General Electric Company

Mechanical Technology Incorporated

Rem Technologies, Inc.

William H Miller, Jr

James Jonathan Grant

John H Vohr

Joseph J Frank

Jeffrey J Perkins

John A Mayer

Edward C Hartung

A spool-like stator support structure for an inductor type dynamoelectric machine incorporates stamped, annular end plates. Each end plate has a plurality of spaced-apart recessed landings along its outer edge and, preferably, a plurality of axially outward extending tabs which cooperate to precisely position a plurality of circumferentially distributed generally U-shaped armature elements mounted thereon. The end plate is also provided with a rabbet or press fit along its radially inner edge for mating with an end of the central cylindrical tube of the spool-like support. Cooling ports also distributed about the inner edge of the laminated end plate provide for ventilation of the exterior of said central tube. The end plate can be assembled from a grouping of standardized stampings or from a single stamping.

Stator support structure with stamped end plates

An adjustable speed inductor type rotating dynamoelectric machine, capable of high speed operation, employs a stator assembly incorporating a spool-like support structure. A central, generally cylindrical portion of the support structure supports field windings while radially oriented end portions of the spool-like structure mount and accurately position a circumferentially distributed plurality of C-shaped armature core elements. Radially directed, angularly spaced grooves in the outer surfaces of the end portions receive legs of the C-shaped armature elements and serve to precisely position these elements in three orthogonal directions. The central portion of the armature-field winding support structure may be made of electrically conductive material to provide a flux shield and dissipate heat. For additional ventilation, cooling ports may be provided in the central portion of the spool-like support which cooperate with extended recesses in a coaxial rotor. The rotating rotor centrifugally propels cooling fluid through said ports into the spaces occupied by the field windings and armature windings.

Stator assembly for dynamoelectric machine

A hybrid bearing for a horizontal rotatable shaft includes an upper portion which is essentially a half section of a fixed arc journal bearing. The lower portion of the bearing is essentially the lower portion of a tilting pad bearing. Appropriate modifications are made to the oil film and drain lines and other peripheral elements to accommodate the hybrid nature of the bearing. The resultant bearing has the low power loss characteristics of the journal bearing, and additionally, the stability characteristics of a tilting pad bearing.

Hybrid bearing

A stator core support structure and an assembly of a stator core in a core support structure, both characterized by having a plurality of stress-relief devices that are mounted at selected areas of high radial rigidity on the core support structure to transmit a predetermined compressive force from the support structure to a stator core mounted in it with an interference fit, thereby to secure the stator core in a predetermined geometric configuration. The method of the invention includes the steps of mounting a plurality of stress-relief devices at selected points between a stator core and a support structure surrounding it, and loading each of said devices to transmit compressive forces to said points of the stator to secure it in a desired geometric configuration within the support structure.

Method of making a dynamoelectric machine stator supporting structure

A shaft of a high-speed AC dynamoelectric machine includes axially directed flutes which define lands upon which an aligned stack of annular laminations of magnetic steel are shrunk-fit. The flutes concentrate contact forces generated by shrink-fitting in known positions and the non-contacting regions aligned with the flutes provide a small amount of resilience which permits thermal expansion of the rotor to occur without forcing a migration in the shrunk-fit contacting surfaces. The flutes may be used as axial ventilation holes whose effectiveness is enhanced by radially directed air flow channels communicating between the flutes and the outer surface of the rotor. In rotors using laminations which include keyways therein, the fluted shaft provides sufficient keying of the lamination to the shaft so that a key may be omitted. In order to avoid stacking of burrs in the laminations, succeeding groups of laminations are angularly indexed so that the effects of any recurring burrs are distributed about the circumference of the rotor and are thereby cancelled out.

