# US 2013/0154431 A1 · Systems and Methods for Wire Containment Within an Electric Motor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154431 A1 - Document ID: US20130154431A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/330,985 - Filed: 2011-12-20 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20 - Assignees: Baker Hughes Incorporated - Inventors: John M. Knapp; Sean A. Cain; Michael R. Rumbaugh; Carlos A. Prieto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154431A1 ## CPC - H02K 3/48: in slots - H02K 15/22: Shaping or compacting conductors in slots or around salient poles (H02K15/28 takes precedence) - H02K 5/132: Submersible electric motors (H02K5/128 takes precedence) - Y10T 29/49009: Dynamoelectric machine - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Systems and methods for the construction of electric motors, where expandable material is inserted into the slots in which magnet wires are positioned and expanded in the slots to mechanically restrain the wires. One embodiment comprises a downhole electric motor such as might be used in an electric submersible pump (ESP) system. The motor has a stator with multiple slots in which magnet wires are positioned. A slot liner is positioned in each slot and an expansion pad is positioned in each slot between the slot liner and the slot wall nearest the bore of the stator. The wires are positioned inside the slot liner. When the motor is almost completely assembled, it is filled with oil. Some of the oil is absorbed by the expansion pads, which then expand to fill the unoccupied volume in the slots, thereby restraining the movement of the wires within the slots. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for containment of magnet wires in an electric motor, the system comprising: an electric motor having a plurality of slots in which one or more magnet wires are positioned; and a plurality of expansion pads, wherein each of the expansion pads is positioned in a corresponding one of the plurality of slots; wherein each of the expansion pads occupies a first volume during installation of the expansion pad in the corresponding slot, and wherein after installation of the expansion pad in the corresponding slot, each expansion pad is expanded to occupy a second volume which is greater than the first volume; and wherein the expanded expansion pads fill the portions of the slots not occupied by the magnet wires, thereby inhibiting movement of the magnet wires within the slots. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the slots is filled with oil, and wherein each expansion pad expands upon absorbing a portion of the oil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of slots is located in a stator of the electric motor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the electric motor comprises a downhole motor coupled to drive an electric submersible pump. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein each of the expansion pads is positioned on a side of the corresponding slot which is nearest a bore of the stator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein each of the expansion pads provides a layer of thermal insulation between the wires and a wall of the corresponding slot which is nearest a bore of the stator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the expansion pads is the same length as the corresponding slot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slot liners, wherein each of the slot liners is positioned within a corresponding one of the slots. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the expansion pads is positioned between the corresponding one of the slot liners and a wall of the corresponding slot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the expansion pads is positioned inside the corresponding one of the slot liners. ### Claim 11 A method for assembling an electric motor, the method comprising: providing a stator core having a plurality of slots; positioning a plurality of unexpanded expansion pads in the plurality of slots, wherein each of the unexpanded expansion pads is positioned in a corresponding one of the plurality of slots; positioning one or more magnet wires in the plurality of slots; and expanding the expansion pads, wherein the expanded expansion pads occupy portions of the slots which are not occupied by the magnet wires and thereby inhibit movement of the magnet wires within the slots. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein expanding the expansion pads comprises introducing oil into the plurality of slots, wherein at least a portion of the oil is absorbed by the expansion pads, thereby causing the expansion pads to expand. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein each of the expansion pads is positioned on a side of the corresponding slot which is nearest a bore of the stator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a plurality of slot liners and positioning each of the slot liners in a corresponding one of the slots prior to positioning the magnet wires in the slots. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the plurality of unexpanded expansion pads in the plurality of slots comprises positioning each of the expansion pads between the corresponding one of the slot liners and a wall of the corresponding slot. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the plurality of unexpanded expansion pads in the plurality of slots comprises positioning each of the expansion pads inside the corresponding one of the slot liners. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the expansion pads are positioned in the slots prior to positioning the magnet wires in the slots.