Crevice corrosion-resistant liquid-cooled armature bar clip-to-strand connection and related method

• US 7,216,796 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Iversen, Alan Michael, Hopeck, James Fredrick, Breznak, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan; Patrick Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aboagye; Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/841,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20050247762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 228/245, 228/246, 228/249, 228/132, 228/133, 228/212, 228/179.1, 228/178, 310/52, 310/53, 310/54, 219/129, 219/85.13, 219/85.1, 219/85.21, 219/85.22, 219/85.15, 295/96
• US Class Current: 228/245
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/0018 Brazing of turbine parts
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/018 Unsoldering; Removal of melted solder or other residues
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/001 Turbines
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/32 Wires
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/02 Iron or ferrous alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/12 Copper or alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/18 Dissimilar materials
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/22 Ferrous alloys and copper or alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 35/302 Cu as the principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/0093 Manufacturing or repairing cooling fluid boxes, i.e. terminals of fluid cooled windings ensuring both electrical and fluid connection
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/24 with channels or ducts for cooling medium between the conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine

Abstract

A brazed joint between an armature bar strand package and an end fitting includes a plurality of strands arranged in a tiered array and forming the strand package; a cavity in the end fitting, free ends of the plurality of strands extending through opening in the end fitting and received in the cavity; and an essentially phosphorous-free copper-silver braze alloy joining the free ends of the plurality of strands to each other and to interior surfaces of the end fitting.

Claims

1. A brazed joint between an armature bar strand package and an end fitting comprising:

a plurality of solid strands and a plurality of hollow strands arranged in a tiered array and forming the strand package, said plurality of hollow strands having free ends that extend axially beyond corresponding free ends of said solid strands;

a cavity in the end fitting, said free ends of said plurality of hollow strands and said corresponding free ends of said solid strands extending through an opening in said end fitting and received in said cavity; and

an essentially phosphorous-free copper-silver braze alloy joining said free ends of said plurality of hollow strands and said corresponding free ends of said plurality of solid strands to each other and to interior surfaces of said end fitting.

2. The brazed joint of claim 1 wherein said braze alloy covers said free ends of said solid strands.

3. The brazed joint of claim 1 further comprising metal shims arranged between one or more tiers of said tiered array.

4. The brazed joint of claim 3 wherein said metal shims are composed of copper.

5. The brazed joint of claim 1 wherein said plurality of solid and hollow strands are composed of copper.

6. The brazed joint of claim 1 wherein said plurality of solid strands are composed of copper and hollow strands are composed of stainless steel.

7. A brazed joint between an armature bar and an end fitting comprising:

a cavity in the end fitting, accessed by an opening;

an array of solid and hollow strands received in said opening and arranged in a tiered array; and

an essentially phosphorous-free, copper-silver braze alloy joining said solid and hollow strands to each other and to internal surfaces of said end fitting, said braze alloy covering free ends of said solid strands but leaving free ends of said hollow strands open and unobstructed.

8. The brazed joint of claim 7 and further comprising metal shims arranged between one or more tiers of said tiered array.

9. The brazed joint of claim 8 wherein said metal shims are composed of copper.

10. The brazed joint of claim 7 wherein said plurality of solid and hollow strands are composed of copper.

11. The brazed joint of claim 7 wherein said plurality of solid strands are composed of copper and hollow strands are composed of stainless steel.

12. A method of forming a brazed joint between an armature bar and an end fitting comprising:

a) locating ends of a plurality of hollow strands and a plurality of solid strands within a cavity in an end fitting such that free ends of said hollow strands extend axially beyond free ends of said solid strands; and

b) pre-placing an essentially phosphorous-free copper-silver braze alloy around and between said ends of said hollow strands and said solid strands such that said braze alloy does not extend axially beyond said free ends of said solid strands.

13. The method of claim 12 and further comprising:

c) brazing the plurality of hollow and solid strands to the end fitting within a chamber in a controlled gas atmosphere.

14. The method of claim 12 and further comprising adding metal shims between at least some of said tiers.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said shims are composed of copper.

16. The brazed joint of claim 12 wherein said plurality of solid and hollow strands are composed of copper.

17. The brazed joint of claim 12 wherein said plurality of solid strands are composed of copper and hollow strands are composed of stainless steel.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said gas comprises nitrogen, hydrogen and trace amounts of oxygen or 100% hydrogen.

19. A brazed joint between an armature bar strand package and an end fitting comprising:

a plurality of strands arranged in a tiered array and forming the strand package;

a cavity in the end fitting, free ends of said plurality of strands extending through an opening in said end fitting and received in said cavity; and

an essentially phosphorous-free copper-silver braze alloy joining said free ends of said plurality of strands to each other and to interior surfaces of said end fitting.

20. The brazed joint of claim 19 wherein said plurality of strands comprises all hollow strands.