Rotor assembly, annular electric motor, and method for assembling annular electric motor

Abstract

Disclosed are a rotor assembly, an annular electric motor, and a method for assembling an annular electric motor. The rotor assembly comprises: a rotor mounting portion (10), the rotor mounting portion (10) being annular and being provided with a plurality of mounting portion strip-shaped grooves (11) extending axially and spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction; a plurality of lamination units (30), each lamination unit (30) being configured to retain one or more magnetic tile sets; and a plurality of mounting ribs (20), the mounting ribs (20) being fixedly connected to the lamination units (30), wherein during assembly of the rotor assembly, the plurality of lamination units (30) can move to mounting positions thereof on the rotor mounting portion (10) by means of the sliding of the mounting ribs (20) in the mounting portion strip-shaped grooves (11). The solution of the present disclosure has the advantages of being convenient to mount, reliable in structure, etc.

Description

Rotor assembly, ring motor, method for assembling a ring motor

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411433121.5, filed on October 14, 2024; Chinese Patent Application No. 202422483656.5, filed on October 14, 2024; Chinese Patent Application No. 202422483038.0, filed on October 14, 2024; and Chinese Patent Application No. 202411436544.2, filed on October 14, 2024, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to rotor assemblies, ring motors, and methods for assembling ring motors. Background Technology

[0003] When a mill is in operation, it requires a motor to drive the mill cylinder to rotate. A traditional mill drive system consists of a drive motor, a reduction gear, a pinion shaft, and a large gear. During operation, the drive motor drives the reduction gear, which in turn drives the pinion shaft, which in turn drives the large gear, ultimately rotating the mill cylinder to achieve grinding. This drive system involves numerous transmission links, each of which consumes energy, mechanical energy, lubrication, and space. This results in very low energy utilization and transmission efficiency, significantly increasing energy, mechanical, and lubrication consumption.

[0004] As an improvement, there exists a ring motor that can directly drive the mill cylinder to rotate. However, existing ring motor rotors have several drawbacks. For example, the rotor of a ring motor is large in size, the magnets have extremely strong magnetic force, and the attraction between the magnets and the stator is also extremely strong during installation, making installation very difficult and prone to safety hazards. Furthermore, ring motors are often used in dusty environments, which places high demands on the sealing between the stator and rotor. In addition, the rotor also suffers from unreasonable structural design, inconvenient connection to the mill cylinder, and low structural strength. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a rotor assembly, including: a rotor mounting portion, the rotor mounting portion being annular and having a plurality of mounting portion strip-shaped grooves extending axially and spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction; a plurality of lamination units, each lamination unit for holding one or more magnetic tile assemblies; and a plurality of mounting ribs, the mounting ribs being fixedly connected to the lamination units. During the assembly of the rotor assembly, the plurality of lamination units can be moved to their mounting positions on the rotor mounting portion by means of the sliding of the mounting ribs in the mounting portion strip-shaped grooves.

[0006] For example, each mounting rib has a first rib portion that is received in the strip groove of the mounting portion. Preferably, the inner surface of each lamination unit is provided with one or more lamination strip grooves, and each mounting rib also has a second rib portion that is received in the lamination strip groove.

[0007] For example, the first end of the mounting slot is open in the axial direction to allow the mounting rib to be inserted into the mounting slot in the axial direction; preferably, the second end of the mounting slot is not open in the axial direction.

[0008] For example, the axial dimension of the mounting rib is greater than the axial dimension of the lamination unit, and one end of the mounting rib extends out of the lamination unit.

[0009] For example, both the mounting groove and the lamination groove have limiting portions that restrict the radial movement of the mounting rib.

[0010] For example, each lamination unit has one or more magnetic tile mounting slots on its outer surface, and each magnetic tile group is installed in a magnetic tile mounting slot. Each magnetic tile group includes multiple magnetic tiles stacked together in the axial direction. Preferably, each lamination unit has four magnetic tile mounting slots, and each lamination unit is installed to the rotor mounting part by two mounting ribs.

[0011] For example, it also has two fixing plates located at the two axial ends of the lamination unit to hold the magnetic tile assembly.

[0012] For example, the rotor mounting portion is provided with a positioning step that abuts against one of the fixing plates to prevent the one of the fixing plates from moving in the axial direction. Preferably, there is a gap between the fixing plate abutting against the positioning step and the rotor mounting portion.

[0013] For example, the mounting rib further includes an intermediate rib portion connecting the first rib portion and the second rib portion, wherein the width of both the first rib portion and the width of the second rib portion are greater than the width of the intermediate rib portion. Preferably, the width of the first rib portion is the same as the width of the second rib portion.

