Generator with improved lubrication and cooling system

• US 6,750,572 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McDowall, Gregor, Doherty, Kieran, Tornquist, Gerald, Borden, Raymond, Lengel, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRAN N
• Application Number:
  US10/161,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20030164651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 310/52-54, 310/57-59, 310/60.A, 310/60.R
• US Class Current: 310/54
• 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 lubricating and cooling system for a high speed generator that directs a lubricating and cooling medium through the generator housing. The lubricating and cooling medium may be supplied to the generator on either end of the housing. A portion of the medium is supplied to the generator bearings. The remaining portion then flows through the rotor shaft, through the rotor, back to the shaft, where a portion may be sprayed onto the rectifier assemblies, then passed through the stator, and out of the generator.

Claims

1. A high speed generator, comprising:

a housing having at least two ends;

hollow rotor shaft rotationally mounted within the generator housing, the rotor shaft having a first end, a second end, an outer circumferential surface, and an inner circumferential surface;

a rotor assembly mounted on the rotor shaft;

a stator assembly mounted within the housing and surrounding at least a portion of the rotor assembly;

at least one rotor cooling supply port positioned proximate the rotor shaft second end and extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface;

at least one rotor cooling return port positioned proximate the rotor shaft first end and extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface;

an oil supply conduit coupled to the generator housing and having an inlet end in fluid communication with a pressurized oil source and an outlet end extending a first predetermined distance into the hollow rotor shaft;

at least one rotor assembly cooling flow path extending through the rotor, said at least one rotor cooling flow path having an inlet end in fluid communication with said at least one rotor cooling supply port and an outlet end in fluid communication with said at least one rotor cooling return port;

an oil return conduit coupled to the generator housing and surrounding at least a portion of the oil supply conduit, the oil return conduit having an inlet end extending a second predetermined distance into the hollow shaft and an outlet end in fluid communication with the rotor cooling return port; and

at least one stator cooling flow path positioned adjacent the stator, said at least one stator cooling flow path having an inlet in fluid communication with second end of the oil conduit and an outlet in fluid communication with a supply oil return path.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a hollow shaft insert having an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface, the shaft insert concentrically mounted within the hollow rotor shaft to define a space between at least a portion of the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the shaft insert outer circumferential surface.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a diode cooling supply port extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface; and

at least one rectifier diode assembly coupled within the generator housing proximate the diode cooling supply port.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one bearing assembly surrounding the rotor shaft; and

at least one bearing oil supply path extending between the stator cooling supply path and the bearing assembly.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

an oil deflector positioned within each bearing oil supply path proximate the bearing assembly.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the oil supply conduit and the oil return conduit are coupled to an end bell that is coupled to the generator housing, and wherein the end bell comprises:

a first flow path in fluid communication between the pressurized oil source and the oil supply conduit first end; and

a second flow path in fluid communication between the oil return conduit second end and the stator cooling oil supply path.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly is mounted on the rotor shaft and includes at least two poles, and wherein the rotor assembly cooling flow path comprises:

at least one support wedge positioned between each of the poles;

at least one axial channel formed through each support wedge, each axial channel having an inlet in fluid communication with at least one rotor cooling supply port, and an outlet in fluid communication with at least one rotor cooling return port.

8. They system of claim 7, further comprising:

a first end cap mounted on the rotor assembly proximate the first end thereof and including at least one first flow gallery extending between each rotor cooling supply port and the support wedge axial channels; and

a second end cap mounted on the rotor assembly proximate the second end thereof and including at least one second flow gallery extending between each rotor cooling return port and the support wedge axial channels.

9. A high speed generator, comprising:

a housing having at least two ends;

a hollow rotor shaft rotationally mounted within the generator housing, the rotor shaft having a first end, a second end, an outer circumferential surface, and an inner circumferential surface;

a rotor assembly mounted on the rotor shaft;

a stator assembly mounted within the housing and surrounding at least a portion of the rotor assembly;

at least one rotor cooling supply port positioned proximate the rotor shaft second end and extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface;

at least one rotor cooling return port positioned proximate the rotor shaft first end and extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface;

an oil supply conduit coupled to the generator housing and having an inlet end in fluid communication with a pressurized oil source and an outlet end extending a first predetermined distance into the hollow rotor shaft;

at least one rotor assembly cooling flow path extending through the rotor, said at least one rotor cooling flow path having an inlet end in fluid communication with said at least one rotor cooling supply port and an outlet end in fluid communication with said at least one rotor cooling return port;

an oil return conduit coupled to the generator housing and surrounding at least a portion of the oil supply conduit, the oil return conduit having an inlet end extending a second predetermined distance into the hollow shaft and an outlet end in fluid communication with the rotor cooling return port;

at least one stator cooling flow path positioned adjacent the stator, said at least one stator cooling flow path having an inlet in fluid communication with second end of the oil conduit and an outlet in fluid communication with a supply oil return path; and

a hollow shaft insert having an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface, the shaft insert concentrically mounted within the hollow rotor shaft to define a space between at least a portion of the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the shaft insert outer circumferential surface.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a diode cooling supply port extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface; and

