Cooling system for rotating machine

• US 7,994,668 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Shen, Xiaochun, El-Refaie, Ayman Mohamed Fawzi, Salasoo, Lembit, Palafox, Pepe, Gerstler, William Dwight, Alexander, James Pellegrino, Quirion, Owen Scott, Lokhandwalla, Murtuza
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tran N
• Application Number:
  US12/467,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20100289386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 310/52, 310 58- 59, 310/60.R, 310 61- 63, 310/60.A, 310/64, 31015648-15659, 310/216.007, 310/216.053, 310216057-216058, 310/216.074, 310/216.079, 310/261.1
• US Class Current: 310/61
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/2773 consisting of tangentially magnetized radial magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/32 with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/193 with provision for replenishing the cooling medium; with means for preventing leakage of the cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/197 in which the rotor or stator space is fluid-tight, e.g. to provide for different cooling media for rotor and stator

Abstract

An electrical machine comprising a rotor is presented. The electrical machine includes the rotor disposed on a rotatable shaft and defining a plurality of radial protrusions extending from the shaft up to a periphery of the rotor. The radial protrusions having cavities define a fluid path. A stationary shaft is disposed concentrically within the rotatable shaft wherein an annular space is formed between the stationary and rotatable shaft. A plurality of magnetic segments is disposed on the radial protrusions and the fluid path from within the stationary shaft into the annular space and extending through the cavities within the radial protrusions.

Claims

1. An electrical machine comprising:

a rotor having a rotatable shaft with an outer surface and a plurality of radial protrusions extending radially from the outer surface of the shaft, each of the protrusions having at least one cavity extending therethrough;

a stationary shaft disposed concentrically within the rotatable shaft and including an interior hollow region, wherein an annular space is formed between the stationary and rotatable shafts; and

a plurality of magnetic segments disposed on the radial protrusions,

wherein a fluid path extends from the hollow region, into the annular space, and through the cavities of the radial protrusions.

2. The electrical machine of claim 1, wherein the radial protrusions extend along an axial portion of the rotating shaft.

3. The electrical machine of claim 1, wherein each magnetic segment comprises a plurality of laminated magnetic sheets.

4. The electrical machine of claim 3, further comprising permanent magnets interposed between respective pairs of adjacent magnetic segments.

5. The electrical machine of claim 1, wherein each of the protrusions comprises a hole in fluid connection with a respective one of the cavities.

6. The electrical machine of claim 1, wherein the annular space comprises baffles.

7. The electrical machine of claim 1, further comprising a coolant within the fluid path.

8. The electrical machine of claim 7, further comprising a seal between the rotating shaft and the stationary shaft.

9. The electrical machine of claim 8, wherein the seal facilitates a change in reference frame of the coolant from rotating frame to stator frame.

10. An electrical machine comprising:

a stator comprising stator coils interposed between stator laminations;

a rotor having a rotatable shaft with an outer surface and a plurality of radial protrusions extending radially from the outer surface of the shaft, each of the protrusions having at least one cavity extending therethrough;

a stationary shaft having a hollow region and disposed concentrically within the rotatable shaft, wherein an annular space is formed between the stationary and rotatable shafts, wherein a fluid path extends from the hollow region, into the annular space, and through the cavities of the radial protrusions;

a plurality of magnetic segments disposed on the radial protrusions; and

a seal disposed between the stationary shaft and the rotatable shaft enclosing the annular space and comprising a pathway to an exit.

11. The electrical machine of claim 10, further comprising at least one baffle disposed in the fluid path.

12. The electrical machine of claim 11, further comprising at least one baffle disposed within the annular space.

13. The electrical machine of claim 10, wherein the radial protrusions comprise axial fins.

14. The electrical machine of claim 13, wherein the axial fins comprise axial holes coupled to the fluid path.

15. A rotor cooling system comprising:

an annular space defined between a rotatable shaft and a hollow stationary shaft, the rotatable shaft having an outer surface and a plurality of radial protrusions extending radially outward from the outer surface;

a fluid path from within the hollow stationary shaft and into the annular space;

a plurality of cavities, each extending radially from the annular space towards a periphery of a respective one of the radial protrusions; and

holes in the radial protrusions, each being in fluid connection with a respective one of the plurality of cavities.

16. The rotor cooling system of claim 15, wherein the annular space, the radial cavities, and the axial holes are coupled to form the fluid path.

17. The rotor cooling system of claim 16, further comprising a coolant circulating within the fluid path.

18. The rotor cooling system of claim 17, wherein the coolant traverses between rotating and stationary frames.

19. The rotor cooling system of claim 18, wherein a seal facilitates traversal of the coolant between rotating and stationary frames.