Inspection device for rotating electric machine and method of inspecting rotating electric machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11892510-B2
Application number	US-201917605576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2019
Priority date	Jun 12, 2019
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

Provided is an inspection device for a rotating electric machine, including: a storage unit configured to store tendency information indicating a relationship among a position of damage that occurs in an inspection target portion being a range to be inspected of a rotor included in a rotating electric machine, a scale of the damage, and an amount of deformation that occurs in a measurement target portion set on an outer surface of the rotor; a measurement unit configured to measure the amount of deformation that has occurred in the measurement target portion; and a damage estimating unit configured to estimate the position and the scale of the damage that has occurred in the measurement target portion based on the tendency information and the amount of deformation in the measurement target portion, which has been measured by the measurement unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An inspection device for a rotating electric machine, comprising:
at least one image pickup apparatus disposed within the rotating electric machine and configured to capture at least one image of a measurement target portion set on an outer surface of a rotor included in the rotating electric machine;
a storage circuitry to store tendency information indicating a relationship among a position of damage that occurs in an inspection target portion being a range to be inspected of the rotor included in the rotating electric machine, a scale of the damage, and an amount of deformation that occurs in the measurement target portion set on the outer surface of the rotor;
a measurement circuitry to measure the amount of deformation that has occurred in the measurement target portion based on the at least one image captured by the at least one image pickup apparatus; and
a damage estimating circuitry to estimate the position and the scale of the damage that has occurred in the measurement target portion based on the tendency information and the amount of deformation in the measurement target portion, which has been measured by the measurement circuitry,
wherein the inspection target portion is located in an area of the rotating electric machine that is not visible without disassembly of the rotating electric machine.

2. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the inspection target portion includes retaining rings each being configured to hold a state of rotor windings inserted into a rotor core, and at least a part of an outer surface of each of the retaining rings is set as the measurement target portion.

3. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 2 , wherein the inspection target portion further includes a mounting portion formed on the rotor core for each of the retaining rings.

4. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 3 , wherein the measurement target portion set on the outer surface of each of the retaining rings includes a range in which the mounting portion is located in an axial direction of the rotor core.

5. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 3 , wherein the measurement target portion set on the outer surface of each of the retaining rings includes a range in which an air path portion formed in a groove-like shape in the rotor core is located in an axial direction of the rotor core.

6. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 4 , wherein the measurement target portion set on the outer surface of each of the retaining rings includes a range in which an air path portion formed in a groove-like shape in the rotor core is located in an axial direction of the rotor core.

7. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 3 , wherein the measurement target portion set on the outer surface of each of the retaining rings includes a range in which slots formed in the rotor core for insertion of the rotor windings are located in an axial direction of the rotor core.

8. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 4 , wherein the measurement target portion set on the outer surface of each of the retaining rings includes a range in which slots formed in the rotor core for insertion of the rotor windings are located in an axial direction of the rotor core.

9. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 3 , wherein the measurement target portion set on the outer surface of each of the retaining rings includes a range in which an end plate to be mounted to the retaining ring is located in an axial direction of the rotor core.

10. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 4 , wherein the measurement target portion set on the outer surface of each of the retaining rings includes a range in which an end plate to be mounted to the retaining ring is located in an axial direction of the rotor core.

11. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 9 , wherein the inspection target portion includes the end plates.

12. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 10 , wherein the inspection target portion includes the end plates.

13. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the damage includes a crack.

14. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a time estimating circuitry to estimate a time period in which the rotating electric machine is continuously operatable based on the amount of deformation in the measurement target portion, which has been measured by the measurement circuitry.

15. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a speed estimating circuitry to estimate a rotating speed of the rotor, which is to be set as an upper limit, based on the amount of deformation in the measurement target portion, which has been measured by the measurement circuitry.

16. The inspection device for a rotating electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to obtain the amount of deformation based on initial image data acquired through image pickup for the measurement target portion by the image pickup apparatus in an initial time period, which is a time period from completion of manufacture of the rotating electric machine to start of an operation of the rotating electric machine and inspection image data acquired through image pickup for the measurement target portion by the image pickup apparatus at an inspection time.

17. An inspection system, comprising:
the inspection device for a rotating electric machine of claim 1 ;
a display device configured to display the position and the scale of the damage that has occurred in the measurement target portion, which has been estimated by the inspection device,
wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to obtain the amount of deformation based on initial image data acquired through image pickup for the measurement target portion by image pickup apparatus in an initial time period, which is a time period from completion of manufacture of the rotating electric machine to start of an operation of the rotating electric machine and inspection image data acquired through image pickup for the measurement target portion by the image pickup apparatus at an inspection time.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Hana Norihiko
• Akiyoshi Masao

Classifications

• G01R31/34 Primary

  Testing dynamo-electric machines · CPC title

• G01N21/9515

  Objects of complex shape, e.g. examined with use of a surface follower device (measuring contours and curvatures G01B11/24) · CPC title

• H02K15/00 Primary

  Processes or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines · CPC title

• H02K11/21

  Devices for sensing speed or position, or actuated thereby (specially adapted for machines having non-mechanical commutating devices H02K29/06, H02K29/14) · CPC title