Electric machine rotor and method of forming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11735985-B2
Application number	US-202016987653-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2020
Priority date	Aug 7, 2020
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A method and apparatus for forming a rotor for an electric machine includes serially adding layers of material to form a rotor body having a radially-extending post configured to receive a set of electrically-conductive windings, and also having a radially-extending winding end turn support formed contiguously from the rotor body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a rotor for an electric machine, the method comprising:
serially adding layers of material along a build direction to form a rotor body having a radially-extending post configured to receive a set of electrically-conductive windings, and the rotor body having a radially-extending winding end turn support, and wherein the radially-extending post and the radially-extending winding end turn support are formed contiguous—with the rotor body; and
removing material from the rotor body by relative rotation of one of the rotor body or a removal tool such that a radial segment of the radially-extending winding end turn support is not contiguous with the rotor body.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the serially adding layers of material further comprises serially adding layers of material along the build direction to form the rotor body with a bolster between the radially-extending post and the radially-extending winding end turn support.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the removing further comprises removing material from the bolster.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the serially adding layers of material further comprises serially adding layers of material along the build direction to define a recess in the rotor body between the radial segment of the radially-extending winding end turn support and the radially-extending post.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an exposed surface of the radially-extending post via the removal tool.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein forming the exposed surface includes polishing the exposed surface to have a surface roughness average between 0.4 and 3.0 micrometers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein removing further comprises removing material from the rotor body by relative rotation of one of the rotor body or the removal tool, wherein the removal tool comprises a computer-numerical-control (CNC) lathe having a carbide tool.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a conduit within the rotor body defining a fluid passage having at least one U-shaped bend.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein forming the conduit comprises forming the at least one U-shaped bend with a first leg extending radially, a second leg extending radially, and a third leg extending circumferentially thereby connecting the first leg to the second leg.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein forming the conduit comprises forming the at least one U-shaped bend of the conduit within the radially-extending winding end turn support.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein forming the at least one U-shaped bend further comprises forming a first U-shaped bend in a first portion of the conduit, forming a second portion of the conduit extending axially and fluidly coupled to the first portion of the conduit, and forming a second U-shaped bend in a third portion of the conduit fluidly coupled to the second portion of the conduit.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the serially adding layers of material further comprises serially adding layers of material along the build direction to form a first U-shaped bend within a first winding end turn support and a second U-shaped bend within a second winding end turn support.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising winding a set of electrically-conductive windings about the radially-extending post, wherein the radially-extending winding end turn support radially underlies an end turn portion of the set of electrically-conductive windings.

Assignees

• Ge Aviation Systems Llc

Inventors

• Vanapalli Veeraraju
• Ghiya Deepak
• Adharapurapu Raghavendra Rao
• Huang Hao
• Mahle James Patrick

Classifications

• H02K15/09 Primary

  by laying conductors into slotted rotors · CPC title

• H02K15/02 Primary

  of stator or rotor bodies · CPC title

• H02K15/14

  Casings; Enclosures; Supports · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title

• H02K1/26 Primary

  Rotor cores with slots for windings · CPC title