System and method for supporting laminations of synchronous reluctance motors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016294236-A1
Application number	US-201514676587-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A synchronous reluctance machine includes a rotor having a first plate, a second plate, a first set of rotor poles, and a first set of axial stiffeners. Each rotor pole of the first set of rotor poles includes a first plurality of laminations axially stacked between the first plate and the second plate, and each lamination of the first plurality of laminations includes first channels configured to carry magnetic flux and a first plurality of passages spaced between the first channels. Each axial stiffener of the first set of axial stiffeners is disposed within a respective passage of the first plurality of passages. A first end of each axial stiffener of the first set of axial stiffeners interfaces with the first plate, and a second end of each axial stiffener of the first set of axial stiffeners interfaces with the second plate.

First claim

1 . A synchronous reluctance machine, comprising:
a rotor comprising:
a first plate and a second plate;
a first set of rotor poles, wherein each rotor pole of the first set of rotor poles comprises a first plurality of laminations axially stacked between the first plate and the second plate, and each lamination of the first plurality of laminations comprises first channels configured to carry magnetic flux and a first plurality of passages spaced between the first channels; and
a first set of axial stiffeners, wherein each axial stiffener of the first set of axial stiffeners is disposed within a respective passage of the first plurality of passages, a first end of each axial stiffener of the first set of axial stiffeners interfaces with the first plate, and a second end of each axial stiffener of the first set of axial stiffeners interfaces with the second plate.

2 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 1 , wherein each lamination of the first plurality of laminations consists of a unitary section.

3 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 1 , wherein each lamination of the first plurality of laminations comprises a bridge section extending circumferentially between the first channels, wherein the bridge section and the first channels enclose each passage of the first plurality of passages.

4 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 1 , wherein each first channel comprises a first radial portion extending in a radial direction, and each passage of the first plurality of passages comprises a second radial portion extending in the radial direction.

5 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 1 , wherein each rotor pole of the first set of rotor poles comprises a first axial stiffener of the first set of axial stiffeners disposed within a first passage of the first plurality of passages, and each rotor pole of the first set of rotor poles comprises a second axial stiffener of the first set of axial stiffeners disposed within a second passage of the first plurality of passages.

6 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 5 , wherein the first passage of the first plurality of passages is disposed radially outside the second passage of the first plurality of passages, and the first axial stiffener comprises a hollow member.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first set of axial stiffeners comprise ribs extending in a radial direction when disposed within the respective passages of the first plurality of passages.

8 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 1 , wherein the first set of axial stiffeners is formed from a non-magnetic steel.

9 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises:
a third plate; and a second set of rotor poles, wherein each rotor pole of the second set of rotor poles comprises a second plurality of laminations axially stacked between the first plate and the third plate, and each lamination of the second plurality of laminations comprises second channels configured to carry magnetic flux and a second plurality of passages spaced between the second channels; and a second set of axial stiffeners, wherein each axial stiffener of the second set of axial stiffeners is disposed within a respective passage of the second plurality of passages, a third end of each axial stiffener of the second set of axial stiffeners interfaces with the first plate, and a fourth end of each axial stiffener of the second set interfaces with the third plate.

10 . A synchronous reluctance machine, comprising:
a rotor comprising:
a first plate and a second plate;
a plurality of rotor poles, wherein each rotor pole of the plurality of rotor poles comprises a plurality of laminations axially stacked between the first plate and the second plate, each lamination of the plurality of laminations comprises a first channel configured to carry magnetic flux, a second channel configured to carry magnetic flux, and a body, wherein the first channel defines a first passage, the first channel and the second channel define a second passage, and the second channel and the body define a third passage;
a first axial stiffener disposed within the first passage, coupled to the first end plate, and coupled to the second end plate, wherein the first axial stiffener comprises a hollow member; and
a second axial stiffener disposed within the second passage, coupled to the first end plate, and coupled to the second end plate.

11 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 10 , wherein the first axial stiffener and the second axial stiffener comprise radial ribs, and the radial ribs are substantially aligned with an axis of the rotor.

12 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 10 , wherein the first axial stiffener and the second axial stiffener are formed from a non-magnetic steel.

13 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 10 , wherein a first width of the first passage is different than a second width of the second passage.

14 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 10 , comprising a third axial stiffener disposed within the third passage, coupled to the first end plate, and coupled to the second end plate.

15 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 10 , wherein the rotor does not comprise rare-earth magnets, and rare-earth magnets comprise samarium-cobalt magnets, neodymium magnets, or any combination thereof.

16 . The synchronous reluctance machine of claim 10 , wherein the first axial stiffener and the second axial stiffener are configured to carry non-zero quantities of radial stresses on the rotor during operation.

17 . A method of manufacturing a synchronous reluctance machine, comprising:
forming a plurality of laminations of a rotor pole, wherein each lamination consists essentially of a unitary piece having a plurality of channels and enclosed passages; coupling a first end of a first axial stiffener to a first plate of a rotor, wherein the first axial stiffener extends in an axial direction perpendicular to a face of the first plate; stacking the plurality of laminations in the axial direction, wherein the first axial stiffener is configured to interface with a first enclosed passage of each lamination; and coupling a second plate of the rotor to a second axial end of the first axial stiffener, wherein the second end is opposite the first end.

18 . The method of claim 17 , comprising coupling a second axial stiffener between the first plate and the second plate of the rotor, wherein the second axial stiffener is configured to interface with a second enclosed passage of each lamination.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first axial stiffener comprises a hollow portion.

20 . The method of claim 17 , comprising coupling a cooling channel to the first enclosed passage of the rotor.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Alexander James Pellegrino
• Grace Kevin Michael
• Reddy Patel Bhageerath

Classifications

• H02K19/103

  Motors having windings on the stator and a variable reluctance soft-iron rotor without windings · CPC title

• H02K1/28 Primary

  Means for mounting or fastening rotating magnetic parts on to, or to, the rotor structures · CPC title

• H02K15/022 Primary

  with salient poles · CPC title

• H02K1/246

  Variable reluctance rotors · CPC title

• H02K1/22

  Rotating parts of the magnetic circuit · CPC title