Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Donald C Litz

Glenn D Cooper

George A Kemeny

Phillip W Eckels

Sui-Chun Ying

Adolphus Patterson

A rotor end turn winding and support system is disclosed which provides support in the radial, axial and circumferential directions for the end turns of a superconducting rotor field coil. The end turn conductor stack is tilted from a purely radial position to facilitate the winding of the small, flexible conductors of a superconducting rotor.

Rotor end turn winding and support structure

A cryogenic liquid coolant transfer device enhances flow of a liquified gas in the inboard direction by the incorporation of a threaded insert in the rotating inlet pipe of a superconducting rotor. The threads of the device also facilitate the reverse flow of liquid helium back into a stationary supply tube during fault conditions. The objective of the insert, during both normal and abnormal conditions, is to inhibit the flow of liquid coolant into the clearance gap that exists between rotating and stationary parts of the liquified gas transfer system.

Liquid coolant transfer device

A self-augmented parallel rail electromagnetic projectile launcher with a commutating circuit breaker disposed adjacent the breech.

Electromagnetic projectile launcher with self-augmenting rails

A turbine generator or motorized compressor wherein the blades of the turbine or compressor serve as armature conductors for a DC homopolar machine having a single stator which serves as a housing for the turbine or compressor and houses a field coil.

Integrated fluid dynamoelectric machine

A rotor is provided for an alternating current generator carrying a superconducting field winding and having a combined damper and shield member on the rotor. The damper-shield member is a composite cylindrical member extending over the field winding and consisting of concentric inner and outer cylinders of a high-strength, non-magnetic alloy and an intermediate cylinder of aluminum or other material of high electrical conductivity.

Rotor member for superconducting generator

A rotor is provided for an alternating current generator carrying a superconducting field winding and having a combined damper and shield member comprising a cylindrical member of high electrical conductivity. The shield member is attached to the rotor only at the end opposite the drive shaft and is supported on the rotor at the drive end in a manner to permit relative movement between the shield and the support.

A superconducting synchronous motor or generator which utilizes separate radiation and damper shields around a superconducting field winding on the machine rotor. The damper shield includes a pair of concentrically disposed cylinders held in radial spaced relationship with each other by pillar type structural members. A liquid metal fills the space between the concentric cylinders and as the rotor, including the cylinders, is accelerated to its operating speed, the liquid metal likewise will reach synchronous speed as a result of viscous drag between the liquid metal and the cylinder walls. During operation, the rotor shielding function is performed by the electrically conducting liquid metal moving at synchronous speed during steady state operation. Current generated in the liquid metal shields the superconducting field winding from alternating flux generated in the armature due to phase imbalance and harmonics. During fault conditions, such as a terminal short circuit, currents are generated in the liquid metal to shield the high armature demagnetizing flux from the superconducting winding. These currents in the liquid metal react with the field flux in the air gap to produce body forces in the liquid metal which result in the motion of fluid particles. Forces moving in a radial direction would tend to establish a pressure gradient in the liquid metal, but since the liquid metal is free to move and the pressure gradient cannot be maintained, flow takes place in the space between cylinders to equalize the pressure in the annulus which contains the liquid metal. Also, since circumferential body forces can transmit shear only by viscous forces, the torque reaction is significantly reduced.

Superconducting dynamoelectric machine having a liquid metal shield

A superconducting dynamoelectric machine has a cryogenic portion of the rotor supported on the ambient temperature portion of the rotor by relatively long and thin spokes. The spokes extend between the ambient temperature portion and a flange located on a cryogenic temperature portion. The materials of the flange and spokes are selected so that contraction of the spokes along their length will be compensated for by contraction of the flange in that direction. Contraction in the transverse direction is compensated for by an appropriate displacement of the end of the spoke connected to the ambient temperature portion. Alignment and tension of the spoke is accurately achieved by an appropriate adjusting arrangement.

Superconductive dynamoelectric machine with improved cryogenic support

In a fluid-cooling rotating member, such as a dynamoelectric machine rotor with superconducting windings, the fluid exhaust is used to cool structural members connecting ambient and cool zones in order to minimize heat flow to the cold elements. The coolant in the exhaust structure is confined to a path along the axis of rotation. This avoids radial coolant flow paths and radially displaced coolant flow paths in order to eliminate convection currents. The axially located coolant conduit is surrounded by and spaced from a supporting sleeve with a plurality of thermally conductive members extending between the coolant conduit and the supporting sleeve through an evacuated volume at axially spaced intervals.

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Murrysville, PA, United States of America

Donald C Litz