Systems and methods for rotor refurbishment
AssigneeIntegrated Power Services LLC
InventorsShahram Negari, Jeremy Culmer, Jeffrey Kenney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques described include refurbishing a rotor of an electric machine such as an electric generator by assembling replacement modular bars in lieu of certain non-modular bars, such as amortisseur bars. The replacement modular bars are provided in different threaded sections based on their location on the rotor, with the sections then threaded onto each other.
Claims16
A method for refurbishing a synchronous rotor, comprising:
- removing one or more amortisseur bars from rotor slots of a synchronous rotor by segmenting the one or more amortisseur bars into removable pieces;
- cleaning the rotor slots after removal of the one or more amortisseur bars;
- inserting a plurality of replacement modular bar segments into the cleaned rotor slots, wherein the replacement modular bar segments comprise threaded metal segments configured to be assembled piece-by-piece within the rotor slots;
- baking the synchronous rotor after insertion of the replacement modular bar segments;
- conducting electrical testing of the synchronous rotor after baking;
- finishing installation by installing additional rotor components;
- and
- balancing and painting the synchronous rotor, wherein the synchronous rotor comprises the one or more amortisseur bars disposed within the rotor slots of the synchronous rotor.
A refurbished synchronous rotor produced by a process comprising:
- removing one or more amortisseur bars from rotor slots of a synchronous rotor by segmenting the one or more amortisseur bars into removable pieces;
- cleaning the rotor slots after removal of the one or more amortisseur bars;
- inserting a plurality of replacement modular bar segments into the cleaned rotor slots, wherein the replacement modular bar segments comprise threaded metal segments configured to be assembled piece-by-piece within the rotor slots;
- baking the synchronous rotor after insertion of the replacement modular bar segments;
- conducting electrical testing of the synchronous rotor after baking;
- finishing installation by installing additional rotor components;
- and
- balancing and painting the synchronous rotor, wherein the refurbished synchronous rotor comprises the replacement modular bar segments disposed within the rotor slots in place of the removed amortisseur bars.
A method for replacing amortisseur winding bars in a synchronous rotor, said rotor comprising main coils and amortisseur bars disposed within rotor slots, the method comprising:
- segmenting the amortisseur bars within the rotor slots into removable pieces using a rotary cutting tool;
- extracting the segmented amortisseur bar pieces from the rotor slots;
- cleaning the rotor slots;
- assembling replacement modular amortisseur bars within the cleaned rotor slots by inserting a plurality of short, threaded copper bar segments piece-by-piece into the rotor slots, said short bar segments being shaped and sized to fit between the main coils and a rotor core;
- inserting copper end bar segments into openings at ends of the rotor slots;
- welding steel end fittings to rotor core end plates;
- silver soldering the copper end bar segments to the steel end fittings;
- baking the rotor
- inspecting soldered connections
- re-cleaning the rotor;
- re-baking the rotor;
- conducting electrical tests on the rotor;
- installing a rotor band on the rotor;
- spraying end connections of the rotor;
- roll dipping the rotor;
- re-baking the rotor;
- balancing the rotor;
- and
- paint rotor, wherein thereby replacing the amortisseur winding bars is performed without removing the main coils.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.