Electric machine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDarek Tomasz Zatorski, Mohamed Osama, Christopher Charles Glynn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric machine is provided. The electric machine defines a centerline and includes: a stator assembly; a rotor assembly rotatable relative to the stator assembly about the centerline; and an actuator coupled to the rotor assembly, the stator assembly, or both for moving the rotor assembly, the stator assembly, or both along the centerline between a first position and a second position, the rotor assembly positioned closer to the stator assembly when in the first position than when in the second position.
Claims18
An electric machine for a turbomachine, the turbomachine defining an engine centerline and comprising a compressor, a combustion section, a frame, and a turbine, the electric machine comprising:
- a stator assembly coupled to the frame;
- a rotor assembly rotatable relative to the stator assembly about the engine centerline;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the rotor assembly, the stator assembly, or both for moving the rotor assembly, the stator assembly, or both between a first position and a second position, the rotor assembly positioned closer to the stator assembly when in the first position than when in the second position, wherein a radially inner side of the stator assembly and a radially outer side of the rotor assembly each defines an angle relative to the engine centerline of the turbomachine greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees, and wherein the actuator is coupled to the frame.
A gas turbine engine defining an engine centerline and comprising:
- a turbomachine comprising a compressor, a combustion section, a turbine, a frame, and a rotating assembly configured to rotate about the engine centerline;
- and
- an electric machine defining an electric machine centerline, the electric machine comprising
- a stator assembly coupled to the frame;
- a rotor assembly rotatable with the rotating assembly of the turbomachine relative to the stator assembly about the electric machine centerline;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the rotor assembly, the stator assembly, or both for moving the rotor assembly, the stator assembly, or both along the electric machine centerline between a first position and a second position, the rotor assembly positioned closer to the stator assembly when in the first position than when in the second position, wherein a radially inner side of the stator assembly and a radially outer side of the rotor assembly each defines an angle relative to the engine centerline greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees, and wherein the actuator is coupled to the frame.
A method of operating a gas turbine engine comprising a turbomachine and an electric machine, the turbomachine comprising a compressor, a combustion section, a turbine, a frame, and a rotating assembly configured to rotate about an engine centerline, the electric machine comprising a stator assembly and a rotor assembly and defining a centerline, the stator assembly coupled to the rotor assembly and the frame, the method comprising:
- rotating the rotating assembly of the turbomachine about the engine centerline;
- operating the electric machine to convert electrical power to rotational power, to convert rotational power to electrical power, or both while the rotor assembly is in a first position relative to the stator assembly;
- receiving information indicative of a fault condition within the electric machine;
- and
- moving, while the rotating assembly of the turbomachine rotates about the engine centerline, one of the rotor assembly, the stator assembly, or both relative to the other of the rotor assembly or stator assembly along the centerline of the electric machine from the first position to a second position with an actuator in response to receiving information indicative of the fault condition within the electric machine, the actuator coupled to the frame, the rotor assembly positioned closer to the stator assembly in the first position than in the second position, wherein a radially inner side of the stator assembly and a radially outer side of the rotor assembly each defines an angle relative to the engine centerline greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.