Heat pipes for cooling pole windings of salient pole machines

A device for positioning and cooling windings of a rotor having salient poles and interpole spaces therebetween, said device comprising:

• a wedge means positioned within each of the interpole spaces for securing the position of the respective windings;
• a first closed end coolant conducting means formed in said wedge means for conducting coolant within said wedge means;
• a wedge retaining means positioned in the interpole space for retaining said wedge means in place, and
• a second closed end coolant conducting means in said wedge retaining means for conducting coolant through said wedge retaining means;
• wherein said first and second coolant conducting means conduct heat away from the poles.

A method for cooling salient pole machines including a stator circumferentially surrounding a rotor including a plurality of poles having interpole spaces therebetween for accommodating pole windings therein, said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning a wedge means within each of the interpole spaces for securing the position of the respective windings;
• providing a first and a second closed end coolant conducting means in said wedge means each defined by an elongated bore of polygonal cross-section extending substantially the length thereof and operable to conduct coolant within said wedge means;
• positioning a wedge retaining means in the interpole space for retaining said wedge means in place, and
• conducting coolant through said first and second coolant conducting means during the operation of the salient pole machine to transfer heat away from the poles.

An assembly for cooling salient pole machines including a stator circumferentially surrounding a rotor including a plurality of poles having interpole spaces between each of the poles for accommodating pole windings therein, said assembly comprising:

• a wedge means positioned within each of the interpole spaces for securing the position of the respective windings, said wedge means extending in a substantially axial direction within the interpole spaces;
• a first closed end coolant conducting means formed in said wedge means for conducting coolant within said wedge means;
• a wedge retaining means positioned in the interpole space for retaining said wedge means in place, said wedge retaining means extending in a substantially axial direction within the interpole spaces;
• and
• a second closed end coolant conducting means in said wedge retaining means for conducting coolant through said wedge retaining means, said first coolant conducting means being elongated bores having a trapezoidal cross-section and said second coolant conducting means being of a substantially oval cross-section with respective coolant conducting means extending substantially the length of said wedge means and said wedge retaining means respectively;
• wherein said first and second coolant conducting means conduct heat away from the poles.