IP Library Granted Patent US 9,973,045
Granted Patent B2
US 9,973,045 · App. 14/115,336 · Granted May 15, 2018

Generator rotor, assembly method and related insertion tool

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,973,045
App. No.
14/115,336
Granted
May 15, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Generator rotor comprising a rotor rim and a plurality of permanent magnet modules and a plurality of anchors arranged at an outer or inner circumference of the rotor rim such that the anchors substantially fix the permanent magnet modules to the rotor, wherein the permanent magnet modules comprise a base having a bottom surface, two axially extending side surfaces and a top surface, and one or more rows of magnets mounted on said top surface, wherein the two side surfaces of the permanent magnet modules each comprise an axially extending groove, and wherein the anchors have a shape that substantially fits exactly in axially extending grooves of neighboring permanent magnet modules.

Claims (19)

1. A generator rotor, comprising:

a rotor rim, a plurality of permanent magnet modules, a plurality of attachable anchors arranged at an outer or inner circumference of the rotor rim so as to bind the permanent magnet modules to the rotor rim, and a circumferentially continuous non-magnetic cover arranged exterior to the plurality of magnet modules, the continuous non-magnetic cover comprising a plurality of protrusions, each of the plurality of protrusions extending between neighboring permanent magnet modules,

wherein the permanent magnet modules each comprise a base, one or more rows of permanent magnets, the base and the one or more rows of permanent magnets being connected as a unit with each other, the base comprising a bottom surface, a top surface, and two axially extending outer side surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces, the one or more rows of permanent magnets being connected to the top surface of the base,

wherein the two axially extending outer side surfaces of the each of bases of each of the permanent magnet modules comprise an axially extending groove formed into each of the axially extending outer side surfaces, wherein the anchors comprise a shape that corresponds to and fits in the axially extending grooves of adjacent permanent magnet modules.

2. The generator rotor according to claim 1 , wherein each permanent magnet module comprises a single row of magnets.

3. The generator rotor according to claim 1 , wherein each permanent magnet module comprises at least two rows of magnets.

4. The generator rotor according to claim 1 , wherein the anchors are substantially T-shaped.

5. The generator rotor according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnets are connected to the top surface of the base with glue.

6. The generator rotor according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnets are connected to the top surface of the base with screws.

7. The generator rotor according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet modules comprise one or more belts that are attached at a front and a rear of the base element for binding the permanent magnets to the base.

8. The generator rotor according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnets are covered with a non-magnetic material.

9. An insertion tool for use in the assembly of a generator rotor according to claim 1 , comprising a substantially curved plate with a plurality of guiding elements, the curvature of the plate corresponding to a curvature of the rotor rim and the shape of the guiding elements substantially corresponding to the shape of the anchors, two neighbouring guiding elements defining an insertion track between them, and further comprising an attachment bracket for attaching the insertion tool to a generator stator.

10. The insertion tool according to claim 9 , further comprising an actuator for moving a permanent magnet module along the insertion track.

11. A method assembling a generator rotor according to claim 1 , comprising

loosely attaching two or more anchors to the rotor rim,

inserting a permanent magnet module between two of the anchors, and

tightly attaching the anchors to the rotor rim.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein inserting a permanent magnet module comprises attaching an insertion tool according to claim 9 to a stator of the generator in such a way that the guiding elements of the insertion tool are aligned with the anchors of the generator rotor, and

inserting a permanent magnet module by sliding the module along the insertion track of the insertion tool.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2017
From: GE RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES
To: GE RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES WIND B.V.
Reel/Frame 044117/0056 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 2, 2017
From: ALSTOM RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES
To: GE RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Reel/Frame 043749/0761 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2017
From: ALSTOM RENOVABLES ESPAÑA, S.L.U.
To: ALSTOM RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES
Reel/Frame 041770/0772 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2013
From: MUÑIZ CASAIS, CÉSAR; CLARAMUNT ESTECHA, SANTIAGO
To: ALSTOM RENOVABLES ESPAÑA, S.L.
Reel/Frame 031587/0253 →