Rotor of AC dynamoelectric machine with improved cooling and stability

Dynamoelectric machine stator mounting means and method of making same

This invention provides apparatus for reinforcing an end of a motor housing of a motor of the type having a minimum vertical dimension. The invention accomplishes this objective in one embodiment by extending two axially extending gussets, which normally terminate short of the ends of the stator housing, until they contact inside surfaces of the ends of the stator housing. A stiffening bar is added along the bottom of the ends of the stator housing between the two extended gussets to carry downward vibration forces from the rotor bearings of the motor through the end shields to mounting rails located adjacent the gussets. This improvement reduces vibration and shifts the natural vibrational resonant frequencies of the structure further away from expected vibrational excitation frequencies of the motor. In another embodiment of the invention the end shield of the motor is provided with force transmission members disposed diagonally downwardly to a pair of mounting flange members which are engaged, upon assembly of the end shield into the housing with a pair of diagonally disposed gussets which are fastened directly to a pair of motor mounting rails, thus bypassing the motor housing in the path of support for dynamic forces generated during operation of the motor.

Apparatus for vibration reduction in dynamoelectric machines

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid thrust bearing includes a resilient support system having a two-stage spring arrangement for supporting a flexible bearing sheet. The spring arrangement includes a bundle of nested Belleville springs arranged in parallel and a corrugated spring member arranged in series with the Belleville spring bundle. This arrangement provides an overall spring characteristic of relatively low stiffness under light load, an increased stiffness under the loads normally encountered during operation of the bearing, and a decreased stiffness under loads in excess of the rated capacity of the bearing. This spring characteristic enables the bearing sheet to deflect early under light hydrodynamic loads to assure the correct filt with respect to the thrust runner to establish supporting fluid films; to support the axial load during normal operating conditions; and to deflect under extreme transient loads to share misalignment or gross vibration loads with adjacent bearing areas.

Nested Belleville spring support for compliant thrust bearings

A multi-pad compliant hydrodynamic fluid journal bearing includes three bearing modules spaced uniformly around a bearing sleeve. Each module includes a resilient supporting element formed in a corrugated pattern to provide spaced resilient support projections for an overlying bearing sheet having a bearing surface which faces the rotating shaft. One end of the sheet is welded to one end of the supporting element with an intervening spacer block having a recess in the center thereof. The other end of the bearing sheet includes a tongue which lies under the bearing sheet of the adjacent module within the recess of the spacer block of that module.

Multi-pad compliant hydrodynamic journal bearing

A resilient support for a compliant hydrodynamic fluid bearing includes a series of corrugated spring metal strips arranged side-by-side. The corrugations on adjacent strips are displaced axially a distance equal to one-half of the wave lengths of the corrugations so that the peaks on one strip are laterally aligned with the valleys on adjacent strips. This arrangement provides a uniform matrix of support zones for the bearing sheet to minimize localized deflections of the bearing sheet. It produces a bearing sheet profile under hydrodynamic loading which is approximately cylindrical so the supporting hydrodynamic fluid film is more uniform for the generation of greater pressures over a greater area.

Compliant hydrodynamic fluid bearing with resilient support matrix

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid journal bearing includes a bearing sleeve having a cylindrical bore which receives a bearing sheet having a radially inwardly facing bearing surface. The bearing sheet is supported by a compliant support element having spaced resilient projections for resiliently supporting the bearing sheet. One end of the support element is welded adjacent to one end of the bearing sheet with an intervening spacer block, and the assembly is fixed in the bearing sleeve. A second block is welded adjacent to the other end of the bearing sheet so that the ends of the bearing sheet extend slightly beyond the blocks. A spring is disposed between the two blocks and is retained in place by the bearing sheet overhangs. The spring exerts a circumferential spreading force on the two blocks and through them on the two ends of the bearing sheet. This spreading force holds down the ends of the bearing sheet for two-way shaft rotation, and has the effect of seating the bearing sheet firmly against the support element, and the support element firmly against the bearing sleeve for bearing clearance control and optimized damping.

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Albany, NY, United States of America

William H Miller, Jr