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EP-4178086-B1 - TWO-PIECE END TURN WINDING SUPPORT

EP4178086B1EP 4178086 B1EP4178086 B1EP 4178086B1EP-4178086-B1

Inventors

  • CAMPBELL, KRIS H.
  • RIPPLINGER, SKYLER
  • KONOPA, BRIAN C.
  • KANNAN, KANTHI GNANAM
  • ALLEN, EDWARD C.
  • LIN, HAMMING
  • ANKER, LUIS E.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20221028

Claims (10)

  1. An end winding support (130) of a rotor (101) of an electric machine, the end winding support comprising: a first part (310) comprising an elongate body about which a conductive winding is wound, the elongate body (311) having a surface defining a first groove (313); and a second part (320), which is attached to an outboard portion of the first part (310), the second part (320) comprising a body which extends outwardly from the elongate body (311) and which has a surface defining a second groove (323) corresponding to the first groove, characterized in that the first groove widens around a recess into a widened section (315) at an inboard portion of the first part, which is opposite the outboard portion of the first part, the widened section of the first groove (313) is receptive of a busbar and the recess (314) is engaged with a fastening element to secure the busbar in the widened section of the first groove (313).
  2. The end winding support according to claim 1, wherein the second part (320) extends beyond an outboard portion of the first part (310).
  3. The end winding support according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second part (320) further comprises a curved radially outwardly facing surface.
  4. The end winding support according to any preceding claim, wherein the second part (320) is press-fit to the first part (310).
  5. A rotor of an electric machine, the rotor (101) comprising: a rotor assembly (110) having multiple poles; a conductive winding, which is wound around one or more of the multiple poles; and an end winding support (130) according to the end winding support of claims 1 to 4 to support the conductive winding.
  6. The rotor according to claim 5, further comprising a containment band disposed radially about the rotor assembly and in abutment with the second part (320).
  7. The rotor according to any of claims 5 to 6, wherein the first and second grooves cooperatively provide space between the conductive winding and the first and second parts (320), respectively.
  8. A method for assembling the rotor according to claim 6, the method comprising: installing the first part (310) of the winding support in the rotor assembly; winding a conductive winding about the first part (310) or around a pole of the rotor assembly with the first part (310) used to take up slack in the conductive winding; attaching the second part (320) of the winding support (130) to an outboard portion of the first part (310), the second part (320) extending outwardly from the first part (310); and arranging a containment band about the rotor assembly and in abutment with a curved radially outwardly facing surface of the second part (320).
  9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising winding the conductive winding about one or more of multiple poles of the rotor assembly.
  10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the attaching comprising press-fitting the second part (320) to the first part (310).

Description

BACKGROUND The present disclosure relates to electric machines and, more particularly, to an electric motor-generator with a two-piece end turn winding support. A typical electric machine includes a rotor and a stator surrounding the rotor with an air gap defined between an outer diameter of the rotor and an inner diameter of the stator. The rotor can include radially outwardly extending teeth with one or more conductive windings wound thereon. The stator can include a set of permanent magnets or electro-magnets disposed about the rotor. When current is applied to the conductive windings, the current generates a flux field that interacts with the permanent magnets or the electro-magnets of the stator to cause the rotor to rotate about a rotational axis thereof. Alternatively for an electric generator, rotation interacts with the field and produces a current. As the conductive windings are wound on the teeth of the rotor, the conductive windings can be provided with end turns at axial ends of the rotor. The end turns allow the conductive windings to be repeatedly wound back and forth on the rotor. End winding supports can be provided to support the end turns. It has been found that with some configurations, the end winding supports experience unacceptably high levels of stress and that this stress can lead to fractures in some cases. While material strength of the end winding supports can be increased, this is either an expensive solution or results in end winding supports that do not meet the functional requirement that they be electrically non-conductive. US 5 666 016 A describes a winding support for a rotary electrical component. US 6 727 634 B2 describes a system and method for end turn retention on a high speed generator rotor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION According to the present invention, an end winding support of a rotor of an electric machine is provided and defined in claim 1. The end winding support includes a first part and a second part. The first part includes an elongate body about which a conductive winding is wound. The elongate body has a surface defining a first groove. The second part is attached to an outboard portion of the first part. The second part includes a body which extends outwardly from the elongate body and which has a surface defining a second groove corresponding to the first groove. The first groove widens around a recess into a widened section at an inboard portion of the first part, which is opposite the outboard portion of the first part, the widened section of the first groove is receptive of a busbar and the recess is engaged with a fastening element to secure the busbar in the widened section of the first groove. In accordance with additional embodiments, the second part extends beyond an outboard portion of the first part. In accordance with additional embodiments, the second part further includes a curved radially outwardly facing surface. In accordance with additional, the second part is press-fit to the first part. In accordance with additional embodiments, a fitting is interposable between the fastening element and an interior surface of the recess. According to the present invention, a rotor of an electric machine is provided and defined in claim 5. The rotor includes a rotor assembly having multiple poles, a conductive winding, which is wound around one or more of the multiple poles and an end winding support to support the conductive winding. The end winding support includes a first part and a second part. The first part includes an elongate body about which the conductive winding is wound. The elongate body has a surface defining a first groove. The second part is attached to the first part. The second part includes a body which extends outwardly from the elongate body and which has a surface defining a second groove corresponding to the first groove. In accordance with additional embodiments, a containment band is disposed radially about the rotor assembly and in abutment with the second part. In accordance with additional embodiments, the second part extends outwardly beyond an outboard portion of the first part in circumferential and axial directions of the rotor assembly. In accordance with additional embodiments, the second part further includes a curved radially outwardly facing surface. In accordance with additional embodiments, the second part is press-fit to the first part. In accordance with additional embodiments, the first groove widens around a recess into a widened section at an inboard portion of the first part. In accordance with additional embodiments, a busbar, is configured to be seated within the widened section of the first groove and a fastening element is engageable with the recess to secure the busbar in the widened section of the first groove. In accordance with additional embodiments, a fitting is interposable between the fastening element and an interior surface of the recess. In accordance with additional embodiments, the first and second g