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:
Oct. 12, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 31, 2002
Luis Alberto Estrada, Clifton Park, NY (US);
Christopher Steven Terrey, Albany, NY (US);
David Robert Kettlewood, East Greenbush, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
The bearing housing of an electrical generator is isolated from the interior of the generator enclosure by forming a cavity in the generator end wall with a seal between the generator end wall and the rotor. By sealing the bearing housing from the interior of the enclosure, the bearing housing is subject entirely to ambient pressure while the interior of the generator is subject to high vacuum pressure for cooling purposes. This isolation minimizes or eliminates potential for oil leakage into the interior of the generator previously caused by exposure on one side of the bearing housing to high vacuum pressure within the generator enclosure and the opposite side to the ambient pressure. This isolation system also eliminates the need for a high suction pressure vapor extractor and enables a conventional vapor extractor associated with the lubrication oil system to remove oil vapors from the bearing housing.