General Electric Company

Lawrence Lee Sowers

Jeffrey Michael Breznak

Alan Michael Iversen

James F Hopeck

Yu Wang

James Jun Xu

David Robert Schumacher

Elena Rozier

Thomas Robert Stonehouse

George Rowan Silliman

Joseph Alan Worden

James Fredrick Hopeck

A ripple spring is provided having one or more conductive layers, and one or more non-conductive layers. The conductive layers and the non-conductive layers are laminated together to form a symmetrical stack of layers. A method is also provided for monitoring the ripple spring. The method includes the steps of providing a ripple spring that holds a winding in place, where the ripple spring is positioned at least partially within a stator slot defined within an electromechanical device. Providing a conductive layer disposed within the ripple spring, and generating signals from the conductive layer, the signals corresponding to at least one aspect of the ripple spring. An analyzing step analyzes the signals to determine the at least one aspect of the ripple spring, wherein the at least one aspect facilitates an identification of faults in the ripple spring.

Ripple spring and diagnostic method therefor

A ripple spring is provided having one or more layers laminated together, where the one or more layers form a symmetrical stack.

Ripple spring

A method of forming a brazed joint between an armature bar and a hydraulic header clip including the steps of: locating ends of a plurality of hollow strands and a plurality of solid strands within a cavity in an end fitting such that free ends of said hollow strands extend axially beyond free ends of said solid strands; and pre-placing an essentially phosphorous-free silver braze alloy around and between said ends of said hollow strands and said solid strands such that said braze alloy extends axially beyond the free ends of said solid strands.

Method for applying braze end isolation layer for generator armature winding bar

A method of forming a brazed joint between an armature bar and a hydraulic header clip including: assembling free ends of hollow strands and of solid strands of the armature winding bar and positioning the assembly within the hydraulic header clip; interleaving a silver based braze alloy between the strands, wherein a portion of the braze alloy extends axially beyond the free ends of a plurality of the solid strands and the free ends of a plurality of the hollow strands extend axially beyond the braze material; positioning the assembly of the free ends, hydraulic header clip and the braze alloy in a braze chamber, such that the clip is seated in an induction heating coil of the chamber; heating the assembly to a first temperature below a solidus temperature of the braze alloy and within a 200 degrees Fahrenheit of the solidus temperature activating the induction heat coil to heat the clip; heating the assembly to a second temperature above the liquidus temperature of the braze alloy; pooling liquid braze alloy on ends of the armature bar, and cooling the assembly and clip thereby forming a braze isolation layer on the end of the armature bar.

Method for applying an isolation layer to a brazed end of a generator armature winding bar

A liquid-cooled armature bar end fitting-to-strand brazed connection. The end fitting is comprised of a main body and a cover, and defines a cavity, a bottom wall of which is defined in part by the cover. An armature winding bar strand package including solid strands and hollow strands arranged in a tiered array extends into the end fitting so that at least the free ends of the hollow strands extend beyond the bottom wall, into the cavity. The side wall of the cavity is spaced from the hollow strands. A braze alloy joins the strands to each other and to the end fitting. The braze alloy forms an isolation layer over the free ends of the solid strands and over the said bottom wall of the cavity to a depth above a horizontal junction between the main body and the cover.

Liquid-cooled armature bar clip-to-strand connection and method

A clamp for attaching a clip to an end of a stator bar including: an anchor adapted to fit into an open end of the clamp; a bracket having a first leg extending radially from the anchor and a second leg substantially perpendicular to the first leg, wherein the second leg has a distal end with a pivot point; at least one alignment post on an inside surface of the second leg; a lever arm pivotably attached to the pivot point on the second leg of the bracket, the lever arm further including a lip on a first end of the arm and adapted to releasably engage an edge of a cover to clip, and an adjustment screw threaded through the lever arm and having a first screw end abutting an outside surface of the second leg of the bracket, wherein turning the screw pivots the lever arm and moves the lip towards or away from the cover.

Clamp to attach a stator bar to a clip

A method of forming a brazed joint between an armature bar and a hydraulic header clip including: assembling an end of the armature bar, hydraulic header clip and a substantially phosphorus-free braze material; positioning the assembly of the armature bar, hydraulic header clip and the braze material in a braze chamber, such that the clip is seated in an induction heating coil; heating the assembly to a first temperature within 200 degrees Fahrenheit of and below a solidus temperature of the braze material by applying electrical current to the induction heat coil; heating the assembly to a second temperature above the liquidus temperature of the braze material; pooling liquid braze material on ends of the armature bar, and cooling the assembly and thereby forming a braze layer on the end of the armature bar.

System for applying an isolation layer to a brazed end of a generator armature winding bar

A method of sealing a generator stator bar and a stator bar end fitting receiving the end including the steps of: brazing the fitting to the end of the stator bar with a braze material; applying a metallic barrier coating material to the end of the stator bar in the fitting; heating the fitting at a temperature at least as hot as a liquidus temperature of the metallic coating material and cooler than a solids temperature of the braze material; coating the end of the stator bar in the fitting with liquid metallic barrier coating material, and solidifying the liquefied metallic coating material to form a metallic barrier coating on the end of the stator bar in the fitting.

Method of sealing a generator stator bar and a stator bar end fitting

A brazed joint between an armature winding bar strand package and a hydraulic header clip end fitting including: a plurality of solid strands and a plurality of hollow strands arranged in a tiered array and forming the strand package, the plurality of hollow strands having free ends that extend axially beyond corresponding free ends of solid strands; a cavity in the end fitting into which extents the free ends of the hollow strands and solid strands, and an essentially phosphorous-free silver braze alloy joining the free ends of the plurality of hollow strands and said corresponding free ends of solid strands to each other and to interior surfaces of the end fitting, wherein said braze alloy forms an isolation layer over the free ends of the solid strands.

Braze end isolation layer for generator armature winding bar and method for applying the isolation layer

A method of forming a brazed joint between an armature bar and a hydraulic header clip including: assembling an end of the armature bar, hydraulic header clip and a substantially phosphorous-free braze material; positioning the assembly of the armature bar, hydraulic header clip and the braze material in a braze chamber, such that the clip is seated in an induction heating coil; heating the assembly to a first temperature within 200 degrees F. of and below a solidus temperature of the braze material by applying electrical current to the induction heat coil; heating the assembly to a second temperature above the liquidus temperature of the braze material; pooling liquid braze material on ends of the armature bar, and cooling the assembly and thereby forming a braze layer on the end of the armature bar.

Growing community of inventors

Ballston Lake, NY, United States of America

Lawrence Lee Sowers