General Electric Company

True T Shih

James B Archibald

James F Hopeck

Manoj Ramprasad Shah

Thomas B Jenkins

Robert John Nygard

Frederick J Rink, Jr

Paul C Rasmussen

In a dynamoelectric generator, a low-resistance electrical contact is provided by using a spring below the rotor slot wedges to bias the wedges against the overlapping retaining rings. This biased contact between the wedges and retaining rings forms a conductive current path for high-frequency eddy currents induced on the surface of the rotor and retaining rings at all operating speeds and at rotor standstill. In addition, the spring reduces gauling between the rotor key slots, wedges and retaining ring.

Harmonic current path spring device between retaining ring and rotor

A connector design for connecting rotor coil end turns and an exciter/rectifier assembly to a rotor bore copper conductor in a dynamoelectric machine. The design includes a terminal stud or pin sized to be closely received in a telescoping manner in a cylindrical receptacle which is fixedly attached to the rotor windings. A similar cylindrical receptacle extends from the other end of the rotor toward the exciter/rectifier assembly. The stud or pin in each case is also modified to include grooves for accepting resilient, sliding electrical contacts so that a resilient electrical contact is obtained when the stud is positioned within the receptacle. The connector elements are also sufficiently rigid as to withstand shock, centrifugal forces at operational speeds, and rotation direction reversal, but which also allows sufficient radial and axial movement to accommodate coil movement associated with rotor temperature and speed changes while simultaneously maintaining a low resistance current path.

Resilient connectors for a generator/motor rotor

A flexible main lead connector design for connecting an end turn of a rotor winding of a generator/motor to a terminal stud. The connector includes a first elongate, radially directed, conductive member attached to the rotor winding and a second elongate conductor member connected to the centralized terminal stud. The first conductive member has an inverted 'T' shape with its base tapering from a relatively thick central portion to relatively thin outer portions. The second conductor member has a central 'T' shaped portion and two relatively thin peripheral band portions shaped to generally follow the side and lower top surfaces of the central 'T' shaped portion. The bands continue in a curved manner toward and join with the relatively thin outer portions of the first conductive member and thus form a flexible connector allowing relative movement between the first and second conductive members. The connector, however, also supports the flexible bands against centrifugal forces present at rotor operating speeds by the inclusion of the 'T' shaped portion of the second conductor member which is positioned to form a support cap for the bands.

Main lead connector for a generator/motor rotor

In a dynamoelectric generator, a low-resistance electrical contact is provided by a cantilever beam mounted between the outer surface of the rotor body and an overlapping retaining ring. This cantilever beam is part of the wedges in the rotor body and provides a conductive current path for high-frequency eddy currents induced on the surface of the rotor and retaining rings at all operating speeds.

Cantilever spring contact for retaining rings on dynamoelectric machine

In a dynamoelectric generator, a low-resistance electrical contact is provided by a multilam or belleville spring mounted between the outer surface of the rotor body and an overlapping retaining ring. This contact forms a conductive current path for high-frequency eddy currents induced on the surface of the rotor and retaining rings at all operating speeds.

Multilam or belleville spring contact for retaining rings on

A solid rotor for a dynamoelectric machine including field conductors and ventilation passages in axial slots is provided with low resistivity thermally conductive axial winged inserts which seal and overlie the slots to form a low resistivity cylinder about the rotor to minimize power losses and associated heating due to harmonic induced eddy currents, enhance the conductive cooling of the rotor, and increase efficiency.

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Schenectady, NY, United States of America

True T Shih