IP Library Granted Patent US 10,348,162
Granted Patent B1
US 10,348,162 · App. 15/850,719 · Granted Jul 9, 2019

Method and assembly of an electric machine

Inventors: Hao Huang (Troy, OH); John S. Mears (Cincinnati, OH); Xiaochuan Jia (Centerville, OH); Samuel Robert Hathaway (Cincinnati, OH)
Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC
H02K9/19F02C7/32H02K7/1823F05D2220/7642F05D2220/7644
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,348,162
App. No.
15/850,719
Granted
Jul 9, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

A generator includes a housing, a rotor within the housing and rotatable about an axis of rotation, and a coolant sump within the housing and arranged axially parallel with the axis of rotation, wherein an aeroline of the generator can at least partially limit an aeroline of an engine cowling.

Claims (36)

1. A generator comprising:

a housing;

a rotor within the housing and rotatable about an axis of rotation; and

a set of coolant sumps within the housing and arranged axially parallel with the axis of rotation;

wherein the set of coolant sumps is configured to minimize an aeroline dimension of the generator.

2. The generator of claim 1 wherein the set of coolant sumps includes two axially-arranged coolant sumps.

3. The generator of claim 1 wherein the set of coolant sumps are fluidly connected.

4. The generator of claim 1 wherein the set of coolant sumps further comprises a scavenge sump fluidly separated from the set of coolant sumps.

5. The generator of claim 4 wherein the generator further comprises a dry cavity defined by the housing and bearings supporting the rotor, and wherein the scavenge sump fluidly collects at least one of dry cavity free coolant or bearing coolant.

6. The generator of claim 1 wherein a portion of the aeroline dimension corresponding to the set of coolant sumps is reduced compared with a single coolant sump.

7. The generator of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a forward-facing area defined by the intersection of a plane normal to the axis of rotation and the generator.

8. The generator of claim 1 , further comprising a set of coolant pumps disposed on an upper portion of the generator.

9. The generator of claim 8 wherein the generator is a dry cavity generator and wherein the set of coolant pumps are positioned relative to the generator housing to prevent backfilling the generator housing with coolant during axial tilting of the generator.

10. A turbine engine assembly comprising:

a turbofan engine;

an engine cowling arranged exteriorly to the turbofan engine; and

a generator fixed relative to the turbofan engine, within the engine cowling, and further comprising:

a generator housing;

a rotor within the generator housing, rotatable about an axis of rotation, and mechanically driven by the turbofan engine; and

a set of coolant sumps within the generator housing and arranged axially parallel with the axis of rotation;

wherein the set of coolant sumps is configured to minimize an aeroline dimension of the generator; and

wherein an aeroline of the engine cowling is limited by the aeroline dimension of the generator housing.

11. The turbine engine assembly of claim 10 wherein the aeroline dimension of the generator is defined by a radial dimension extending between the axis of rotation and the most distal portion of the generator housing.

12. The turbine engine assembly of claim 10 wherein the generator housing includes a forward-facing aeroline dimension area defined by the intersection of a plane normal to the axis of rotation and the generator.

13. The turbine engine assembly of claim 10 wherein the set of coolant sumps includes two axially-arranged coolant sumps.

14. The turbine engine assembly of claim 10 wherein the set of coolant sumps are fluidly connected.

15. The turbine engine assembly of claim 10 wherein the set of coolant sumps further comprises a scavenge sump fluidly separated from the set of coolant sumps.

16. The turbine engine assembly of claim 10 wherein the aeroline dimension of the generator is defined by a diameter dimension extending between opposing radially distal portions of the generator housing.

17. The turbine engine assembly of claim 10 wherein generator is a dry cavity generator and the set of coolant sumps are sealed to prevent backfilling the generator housing with coolant during axial tilting of the turbine engine assembly.

18. A generator comprising:

a housing;

a rotor within the housing and rotatable about an axis of rotation; and

a set of coolant sumps within the housing and arranged axially parallel with the axis of rotation;

wherein the set of coolant sumps is configured to minimize an aeroline dimension of the generator.

19. The generator of claim 18 wherein the aeroline dimension of the generator is defined by a radial dimension extending between the axis of rotation and the most distal portion of the generator housing.

20. The generator of claim 18 wherein the aeroline dimension of the generator is defined by a diameter dimension extending between opposing radially distal portions of the generator housing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2017
From: HUANG, HAO; MEARS, JOHN S.; JIA, XIAOCHUAN; HATHAWAY, SAMUEL ROBERT
To: GE AVIATION SYSTEMS LLC
Reel/Frame 044464/0071 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,291,998 US 12,486,836