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US 12,531,457 B2Granted
Superconducting motor with reduced coil stress
AssigneeHinetics LLC
InventorsJianqiao Xiao, Kiruba S. Haran, Thanatheepan Balachandran, Justin Fiore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lightweight superconducting machine provides a coil support shell having a polygonal outer surface facilitating the use of flat electrical coils better adapted to superconducting temperatures. An improved mounting of spokes between the rotor and shell provides for a straight spoke extent reducing stress concentration facilitated by a ball joint termination of the spoke and in-line orientation of a tightening mechanism.
Claims15
A superconducting machine comprising:
- a stator;
- and
- a rotor having a central shaft rotatably mounted with respect to the stator to allow the rotor to rotate about a shaft axis with respect to the stator, wherein the rotor includes:
- a rotor shell suspended about the shaft by a tension among spokes passing between the rotor shell and the shaft, the rotor shell having a polygonal outer circumference presenting a set of circumferentially displaced flat regions;
- a set of superconducting windings positioned on the rotor shell aligned within the flat regions;
- and
- a cryogenic cooling system positioned within the rotor shell to conduct heat inwardly toward the central shaft.
4 more elements
A superconducting machine comprising:
- a stator;
- and
- a rotor having a central shaft rotatably mounted with respect to the stator to allow the rotor to rotate about a shaft axis with respect to the stator, wherein the rotor includes:
- a rotor shell suspended about the shaft by a tension among spokes passing between the rotor shell and the shaft, the rotor shell having a polygonal outer circumference presenting a set of circumferentially displaced flat regions;
- and
- a set of superconducting windings positioned on the rotor shell aligned within the flat region;
- further including a set of circumferential ribs extending radially inward from an inner surface of the rotor shell, an outer periphery of the circumferential ribs conforming to a polygonal inner circumference of the rotor shell and an inner periphery of the circumferential ribs being circular.
4 more elements
A superconducting machine comprising:
- a stator;
- and
- a rotor having a central shaft rotatably mounted with respect to the stator to allow the rotor to rotate about a shaft axis with respect to the stator, wherein the rotor includes:
- a set of superconducting windings positioned on the rotor shell to rotate therewith;
- a vacuum envelope surrounding the superconducting windings;
- at least one cryocooler having a cold end in thermal communication with the superconducting windings and a hot end extending outside of the vacuum envelope along the shaft axis;
- and
- an impeller attached to the rotor to rotate therewith and surrounding the hot end to draw air in thermal communication with the hot end over the hot end to cool the hot end.
5 more elements
A superconducting machine comprising:
- a stator;
- and
- a rotor having a central shaft rotatably mounted with respect to the stator to allow the rotor to rotate about a shaft axis with respect to the stator, wherein the rotor includes:
- a set of superconducting windings positioned on the rotor shell to rotate therewith;
- a vacuum envelope surrounding the superconducting windings;
- multiple cryocoolers extending radially from the rotor with a cold end of the cryocooler closest to the shell wherein the shell and the cold end of the cryocoolers are contained in the vacuum envelope separate from the rotor;
- wherein the cold ends of the cryocoolers communicate thermally with the superconducting windings principally by solid thermally conductive members;
- and
- wherein the rotor shell is isolated from the rotor by spokes in tension.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.