Apparatus and method for cooling endwindings in a rotating electric machine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorWilliam Dwight Gerstler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of a heat exchanger for cooling endwindings in a rotary electric machine are provided herein. In some embodiments, a heat exchanger may include a body configured to be disposed proximate the rotor endwinding and coupled to a casing and end shield of the rotating electric machine. The body defines a cavity configured to capture a heated fluid expelled from the rotor endwinding. A channel, having a cooling fluid therein, is formed in the body and fluidly coupled to a heat sink. A rotating electric machine and method for cooling endwindings in a rotating electric machine are disclosed.
Claims21
A rotor endwinding cooling assembly of a rotating electric machine, the rotor endwinding cooling assembly comprising:
- a body configured to be disposed proximate the rotor endwinding and coupled to a casing and an end shield of the rotating electric machine, wherein the body defines a cavity configured to capture a heated fluid expelled from the rotor endwinding;
- and
- a channel formed in the body, the channel fluidly coupled to a heat sink.
A rotating electric machine comprising:
- a rotor shaft formed about a longitudinal axis of rotation;
- a rotor body disposed about the rotor shaft and coupled thereto, the rotor body including a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, axially extending slots for receiving one or more conductors which extend axially beyond an end face of the rotor body to form one or more rotor endwindings;
- a stator body disposed about the rotor body, the stator body including a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, axially extending slots for receiving one or more conductors which extend axially beyond an end face of the stator body to form one or more stator endwindings;
- and
- a heat exchanger disposed proximate the rotor endwindings, the heat exchanger comprising:
- a body configured to be disposed proximate the rotor endwinding and coupled to a casing and an end shield of the rotating electric machine, wherein the body defines a cavity configured to capture a heated fluid expelled from the rotor endwinding;
- and
- a channel formed in the body, the channel fluidly coupled to a heat sink.
A method for cooling endwindings in a rotating electric machine, the rotating electric machine comprising:
- a heat exchanger comprising:
- a body configured to be disposed proximate a rotor endwinding and coupled to a casing and an end shield of the rotating electric machine, wherein the body defines a cavity configured to capture a heated fluid expelled from the rotor endwinding;
- and
- a channel formed in the body, the channel fluidly coupled to a heat sink,
- wherein the method comprises:
- rotating a rotor body to expel a heated fluid from the rotor endwinding;
- capturing the heated fluid expelled from the rotor endwinding in the heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.