Electric machine with non-contact interface
AssigneeGE Aviation Systems LLC
InventorsSamuel Robert Hathaway, Clifford D. Westerlund, Jason D. Wilkening, Robert D. Grennan, David George Kloos, John S. Mears
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for a generator for generating power having a rotary union between a rotor and a stator, the rotary union comprising a first fluid passage having a converging nozzle and located within the stator having a first inlet and a first outlet, a second fluid passage having a diverging nozzle and located within the rotor and having a second inlet and a second outlet, the second inlet is aligned with the first outlet and at least one gap located between the rotor and stator.
Claims24
A generator for generating power comprising:
- a housing;
- a non-rotating part within the housing and having a first fluid passage with a first inlet and a first outlet;
- a first converging nozzle fluidly coupled with the first fluid passage to increase the velocity of liquid passing through the first fluid passage;
- a rotating part within the housing and having a second fluid passage with a second inlet and a second outlet, and the second inlet is aligned with the first outlet;
- a diverging nozzle fluidly coupled with the second fluid passage to decrease the velocity of liquid passing through the second fluid passage;
- a second converging nozzle upstream of the diverging nozzle and fluidly coupled with the second fluid passage;
- and
- a non-contact interface located between the first outlet and the second inlet defined at least in part where the non-rotating part is spaced from the rotating part to form at least one gap between the first outlet and the second inlet;
- wherein the second converging nozzle has a third inlet, which has a greater cross-sectional area than the first outlet.
A rotary union comprising:
- a non-rotating part having a first fluid passage with a first inlet and a first outlet;
- a first converging nozzle fluidly coupled with the first fluid passage to increase the velocity of liquid passing through the first fluid passage;
- a rotating part having a second fluid passage with a second inlet and a second outlet, and the second inlet is aligned with the first outlet;
- comprising a second converging nozzle upstream of the first converging nozzle and fluidly coupled with the second fluid passage;
- and
- a non-contact interface located between the first outlet and the second inlet defined at least in part where the non-rotating part is spaced from the rotating part to form at least one gap between the first outlet and the second inlet;
- wherein the second converging nozzle has a third inlet, which has a greater cross-sectional area than the first outlet.
A method of passing fluid between a first fluid passage located within a non-rotating part of an electric machine and a second fluid passage located within a rotating part of the electric machine the method comprising:
- accelerating the fluid by changing at least one of a speed or a direction of the fluid;
- passing the fluid through a first converging nozzle defining at least a portion of the first fluid passage;
- passing the fluid across at least one gap defining at least a portion of a non-contact interface between the rotating part and the non-rotating part;
- and
- passing the fluid through a second converging nozzle immediately downstream of the gap and defining at least a portion of the second fluid passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.