Liquid cooled pole wedge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10833547-B2
Application number	US-201815862417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2018
Priority date	Jan 4, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A wedge for use between poles of a generator for supporting windings of the poles includes a plurality of outer walls. The wedge also includes at least one fluid orifice extending through at least one of the plurality of outer walls and configured to receive a fluid from a shaft of the generator and to allow the fluid to flow through the at least one of the plurality of outer walls to reduce a temperature of the windings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wedge for use between poles of a generator for supporting windings of the poles, comprising:
a plurality of outer walls; and
at least one fluid orifice defined by at least one of the plurality of outer walls, extending through at least one of the plurality of outer walls, and configured to receive a fluid from a shaft of the generator and to allow the fluid to flow through the at least one of the plurality of outer walls to reduce a temperature of the windings.

2. The wedge of claim 1 , wherein the wedge further includes a wedge channel configured to receive the fluid and to allow the fluid to flow to the at least one fluid orifice.

3. The wedge of claim 2 , wherein the at least one fluid orifice includes a plurality of fluid orifices, and the wedge channel is configured to allow the fluid to flow to each of the plurality of fluid orifices.

4. The wedge of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of outer walls includes two radially inward walls that join at a junction proximal to the shaft, and wherein the wedge channel is configured to receive the fluid from a core of the generator at the point.

5. The wedge of claim 1 , further comprising at least one support wall, wherein the plurality of outer walls defines an internal wedge cavity and the at least one support wall is located in the internal wedge cavity and configured to provide structural support for the plurality of outer walls.

6. The wedge of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of outer walls includes three radially outward walls that together define a wedge shape, and two radially inward walls that join at a junction proximal to the shaft and are each curved.

7. The wedge of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluid orifice extends in a direction parallel to an axis of the generator.

8. The wedge of claim 1 , wherein the wedge is additively manufactured.

9. A generator, comprising:
a shaft configured to rotate about an axis;
a core coupled to the shaft and including at least two poles configured to rotate about the axis in response to rotation of the shaft; and
a wedge configured to be positioned between two of the at least two poles of the core and including a fluid orifice defined by the wedge, extending through at least a portion of the wedge, and configured to allow a fluid to flow through at least the portion of the wedge to reduce a temperature of the windings.

10. The generator of claim 9 , wherein the shaft defines a fluid channel and the core further includes or defines a transfer tube extending from the fluid channel of the shaft to the wedge such that the fluid flows from the fluid channel, through the transfer tube, and into the fluid orifice of the wedge.

11. The generator of claim 10 , wherein the core has an axial end and the transfer tube is positioned on the axial end of the core.

12. The generator of claim 10 , wherein the wedge includes a plurality of outer walls including two radially inward walls that join at a junction proximal to the core, and wherein the transfer tube provides the fluid to the wedge at the point.

13. The generator of claim 9 , wherein the wedge further includes a plurality of fluid orifices including the fluid orifice, and the wedge further includes a wedge channel configured to receive the fluid and to allow the fluid to flow to at least a portion of the plurality of fluid orifices.

14. The generator of claim 9 , wherein the wedge further includes a plurality of outer walls defining an internal wedge cavity and at least one support wall extending through a portion of the internal wedge cavity and configured to provide structural support for the plurality of outer walls.

15. The generator of claim 9 , wherein the wedge further includes a plurality of outer walls and the fluid orifice extends through at least one of the plurality of outer walls.

16. The generator of claim 9 , further comprising windings wound around each of the at least two poles.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Kuehn Daniel
• Bortoli Stephen Michael

Classifications

• H02K15/13

  Applying slot closure means in the cores; Manufacture of slot closure means · CPC title

• H02K5/203

  specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets · CPC title

• H02K3/487

  Slot-closing devices · CPC title

• H02K3/527

  applicable to rotors only · CPC title

• H02K3/24

  with channels or ducts for cooling medium between the conductors · CPC title