing so that an interstitial space is formed between inner surface portions of the outer housing and outer surface portions of the inner housing;

a power generator having first and second side portions being horizontally opposed and positioned substantially within the inner housing;

a plurality of main current transformers positioned in the interstitial space between the outer housing and the inner housing and connected to one of the respective first or second side portions of the power generator to transform current received from the power generator to a preselected output;

a plurality of neutral current transformers positioned in the interstitial space between the outer housing and the inner housing and connected to one of the respective first or second side portions of the power generator so that each of the plurality of neutral current transformers is positioned substantially opposite each of the plurality of main side current transformers to transform current received from the power generator; and

a lead subassembly interchangeability connector interchangeably connected between the respective plurality of main and neutral current transformers and the respective first and second side portions of the power generator to readily interchangeably connect a respective one of the plurality of the main or neutral current transformers to a respective first or second side portion of the power generator.

2. The power generation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said inner housing comprises opposing first and second sidewalls, wherein the lead subassembly interchangeability connector further comprises a pair of lead connector interfaces each connected to the opposing first and second sidewalls of the inner housing so that a first one of the pair of lead connector interfaces is positioned opposite a second one of the pair of lead connector interfaces, each one of the pair of lead connector interfaces comprising a first side positioned along an outer surface of a respective sidewall of the inner housing and a second side positioned along an inner surface of the respective sidewall of the inner housing, each one of the respective pair of opposing lead connector interfaces including a plurality of connectors positioned on the first and second sides of the pair of opposing lead connector interfaces, the plurality of connectors positioned on the first side of each of the pair of opposing lead connector interfaces electrically connected to the plurality of connectors positioned on the second side of each of the pair of opposing lead connector interfaces, the plurality of connectors positioned on the first and second sides of the first one of the pair of lead connector interfaces positioned in substantially the same locations as the plurality of connectors positioned on the first and second sides of the second one of the pair of lead connector interfaces so that the pair of lead connector interfaces are substantially similar in configuration and can thereby readily interchangeably connect one of the plurality of the respective main or neutral current transformers to one of the respective first or second side portions of the power generator, the plurality of connectors positioned on the second side of the lead connector interfaces connected to one of the respective first or second side portions of the power generator and the plurality of connectors positioned on the first side of the lead connector interfaces positioned opposite the plurality of connectors positioned on the second side of the lead connector interfaces and associated with a respective one of the plurality of main or neutral current transformers, each of the plurality of connectors positioned to readily interchangeably electrically connect the plurality of main or neutral current transformers to the first or second side portions of the power generator.

3. The power generation system as defined in claim 2, wherein the pair of lead assembly interchangeability connectors further comprises a first and a second set of a plurality of leads connected to the first side of each of the pairs of lead connector interfaces and extending therefrom to one of the respective plurality of main or neutral current transformers, each of the plurality of leads of the first and second sets of leads positioned to readily interchangeably be associated with one of the plurality of main or neutral side current transformers and one of the plurality of connectors positioned on the second side of one of the pairs of lead connector interfaces to thereby readily interchangeably connect to the first or second side portion of the power generator by interchangeably connecting to one of the plurality of connectors on one of the respective pair of lead connector interfaces.

4. The power generation system as defined in claim 3, wherein the power generator is an air cooled power generator allowing air to circulate within the inner housing to cool the power generation process therefor, and wherein each of the plurality of leads of the first and second sets of the plurality of leads further comprises a pair of conductors defined by a first and a second conductor, each having substantially the same shape, the first conductor positioned spaced-apart from the second conductor and wherein the first and second conductors extend substantially parallel from one of the plurality of main or neutral current transformers to the plurality of connectors positioned on the second side of one of the pairs of lead connector interfaces, and wherein a first pair of conductors associated with one of the plurality of the first set of the plurality of leads is shaped substantially similar to and positioned opposite a second pair of conductors associated with one of the plurality of the second set of the plurality of leads.

5. The power generation system as defined in claim 4, further comprising a plurality of lead subassembly platforms positioned in the interstitial space between the inner housing and the outer housing adjacent respective side portions of the power generator for supporting each of the respective plurality of main or neutral current transformers, and wherein each of the plurality of respective main or neutral current transformers is positioned spaced-apart and connected to a portion of each of the plurality of lead subassembly platforms that is distal from the outer surface portions of one of the sidewalls of the inner housing.

6. The power generation system as defined in claim 1, wherein the outer housing further comprises a bottom, a plurality of sidewalls connected to the bottom, and a top connected to each of the plurality of sidewalls and positioned to overlie the bottom.

7. The power generation system as defined in claim 6, wherein the inner housing further comprises a bottom positioned spaced-apart from and supported on the bottom of the outer housing, a plurality of sidewalls connected to the bottom of the inner housing, and a top connected to the plurality of sidewalls and positioned to overlie the bottom of the inner housing.

8. The power generation system as defined in claim 7, wherein the power generator includes a rotor and a multi-phase stator surrounding at least portions of the rotor.

9. A power generation system comprising:

an outer housing;

an inner housing within the outer housing and defining an interstitial space therewith;

a power generator within the inner housing and having first and second side portions being horizontally opposed;

a plurality of main current transformers in the interstitial space adjacent the first side portion of the power generator;

a plurality of neutral current transformers in the interstitial space adjacent the second side portion of the power generator; and

a respective lead subassembly interchangeability connector for interchangeably connecting the main current transformers to the first side portion of the power generator and the neutral current transformers to the second side portion of the power generator.

10. The power generation system as defined in claim 9, wherein each lead subassembly interchangeability connector comprises a pair of lead connector interfaces each comprising a first side positioned along an outer surface of the inner housing and a second side positioned along an inner surface of the inner housing, each lead connector interface including a plurality of connectors positioned on the first and second sides thereof.

11. The power generation system as defined in claim 10, wherein each lead subassembly interchangeability connector further comprises a first and a second set of leads extending from the first side thereof.

12. The power generation system as defined in claim 11, further comprising a respective lead subassembly platform positioned in the interstitial space for supporting the main current transformers and the neutral current transformers.

13. The power generation system as defined in claim 9, wherein the power generator is an air cooled power generator allowing air to circulate within the inner housing.

14. The power generation system as defined in claim 9, wherein the outer housing comprises a bottom, a plurality of sidewalls connected to the bottom, and a top connected to each of the plurality of sidewalls and positioned to overlie the bottom.

15. The power generation system as defined in claim 14, wherein the inner housing comprises a bottom positioned spaced-apart from and supported on the bottom of the outer housing, a plurality of sidewalls connected to the bottom of the inner housing, and a top connected to the plurality of sidewalls and positioned to overlie the bottom of the inner housing.

16. The power generation system as defined in claim 9, wherein the power generator includes a rotor and a multiphase stator surrounding at least portions of the rotor.