Rolls-royce Corporation

Alexander Charles Smith

Stephen Mark Husband

Alexis Lambourne

Jameel B Khan

Ellis F H Chong

Paul Robert Miller

Stephen Williamson

Charalampos Manolopoulos

Huw Llewelyn Edwards

John J A Cullen

Stephen M Harrison

Peter Malkin

Roger Shuttleworth

Yuanpeng Zhou

Xiaoze Pei

Judith M Apsley

Paul Tuohy

Matteo Iacchetti

Nigel Schofield

Andrew Oliver

Stephen Mark Harrison

A method of manufacturing a winding assembly for an electrical machine, the method comprising: forming, by three-dimensional, 3D, printing, an electrically insulating body comprising a channel defining a winding path, the channel having an inlet and an outlet; heating the electrically insulating body to a temperature above the melting point of an electrically conducting material; flowing the electrically conducting material through the inlet to the outlet to fill the channel; and cooling the electrically insulating body to solidify the electrically conducting material within the channel, thereby forming said winding assembly.

Electrical machine winding assembly and method of manufacture thereof

A method of manufacturing a winding assembly for an electrical machine, the method comprising: selecting (S) a mathematical function defining the spatial separation between adjacent turns of a winding path, the mathematical function dependent on one or more parameters of the electrical machine and/or of the anticipated operating environment of the electrical machine; forming (S), by three-dimensional, 3D, printing, an electrically insulating body comprising a channel defining the winding path in accordance with said function, the channel having an inlet and an outlet; heating (S) the electrically insulating body to a temperature above the melting point of an electrically conducting material; flowing (S) the electrically conducting material through the inlet to the outlet to fill the channel; and cooling the electrically insulating body to solidify the electrically conducting material within the channel, thereby forming said winding assembly.

A procedure for repairing a polymer matrix composite component is provided. The procedure includes the steps of: providing a polymer matrix composite component having a site prepared for repair by removal of damaged or defective material; locating an uncured, polymer matrix composite repair patch at the site to re-build the component thereat; and curing the polymer matrix of the repair patch by heating the patch using eddy currents induced by one or more alternating current coils. The repair patch is without metallic additives, such that the repaired polymer matrix composite after the curing step is also without metallic additives in the vicinity of the repair patch.

Polymer matrix composite repair

An electromechanical system comprising: a rotor comprising a plurality of teeth spaced about a circumference of the rotor, wherein the teeth of the rotor are equally spaced about the rotor according to a tooth spacing angle, and are skewed in an axial direction such that the circumferential positions of the teeth of the rotor vary along the axial length of the rotor, and first and second stator segments, each extending partway about the rotor and comprising a field winding and poles arranged to magnetically interact with the teeth of the rotor such that an alternating current (AC) back-emf is induced in the field winding upon rotation of the rotor. The poles of the first stator segment are angularly displaced about the rotor from the poles of the second stator segment such that the back-emf induced in the field winding of the first stator segment is phase shifted with respect to the back-emf induced in the field winding of the second stator segment.

Electromechanical system

An electric machine including a stator having a fully non-magnetic core and stator windings formed of a non-superconducting transposed conductor to reduce eddy current losses. It further includes a rotor having a fully non-magnetic core and superconducting windings or superconducting magnets which produce a magnetic field for interaction with the stator windings. A cryogenic cooling system is arranged to cool the stator windings to reduce conduction losses in the stator windings.

Electric machine

An electrical machine including a rotor and a stator, at least one of the rotor and stator being provided with superconducting first electrical windings; and a set of one or more screen electrical windings, provided in the form of one or more further superconducting electrical windings, arranged around and radially outward of the first electrical windings; wherein the set of screen electrical windings is arranged to be supplied with an electrical current for generating a magnetic field of suitable magnitude and phase to reduce the magnitude of the magnetic field, generated at least by the first electrical windings during operation of the electrical machine, radially outwards of the screen electrical windings.

