Rotor for a high speed electrical machine
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorZafer Turgut
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A unique rotor assembly for an electrical machine is disclosed herein. The rotor assembly includes a shaft having an axis of rotation extending within the electrical machine. A central support is connected to the shaft at an intermediate position and a pair of opposing end plates are configured to clamp a plurality of laminate plates therebetween. The laminate plates and a sidewall of the end plates have a non-linear cross-sectional shape such that radial loading due to centrifugal force is transmitted from the laminate plates to the end plates during operation.
Claims12
A Method comprising:
- forming a housing for an electrical machine;
- positioning a shaft in the housing along an axis of rotation between first and second ends;
- winding a stator within the housing;
- supporting a rotor assembly radially inward of the stator;
- connecting a central support to the shaft at an intermediate position between the first and second ends;
- connecting first and second end plates to the shaft at the opposing first and second ends thereof;
- connecting a plurality of laminate plates to the shaft between the central support and the first and second end plates;
- and
- restricting radial growth of the laminate plates with first and second end plates;
- and
- wherein restricting the radial growth includes forming the laminate plates in a non-linear cross sectional shape.
A method comprising:
- positioning a plurality of laminate plates on a rotatable shaft within an electrical machine;
- positioning a central support between the plurality of laminate plates on the shaft;
- clamping the laminate plates together with a pair of end plates at either end of the shaft;
- wherein a portion of the laminate plates is positioned radially inward of a portion of the end plates;
- transmitting radial loads from the laminate plates to the end plates during operation of the electrical machine;
- wherein a shape of the laminate plates, a shape of the central support and a shape of the end plates cooperate to form a nested configuration;
- and
- wherein the nesting includes one of a concave curved portion and a non-orthogonal angle extending radially outward from the shaft relative to the axis of rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.