Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation

Barry Mathewson

Michael Joseph Rasinski

William Francis Hannan

An exciter ( ) for starting a power generator having a thermally isolated diode wheel ( ) and methods of removing a diode wheel ( ) from an exciter rotor shaft ( ) are provided. The exciter ( ) preferably includes an exciter rotor shaft ( ), a thermal insulation layer ( ) mounted to the exciter shaft ( ), and a diode wheel ( ) having a wheel hub ( ). The wheel hub ( ) of the diode wheel ( ) is preferably mounted by an interference fit to overlie and abuttingly contact the thermal insulation layer ( ) positioned on the exciter rotor shaft ( ). The thermal insulation layer ( ) is positioned on the exciter rotor shaft ( ) and between the shaft ( ) and the diode wheel ( ) in a location where electrical insulation is not necessary. A method of removing a diode wheel ( ) mounted by an interference fit to an exciter rotor shaft ( ) of an exciter ( ) preferably includes heating a diode wheel ( ) positioned on an exciter rotor shaft ( ) having a thermal insulation layer ( ) positioned thereon to a desired temperature which enhances removal of the diode wheel ( ) from the shaft ( ), quenching the exciter rotor shaft ( ) with a liquid coolant at a temperature less than air ambient temperature, delaying the heat transfer from the diode wheel ( ) to the exciter rotor shaft ( ) during the quenching of the exciter rotor shaft ( ) by the thermal insulation layer ( ), and applying a force to the diode wheel ( ) to thereby remove the diode wheel ( ) from the shaft ( ).

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Irwin, PA, United States of America

Barry Mathewson