Radial lead seal assembly for a generator and method incorporating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9627938-B2
Application number	US-201514800065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2015
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A radial lead seal assembly of a generator and a method for sealing a radial chamber from an axial chamber of a generator using a radial lead seal assembly are presented. The radial lead seal assembly includes sealing elements disposed around a radial lead to seal an annular space between the radial lead and the radial chamber and thereby seal the axial chamber fluidically from the radial chamber. Conical springs are disposed annularly around the radial lead between the sealing elements and a junction between the radial lead and the axial lead. The radial lead seal assembly includes a nut for exerting a compressive load on the radial lead seal assembly in a radially inward direction such that the conical springs are only partially compressed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radial lead seal assembly of a generator, wherein the generator comprises a lead assembly for conducting a field current to a rotor winding, wherein the lead assembly comprises an axial lead extending within an axial chamber through the rotor and a radial lead extending radially outward from the axial lead through a radial chamber, the radial lead seal assembly comprising:
a plurality of annular sealing elements disposed annularly around the radial lead to seal an annular space between the radial lead and the radial chamber and thereby seal the axial chamber fluidically from the radial chamber;
a plurality of conical springs disposed annularly around the radial lead between the plurality of sealing elements and a junction between the radial lead and the axial lead; and
a loading member for exerting a compressive load on the radial lead seal assembly in a radially inward direction such that the conical springs are only partially compressed,
wherein a clearance from an outer diameter of the conical springs to an inner diameter of the radial chamber is smaller than a clearance from an inner diameter of the conical springs to an outer diameter of an insulation of the radial lead so that the conical springs do not contact with an insulated surface of the radial lead.

2. The radial lead seal assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a transition spacer disposed annularly around the radial lead between the seal elements and the conical springs.

3. The radial lead seal assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the loading member comprises a nut engaged to the radial chamber at a radially outer end of the radial lead, and wherein the compressive load is applied by exerting a torque on the nut.

4. The radial lead seal assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sealing elements are made of a material comprising neoprene rubber.

5. The radial lead seal assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the conical springs are oriented in a series configuration.

6. The radial lead seal assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the conical springs are oriented in a parallel configuration.

7. The radial lead seal assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the conical springs are oriented in a combination of series and parallel configurations.

8. A method for fluidically sealing a radial chamber from an axial chamber of a generator using a radial lead seal assembly, wherein the generator comprises a lead assembly for conducting a field current to a rotor winding, wherein the lead assembly comprises an axial lead extending within the axial chamber through the rotor and a radial lead extending radially outward from the axial lead through the radial chamber, the method comprising:
annularly disposing a plurality of annular sealing elements around the radial lead;
annularly disposing a plurality of conical springs around the radial lead between the plurality of sealing elements and a junction between the radial lead and the axial lead; and
exerting a compressive load on the radial lead seal assembly in a radially inward direction via a loading member such that the conical springs are only partially compressed,
wherein a clearance from an outer diameter of the conical springs to an inner diameter of the radial chamber is smaller than a clearance from an inner diameter of the conical springs to an outer diameter of an insulation of the radial lead so that the conical springs do not contact with an insulated surface of the radial lead.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a transition spacer is disposed annularly around the radial lead between the seal elements and the conical springs.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the loading member comprises a nut engaged to the radial chamber at a radially outer end of the radial lead, and wherein the compressive load is applied by exerting a torque on the nut.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sealing elements are made of a material comprising neoprene rubber.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the conical springs are oriented in a series configuration.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the conical springs are oriented in a parallel configuration.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the conical springs are oriented in a combination of series and parallel configurations.

Assignees

• Siemens Energy Inc

Inventors

• Rasinski Michael J
• Gore Robert
• Whitener Randy Edward

Classifications

• H02K5/124 Primary

  Sealing of shafts · CPC title

• F16J15/022

  characterised by structure or material · CPC title

• H02K9/08

  by gaseous cooling medium circulating wholly within the machine casing (H02K9/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16J15/186

  using springs · CPC title

• F16J15/028

  the packing being mechanically expanded against the sealing surface · CPC title