ELECTRICAL MACHINE COMPRISING A ROTOR, A STATOR AND AN AIR GAP BETWEEN ROTOR AND STATOR

• US 20120119628A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Renewable Technologies (Alstom SA)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Hydro France (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: SCHWERY, Alexander, CIFYILDIZ, Serdar, SCHMID, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/68.B
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/20 for measuring, monitoring, testing, protecting or switching rectifiers H02K11/04; power electronics H02K11/33

Abstract

An electrical machine configured to operate at a power range of several MVA includes a rotor is configured to rotate about a rotor axis. The rotor includes a rotor lamination stack. A stator includes a stator lamination stack concentrically surrounding the rotor lamination stack, wherein a ring-like air gap separates the rotor lamination stack from the stator. An air gap monitoring device extends through the air gap in an axial direction and is configured to detect at least one of a change in a rotor geometry and a presence of debris in the air gap.

Claims

1. An electrical machine configured to operate at a power range of several MVA comprising:

a rotor configured to rotate about a rotor axis and including a rotor lamination stack;

a stator including a stator lamination stack concentrically surrounding the rotor lamination stack, wherein a ring-like air gap separates the rotor lamination stack from the stator; and

an air gap monitoring device extending through the air gap in an axial direction and configured to detect at least one of a change in a rotor geometry and a presence of debris in the air gap.

2. The electrical machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the electrical machine is one of an asynchronous machine and a synchronous machine.

3. The electrical machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the air gap monitoring device includes a monitoring track extending through the air gap in the axial direction.

4. The electrical machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring track extends parallel to the rotor axis.

5. The electrical machine as recited in claim 4, wherein the monitoring track includes at least one taut wire.

6. The electrical machine as recited in claim 5, further comprising a suspension device configured to fix the at least one wire to the stator.

7. The electrical machine as recited in claim 5, further comprising a suspension device configured to fix the at least one wire to the rotor.

8. The electrical machine as recited in claim 5, further comprising a strain monitoring device configured to monitor a mechanical strain in the wire.

9. The electrical machine as recited in claim 4, wherein the monitoring track includes at least one light beam.

10. The electrical machine as recited in claim 9, further comprising a light beam monitoring device configured to monitor an integrity of the light beam.

11. The electrical machine as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least one light beam includes a plurality of parallel light beams distributed over a thickness of the air gap.

12. The electrical machine as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least one light beam is connected to the rotor so as to rotate with the rotor.

13. The electrical machine as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least one light beam is stationary.