Method of sealing a generator stator bar and a stator bar end fitting

• US 7,334,316 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wang, Yu, Breznak, Jeffrey Michael, Sowers, Lawrence Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THIEM D
• Application Number:
  US10/900,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20060021212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 295/96, 294/020.3, 294/020.8, 294/021.6, 295/98, 296/032.5, 219/85.18, 219/129, 219/400, 310/54, 310/254
• US Class Current: 29/596
• 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 3/22 consisting of hollow conductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49012 Rotor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49064 by coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49721 with disassembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4973 Replacing of defective part
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49742 Metallurgically attaching preform
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49945 by driven force fit

Abstract

A method of sealing a generator stator bar and a stator bar end fitting receiving the end including the steps of: brazing the fitting to the end of the stator bar with a braze material; applying a metallic barrier coating material to the end of the stator bar in the fitting; heating the fitting at a temperature at least as hot as a liquidus temperature of the metallic coating material and cooler than a solids temperature of the braze material; coating the end of the stator bar in the fitting with liquid metallic barrier coating material, and solidifying the liquefied metallic coating material to form a metallic barrier coating on the end of the stator bar in the fitting.

Claims

1. A method of sealing a stator bar end to a stator bar end fitting, the fitting having a chamber for receiving a liquid through an opening and in communication with hollow strands in said stator bar to enable coolant liquid flow through the hollow strands, said method comprising:

brazing the fitting to the end of the stator bar;

inserting a metallic barrier coating material into the chamber of the fitting;

liquefying the metallic barrier coating material by heating the material to a temperature at least as hot as a liquidus temperature of the coating material;

coating the end of the stator bar in the fitting with the liquefied metallic barrier coating material, and

solidifying the liquefied metallic barrier coating material to form a barrier over the end of the stator bar in the fitting, wherein said hollow end strands comprise end sections extending through and beyond the barrier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein brazing the fitting comprises brazing the fitting and stator bar with a phosphorus copper braze alloy and the coating material comprises a solder material.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein brazing the fitting comprises brazing with at least one of a BCuP-5 or BCuP-1 phosphorus copper braze alloy, and the metallic coating comprises a tin-silver-copper solder material.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein brazing the fitting comprises brazing with a BCuP-5 phosphorus copper braze alloy and the metallic coating comprises a tin-silver-copper solder alloy material.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the fitting is brazed with a braze alloy having a solids temperature of no lower than 710 degrees Celsius and the metallic coating material has a liquidus temperature no hotter than 600 degrees Celsius.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the fitting is oriented vertically and the end of the stator bar in horizontal during the step of coating the end of the stator bar with liquid metallic baffler coating material.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein the end sections of the hollow strands comprise open ends of the hollow strands extending beyond ends of solid strands of the bar, and the liquid metallic coating covering the ends of the solid strands and said end openings of the hollow strands extend above the liquid metallic coating.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein the end sections of the hollow strands comprise an insert in each of an open end of the hollow strands, and each insert extends above the liquid metallic coating.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the inserts are ceramic.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein the coating material is applied to the end of the stator bar through a coupling end of the fitting.

11. The method as in claim 1 wherein the coating material is applied to the end of the stator bar as a solid.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein the coating material is applied as at least one of a paste, a powder, metallic chips and metallic shavings.