Metal coil fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11177712-B2
Application number	US-201916269152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2019
Priority date	Feb 16, 2018
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

A method is provided for fabricating an insulated metal coil for an electrical machine. The method includes 3D printing a metal coil having a plurality of turns. The method further includes subsequently infiltrating insulating material between the turns of the metal coil to electrically insulate the turns from each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for fabricating an insulated metal coil for an electrical machine including:
3D printing a metal coil having a plurality of turns;
annealing the metal coil to reduce or remove residual stresses in the coil; and
subsequently infiltrating insulating material between the turns of the metal coil to electrically insulate the turns from each other.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:
locating spacers between the turns of the metal coil to space the turns from each other before infiltrating the insulating material.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including:
curing the infiltrated insulating material.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including:
modelling a coil geometry based on an intended electrical loading of the metal coil and/or a thermal analysis of the electrical machine, the metal coil being 3D printed to the modelled coil geometry.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal coil is a copper coil.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein copper powder having a diameter within the range of 50-100 μm is used for the 3D printing of the metal coil.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D printing is performed in an oxygen free environment.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the insulated metal coil is configured to fit within a slot in the electrical machine; and
the plurality of turns of the metal coil have configurations such that a portion of each turn forms a part of an external surface of the metal coil, the external surface of the metal coil forming an interface with a side of the slot.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the turns of the coil varies for successive turns.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal coil is 3D printed with termination features at the ends of the coil.

11. A method for fabricating an insulated metal coil for an electrical machine including:
3D printing a metal coil having a plurality of turns;
heat treating the metal coil in an inert atmosphere to improve the electrical conductivity of the coil; and
subsequently infiltrating insulating material between the turns of the metal coil to electrically insulate the turns from each other.

12. The method of claim 11 , further including:
locating spacers between the turns of the metal coil to space the turns from each other before infiltrating the insulating material.

13. The method of claim 11 , further including:
curing the infiltrated insulating material.

14. The method of claim 11 , further including:
modelling a coil geometry based on an intended electrical loading of the metal coil and/or a thermal analysis of the electrical machine, the metal coil being 3D printed to the modelled coil geometry.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal coil is a copper coil.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein copper powder having a diameter within the range of 50-100 μm is used for the 3D printing of the metal coil.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the 3D printing is performed in an oxygen free environment.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the insulated metal coil is configured to fit within a slot in the electrical machine; and
the plurality of turns of the metal coil have configurations such that a portion of each turn forms a part of an external surface of the metal coil, the external surface of the metal coil forming an interface with a side of the slot.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the turns of the coil varies for successive turns.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal coil is 3D printed with termination features at the ends of the coil.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Lambourne Alexis
• Todd Iain
• Jewell Geraint W

Classifications

• B22F10/80

  Data acquisition or data processing · CPC title

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title

• B22F10/60

  Treatment of workpieces or articles after build-up · CPC title

• B22F10/32

  of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber · CPC title

• B22F10/25

  Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] · CPC title