Active screening for an electrical machine

An electrical network for an aircraft. The aircraft includes at least one variable pitch propulsor. The electrical network includes a wound field synchronous AC electrical generator having a wound rotor driven by an internal combustion engine. The network further includes a voltage regulator configured to regulate output voltage of the electrical generator by regulating rotor winding magnetic field strength, and a synchronous AC drive motor coupled to a respective variable pitch propulsor and provided with power from the output of the electrical generator.

Aircraft electrical network

A termination unit for a superconductor network. Including a primary system that includes a first superconductor cable. Also a first superconducting coil and a first auxiliary magnetizing coil, each coil wound around the first superconductor cable. Also a terminal including a first leg, the first leg including an aperture configured to receive the first superconductor cable. The first leg defining a clearance about the first superconductor cable at ambient temperature and arranged to firmly clamp onto the first superconductor cable at a cryogenic temperature. The termination unit including a cooling system arranged to enclose and cool the primary system to cryogenic temperatures.

Termination unit

A dynamo-electric machine, for example a marine propulsion unit, includes a stator and a rotor in the form of an impeller. The impeller is rim-driven and includes an annular core of ferromagnetic material, on which are provided layers in the form of an environmental enclosure and electrically conductive sleeves. Appropriate selection of the materials and thicknesses of the layers enables the starting and normal running performance of the machine to be optimized.

Dynamo-electric machine

This invention relates to a superconducting electrical machine, comprising: a superconducting winding at least partially surrounded by a magnetic flux guide, wherein the magnetic flux guide includes a binder loaded with a magnetic material.

Superconductor winding

This invention relates to a superconductor device, comprising: a superconductor; a former which supports the superconductor; and, an intermediate electrical connector attached to the former for coupling the superconductor to a power source, wherein the intermediate electrical connector is connected to the superconductor via a deformable portion in the intermediate electrical connector, wherein the deformable portion allows relative movement between the superconductor and former.

Superconductor device

This invention relates to a current limiter comprising a first circuit portion arranged in parallel with a second circuit portion, the first circuit portion comprising a superconductor element arranged in series with a switching arrangement, the second circuit portion comprising a load element, the superconductor element being disposed within a cooling chamber, and the cooling chamber and the switch being disposed within a vacuum chamber, wherein the switching arrangement comprises: a mechanical actuator which is operable between a closed condition in which current is conducted through the first circuit portion and an open condition in which current is diverted from the first circuit portion through the second circuit portion and a controller for monitoring and operating the switch.

Current limiter

A superconducting fault current limiter comprises a superconducting element having a plurality of superconducting portions and at least one connector. Each superconducting portion has end regions and each connector is connected to the end regions of adjacent superconducting portions to electrically and thermally connect adjacent superconducting portions of the superconducting fault current limiter together. Each connector provides a local reduction in the critical current and quench current of the end regions of the superconducting portions in contact with the at least one connector. This provides a phased transition of the superconducting fault current limiter in relation to the severity of a fault current.

Superconducting fault current limiter

A superconducting electrical machine includes a rotor and a stator. The stator includes a stator having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending teeth and a plurality of superconducting electric coils. Each superconducting electric coil is positioned around a respective one of the teeth. A thermally conducting member surrounds and contacts the stator. A cooler is arranged to cool the thermally conducting member. A vacuum enclosure encloses the thermally conducting member, the stator and the superconducting electric coils and a pump is arranged to evacuate the vacuum enclosure. The superconducting electrical coils include magnesium diboride.

Superconducting electrical machine

A cooling arrangement for an electrical connector for a superconductor including at least one superconductor arranged in a container and the container is arranged in a vacuum chamber. A cryocooler is thermally connected to the container to cool the container and the contents of the container including the superconductor. The electrical connector extends through the vacuum chamber and the container to the at least one superconductor. The electrical connector has a thermally conducting and electrically insulating arrangement. The thermally conducting and electrically insulating arrangement comprises an electrically insulating member contacting the electrical connector. A thermally conducting member contacts the electrically insulating member and the thermally conducting member is thermally connected to the to cool the electrical connector.

Growing community of inventors

Holmfirth, United Kingdom

Alexander Charles Smith