Electrical machine

• US 9,373,984 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: De Bock, Hendrik Pieter Jacobus, Alexander, James Pellegrino, El-Refaie, Ayman Mohamed Fawzi, Gerstler, William Dwight, Shah, Manoj Ramprasad, Shen, Xiaochun
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullins, Burton
• Application Number:
  US13/171,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20130002064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 310/52, 310/54, 310/59, 310 61- 63, 464/17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/32 with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/203 specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets
• 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 apparatus, such as an electrical machine, is provided. The apparatus can include a rotor defining a rotor bore and a conduit disposed in and extending axially along the rotor bore. The conduit can have an annular conduit body defining a plurality of orifices disposed axially along the conduit and extending through the conduit body. The rotor can have an inner wall that at least partially defines the rotor bore. The orifices can extend through the conduit body along respective orifice directions, and the rotor and conduit can be configured to provide a line of sight along the orifice direction from the respective orifices to the inner wall.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a rotor defining a rotor bore with an inner wall;

a conduit comprising an open first end for receiving and directing fluids into said conduit and further comprising an open second end, said conduit having a portion disposed in and extending axially along said rotor bore, said conduit having an annular conduit body defining a gap between said inner wall and said portion of said conduit disposed in said rotor bore, said gap being in direct fluid communication with said open second end;

a coolant fluid that enters the apparatus through said open first end and moves along said conduit in a first axial direction towards and around said open second end and into said gap, said coolant fluid moving along said gap of said rotor in a second axial direction opposing said first axial direction; and

a plurality of orifices formed on said portion disposed within said rotor bore axially along said conduit and extending through said conduit body into said gap, said orifices being operative to divert a coolant fluid portion moving in said first axial direction and inject said coolant fluid portion into said coolant fluid moving in said second axial direction, wherein at least two of the orifices have respectively different opening areas.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the orifices are disposed circumferentially around said conduit body.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two of the orifices extend along respectively different directions through said conduit body.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the orifices extend through said conduit body along respective orifice directions, and wherein said rotor and conduit are configured to provide a line of sight along the orifice direction from the respective orifices to said inner wall.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rotor is configured to rotate relative to said conduit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising said coolant fluid portion being operative to disrupt boundary layers within the gap.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a rotor defining a rotor bore with an inner wall;

a conduit comprising an open first end for receiving and directing fluids into said conduit and further comprising an open second end, said conduit having a portion disposed in and extending axially along said rotor bore, said conduit having an annular conduit body defining a gap between said inner wall and said portion of said conduit disposed in said rotor bore, said gap being in direct fluid communication with said open second end;

a coolant fluid that enters the apparatus through said open first end and moves along said conduit in a first axial direction towards and around said open second end and into said gap, said coolant fluid moving along said gap of said rotor in a second axial direction opposing said first axial direction; and

a plurality of orifices formed on said portion disposed within said rotor bore axially along said conduit and extending through said conduit body into said gap, said orifices being operative to divert a coolant fluid portion moving in said first axial direction and inject said coolant fluid portion into said coolant fluid moving in said second axial direction, and

a spray nozzle, defined by or disposed over at least one orifice.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said spray nozzle is configured to atomize liquid being forced therethrough.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a stator;

a rotor disposed concentrically with said stator and defining a rotor bore with an inner wall;

a conduit comprising an open first end for receiving and directing fluids into said conduit and further comprising an open second end, said conduit having a portion disposed in and extending axially along said rotor bore, said conduit having an annular conduit body defining a gap between said inner wall and said portion of said conduit disposed in said rotor bore, said gap being in direct fluid communication with said open second end;

a coolant fluid that enters the apparatus through said open first end and moves along said conduit in a first axial direction towards and around said open second end and into said gap, said coolant fluid moving along said gap of said rotor in a second axial direction opposing said first axial direction; and

a plurality of orifices formed on said portion disposed within said rotor bore axially along said conduit and extending through said conduit body into said gap, said orifices being operative to divert a coolant fluid portion moving in said first axial direction and inject said coolant fluid portion into said coolant fluid moving in said second axial direction,

wherein at least two of the orifices have respectively different opening areas.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the orifices are disposed circumferentially around said conduit body.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least two of the orifices extend along respectively different directions through said conduit body.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the orifices extend through said conduit body along respective orifice directions, and wherein said rotor and conduit are configured to provide a line of sight along the orifice direction from the respective orifices to said inner wall.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said rotor is configured to rotate relative to said conduit.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising said coolant fluid portion being operative to disrupt boundary layers within the gap.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a stator;

a rotor disposed concentrically with said stator and defining a rotor bore with an inner wall;

a conduit comprising an open first end for receiving and directing fluids into said conduit and further comprising an open second end, said conduit having a portion disposed in and extending axially along said rotor bore, said conduit having an annular conduit body defining a gap between said inner wall and said portion of said conduit disposed in said rotor bore, said gap being in direct fluid communication with said open second end;

a coolant fluid that enters the apparatus through said open first end and moves along said conduit in a first axial direction towards and around said open second end and into said gap, said coolant fluid moving along said gap of said rotor in a second axial direction opposing said first axial direction;

a plurality of orifices formed on said portion disposed within said rotor bore axially along said conduit and extending through said conduit body into said gap, said orifices being operative to divert a coolant fluid portion moving in said first axial direction and inject said coolant fluid portion into said coolant fluid moving in said second axial direction; and

a spray nozzle, defined by or disposed over at least one orifice.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said spray nozzle is configured to atomize liquid being forced therethrough.