The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 11, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 24, 1999
Michael Joseph Rasinski, Winter Springs, FL (US);
Barry Mathewson, Irwin, PA (US);
William Francis Hannan, Monroeville, PA (US);
Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation, Orlando, FL (US);
Abstract
An exciter ( ) for starting a power generator having a thermally isolated diode wheel ( ) and methods of removing a diode wheel ( ) from an exciter rotor shaft ( ) are provided. The exciter ( ) preferably includes an exciter rotor shaft ( ), a thermal insulation layer ( ) mounted to the exciter shaft ( ), and a diode wheel ( ) having a wheel hub ( ). The wheel hub ( ) of the diode wheel ( ) is preferably mounted by an interference fit to overlie and abuttingly contact the thermal insulation layer ( ) positioned on the exciter rotor shaft ( ). The thermal insulation layer ( ) is positioned on the exciter rotor shaft ( ) and between the shaft ( ) and the diode wheel ( ) in a location where electrical insulation is not necessary. A method of removing a diode wheel ( ) mounted by an interference fit to an exciter rotor shaft ( ) of an exciter ( ) preferably includes heating a diode wheel ( ) positioned on an exciter rotor shaft ( ) having a thermal insulation layer ( ) positioned thereon to a desired temperature which enhances removal of the diode wheel ( ) from the shaft ( ), quenching the exciter rotor shaft ( ) with a liquid coolant at a temperature less than air ambient temperature, delaying the heat transfer from the diode wheel ( ) to the exciter rotor shaft ( ) during the quenching of the exciter rotor shaft ( ) by the thermal insulation layer ( ), and applying a force to the diode wheel ( ) to thereby remove the diode wheel ( ) from the shaft ( ).