Ge Energy Power Conversion Technology Gmbh

Alstom

Joseph Christy Eugene

Graham Derek Le Flem

Martin Richard Ingles

Ruben Jeevanasan Fair

Clive Lewis

Benjamin Guy Salter

David John Swaffield

Graham LeFlem

Benjamin Salter

A stator for an electrical machine (e.g., a motor or generator) is described. The stator includes a stator core consisting of a plurality of axially adjacent generally annular laminations. The stator has axially extending stator teeth between adjacent pairs of which are formed axially extending stator slots for receiving conductors of a stator winding. At least one of the stator teeth includes an axially extending cooling passageway through which a cooling fluid flows in use. The electrical machine can include means for circulating cooling fluid through the cooling passageway(s) to cool the stacked laminations and means for circulating air around the stator along an air cooling circuit where the circulated air is cooled by the stator laminations and there is no need for a separate heat exchanger.

Stators for electrical machines

A system for maintaining a high vacuum in a vacuum enclosure such as cryostat, for example, is described. The system includes a high-vacuum pump having an input that is connected to the cryostat and an output. A vacuum vessel is connected to the output of the high-vacuum pump. A second vacuum pump is connectable to the vacuum vessel. The system is operated such that the high-vacuum pump maintains the cryostat at a high vacuum and the second vacuum pump is periodically operated to maintain the pressure of the vacuum vessel below a threshold pressure. The second vacuum pump may be either permanently connected to, or removable from, the vacuum vessel. The vacuum vessel acts to maintain the output of the high-vacuum pump within a suitable pressure range. This removes the need for the output of the high-vacuum pump to be connected to a continuously operating, second-stage vacuum pump. Furthermore, the second vacuum pump is only required to be operated periodically in order to maintain the pressure in the vacuum vessel below the threshold pressure.

Methods and systems for maintaining a high vacuum in a vacuum enclosure

A mechanical assembly such as a torque transfer strut for a rotating superconducting machine. The torque transfer strut includes a composite tube having a first end received in a clamping fitting, which may include an end housing or lug, a clamping wedge screwed onto a threaded end housing, and an annular clamping member applying a radial clamping force to the first end of the composite tube at ambient temperature. When cooled, shrinkage of the end housing in the axial direction causes the annular clamping member to maintain or increase radial clamping force, causing the clamping wedge to apply increasing radial force to an inner member deflecting outwardly a plurality of axial fingers. The first end of the composite tube remains clamped between the inner member and an outer member, together defining an annular channel receiving the first end of the composite tube.

Mechanical assemblies

A rotor (or a stator) for a superconducting electrical machine includes a mounting that is maintained at substantially ambient temperature during operation of the electrical machine and a field coil support structure. A plurality of superconducting field coils are maintained at cryogenic temperatures during operation of the electrical machine and are supported by the field coil support structure. At least one coupling element is used to fix the field coil support structure to the mounting. The field coil support structure is preferably fixed to the mounting by a plurality of substantially circumferentially extending coupling elements at a first and second axial end of the field coil support structure and the mounting such that the mounting and field coil support structure are substantially separated over their axial lengths by a vacuum gap.

Rotor or a stator for a superconducting electrical machine

A stator for a high power density air gap electrical machine comprises an outer annular laminated iron stator core and a stator winding comprising a plurality of coils having linear conductor portions extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the machine. Support teeth for the coils are fabricated from a non-magnetic material, with each support being interposed between two adjacent ones of the linear conductor portions of the coils. The supports not only supplement the mechanical strength of the winding but also define channels for the flow of coolant to extract heat from the coils.

Growing community of inventors

Rugby, United Kingdom

Joseph Christy Eugene