at least one rectifier diode assembly coupled within the generator housing proximate the diode cooling supply port.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one bearing assembly surrounding the rotor shaft; and

at least one bearing oil supply path extending between the stator cooling supply path and the bearing assembly.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

an oil deflector positioned Within each bearing oil supply path proximate the bearing assembly.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the oil supply conduit and the oil return conduit are coupled to an end bell that is coupled to the generator housing, and wherein the end bell comprises:

a first flow path in fluid communication between the pressurized oil source and the oil supply conduit first end; and

a second flow path in fluid communication between the oil return conduit second end and the stator cooling oil supply path.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the rotor assembly is mounted on the rotor shaft and includes at least two poles, and wherein the rotor assembly cooling flow path comprises:

at least one support wedge positioned between each of the poles;

at least one axial channel formed through each support wedge, each axial channel having an inlet in fluid communication with at least one rotor cooling supply port, and an outlet in fluid communieation with at least one rotor cooling return port.

15. They system of claim 14, further comprising:

a first end cap mounted on the rotor assembly proximate the first end thereof and including at least one first flow gallery extending between each rotor cooling supply port and the support wedge axial channels; and

a second end cap mounted on the rotor assembly proximate the second end thereof and including at least one second flow gallery extending between each rotor cooling return port and the support wedge axial channels.

16. A high speed generator, comprising:

a housing having at least two ends;

a hollow rotor shaft rotationally mounted within the generator housing, the rotor shaft having a first end, a second end, an outer circumferential surface, and an inner circumferential surface;

a rotor assembly mounted on the rotor shaft;

a stator assembly mounted within the housing and surrounding at least a portion of the rotor assembly;

at least one rotor cooling supply port positioned proximate the rotor shaft second end and extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface;

at least one rotor cooling return port positioned proximate the rotor shaft first end and extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface;

an oil supply conduit coupled to the generator housing and having an inlet end in fluid communication with a pressurized oil source and an outlet end extending a first predetermined distance into the hollow rotor shaft;

at least one rotor assembly cooling flow path extending through the rotor, said at least one rotor cooling flow path having an inlet end in fluid communication with said at least one rotor cooling supply port and an outlet end in fluid communication with said at least one rotor cooling return port;

an oil return conduit coupled to the generator housing and surrounding at least a portion of the oil supply conduit, the oil return conduit having an inlet end extending a second predetermined distance into the hollow shaft and an outlet end in fluid communication with the rotor cooling return port;

at least one stator cooling flow path positioned adjacent the stator, said at least one stator cooling flow path having an inlet in fluid communication second end of the oil conduit and an outlet in fluid communication with a supply oil return path;

a hollow shaft insert having an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface, the shaft insert concentrically mounted within the hollow rotor shaft to define a space between at least a portion of the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the shaft insert outer circumferential surface;

a diode cooling supply port extending between the rotor shaft inner circumferential surface and the rotor shaft outer circumferential surface;

at least one rectifier diode assembly coupled within the generator housing proximate the diode cooling supply port;

at least one bearing assembly surrounding the rotor shaft;

at least one bearing oil supply path extending between the stator cooling supply path and the bearing assembly;

an oil deflector positioned within each bearing oil supply path proximate the bearing assembly.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the oil supply conduit and the oil return conduit are coupled to an end bell that is coupled to the generator housing, and wherein the end bell comprises:

a first flow path in fluid communication between the pressurized oil source and the oil supply conduit first end; and

a second flow path in fluid communication between the oil return conduit second end and the stator cooling oil supply path.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the rotor assembly is mounted on the rotor shaft and includes at least two poles, and wherein the rotor assembly cooling flow path comprises:

at least one support wedge positioned between each of the poles;

at least one axial channel formed through each support wedge, each axial channel having an inlet in fluid communication with at least one rotor cooling supply port, and an outlet in fluid communication with at least one rotor cooling return port.

19. They system of claim 18, further comprising:

a first end cap mounted on the rotor assembly proximate the first end thereof and including at least one first flow gallery extending between each rotor cooling supply port and the support wedge axial channels; and

a second end cap mounted on the rotor assembly proximate the second end thereof and including at least one second flow gallery extending between each rotor cooling return port and the support wedge axial channels.

20. An end bell for coupling to a high speed generator, comprising:

a housing;

a first fluid inlet port;

a second fluid inlet port;

a first fluid outlet port;

a second fluid outlet port;

a substantially hollow oil supply conduit having an inlet end coupled to the housing and an outlet end extending a first predetermined distance from the housing;

a substantially hollow oil return conduit surrounding at least a portion of the oil supply conduit, the oil return conduit having an inlet end extending a second predetermined distance from the housing and an outlet end coupled to the housing;

a first flow path extending through the housing and in fluid communication between the first and second fluid inlet ports and the supply conduit inlet end; and

a second flow path extending through the housing and in fluid communication between the first and second outlet ports and the return conduit outlet end.