American Superconductor Corporation

William T Sand

Bruce B Gamble

Peter M Winn

Swarn S Kalsi

Raymond Thomas Howard

Gregory L Snitchler

Dariusz Antoni Bushko

John Peter Voccio

A stator support system for supporting a stator coil assembly includes an inner support tube having an outer surface; spaced windings supported on the inner support tube with spaces between adjacent windings defining gaps; support members, each disposed within one of the gaps and having a first and second edge configured to mechanically engage the outer surface of the inner support tube; and a cross support positioned over the spaced winding and extending perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the stator coil assembly. The cross support having a first edge configured to mechanically engage the second edge of the support members. The stator coil assembly can include a stator coil having at least one conductive winding; an electrically insulating material disposed around the stator coil; at least one cooling conduit for receiving a coolant from an outside source, the at least one cooling conduit disposed adjacent a first portion of an outer surface of the stator coil; and a thermally conductive member including graphite and disposed around the at least one cooling conduit and a second portion of the outer surface of the stator coil to transfer heat from the second portion to the at least one cooling conduit, thereby reducing the temperature gradient in the electrically insulating material.

Stator coil assembly for superconducting rotating machines

A stator support system for supporting a stator coil assembly includes a inner support tube having an outer surface; spaced windings supported on the inner support tube with spaces between adjacent windings defining gaps; support members, each disposed within one of the gaps and having a first and second edge configured to mechanically engage the outer surface of the inner support tube; and a cross support positioned over the spaced winding and extending perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the stator coil assembly. The cross support having a first edge configured to mechanically engage the second edge of the support members. The stator coil assembly can include a stator coil having at least one conductive winding; an electrically insulating material disposed around the stator coil; at least one cooling conduit for receiving a coolant from an outside source, the at least one cooling conduit disposed adjacent a first portion of an outer surface of the stator coil; and a thermally conductive member including graphite and disposed around the at least one cooling conduit and a second portion of the outer surface of the stator coil to transfer heat from the second portion to the at least one cooling conduit, thereby reducing the temperature gradient in the electrically insulating material.

A superconducting machine of the type having a stator assembly and a rotor assembly that rotates within the stator assembly and is spaced from the stator assembly by a gap is disclosed. This arrangement can be used, for example, to produce a superconducting motor or generator. In one aspect of the invention, the superconducting rotating machine includes at least one HTS superconducting winding assembly which, in operation, generates a magnetic flux linking the stator assembly and rotor assembly, a refrigeration system for cooling the at least one superconducting winding of the rotor assembly and the superconducting rotating machine has a torque density of approximately 75 Nm/Kg or more at 500 RPM or less.

HTS superconducting rotating machine

A superconducting rotating machine has a relatively compact construction while still providing a relatively high output power, thus the superconducting rotating machine has an increased power density characteristic. The superconducting rotating machine includes a stator assembly, a rotor assembly configured to rotate within the stator assembly and having at least one HTS superconducting winding assembly which, in operation, generates a magnetic flux linking the rotor assembly to the stator assembly, and a refrigeration system for cooling the at least one superconducting winding. The superconducting rotating has a gap shear characteristic greater than 10 psi.

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Cumberland, RI, United States of America

William T Sand