[0014] For example, the mounting ribs are located between adjacent magnetic tile groups.

[0015] For example, it also includes multiple fasteners that securely connect the lamination unit, mounting ribs, and rotor mounting section.

[0016] For example, adjacent lamination units are joined together by protrusions and recesses that fit together.

[0017] For example, the rotor mounting portion includes a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, and an intermediate mounting portion connecting the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion. The outer surfaces of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are flush to form an annular outer surface of the rotor mounting portion, and the intermediate mounting portion extends perpendicular to the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion, such that the cross-section of the rotor mounting portion is T-shaped.

[0018] For example, the rotor mounting portion further includes: a first reinforcing rib, fixed to the first mounting portion and the intermediate mounting portion; and a second reinforcing rib, fixed to the second mounting portion and the intermediate mounting portion. The thickness of the first mounting portion is greater than the thickness of the second mounting portion, and the height of the first reinforcing rib is less than the height of the second reinforcing rib.

[0019] For example, the rotor mounting portion includes multiple sub-parts, with adjacent sub-parts mounted together via mounting flanges; the mounting flanges include a first pair of mounting flanges fixed to the first mounting portion and the intermediate mounting portion, and a second pair of mounting flanges fixed to the second mounting portion and the intermediate mounting portion. The inner surface of the first mounting portion has a mounting clearance groove perpendicular to the first pair of mounting flanges at a position near the first pair of mounting flanges.

[0020] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a ring motor including a stator assembly and a rotor assembly as described above, the rotor assembly being mounted radially inside the stator assembly.

[0021] For example, one or more annular grooves or annular protrusions are provided on both sides of the rotor mounting portion. The annular motor also includes a protective cover located on both sides of the annular motor, the protective cover having a structure corresponding to the one or more annular grooves or protrusions to form a labyrinth seal structure between the protective cover and the rotor mounting portion.

[0022] For example, the ring motor is also provided with a fan configured to generate a cooling airflow inside the ring motor, wherein the cooling airflow can exit the ring motor via a labyrinth seal structure.

[0023] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a method for assembling the aforementioned ring motor, comprising: assembling a rotor assembly and a stator assembly that have not yet been fitted with lamination units, such that the stator assembly surrounds the rotor assembly; fixing mounting ribs to the lamination units; inserting the mounting ribs into the mounting grooves of the rotor mounting portion, and causing the mounting ribs to slide in the mounting grooves until the lamination units reach their mounting positions on the rotor mounting portion.

[0024] For example, after the lamination unit reaches its mounting position on the rotor mounting part, the lamination unit, mounting ribs and rotor mounting part are fixedly connected by multiple fasteners. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly described below. The drawings are merely illustrative of some embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit all embodiments of this disclosure to them.

[0026] Figure 1 shows an overall view of a rotor assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 shows a partial view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1;

[0028] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1 taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction;

[0029] Figure 4 shows a partial view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1 from the inside.

[0030] Figure 5 shows a partial enlarged view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1;

[0031] Figure 6 shows a partial enlarged view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1, in which the mounting ribs are hidden;

[0032] Figure 7A shows a partially enlarged view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1 from another perspective;

[0033] Figure 7B shows the structure near the positioning step of the rotor assembly;

[0034] Figure 8 shows a partial portion of the rotor assembly of Figure 1;

[0035] Figure 9 shows a partial portion of the rotor assembly in Figure 1 from another perspective;

[0036] Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the ring motor and a first embodiment of the labyrinth sealing structure;

[0037] Figure 11 shows a second embodiment of the labyrinth sealing structure;

[0038] Figure 12 shows an overall view of the ring motor;

[0039] Figure 13 shows an enlarged view of the circled portion of Figure 9;

[0040] Figure 14 shows a partial view of the ring motor, with particular attention to the support members.

[0041] List of reference numerals: 1. Housing; 2. Stator assembly; 3. Rotor assembly; 4. Cooling channel; 9. Fan; 10. Rotor mounting section; 11. Mounting section groove; 12. First mounting section; 13. Second mounting section; 14. Intermediate mounting section; 15. First reinforcing rib; 16. Second reinforcing rib; 17. First axial end; 18. Second axial end; 20. Mounting rib; 21. First rib section; 22. Second rib section; 23. Intermediate rib section; 30. Lamination unit; 31. Lamination groove; 32. Magnet mounting groove; 33. Fixing piece; 34. Bolt; 35. Nut; 36. Fastener; 37. Mounting hole; 40. Magnet; 71. First protective cover; 72. Second protective cover; 73. Support; 74. Annular groove; 100. Radial inner wall; 101. Positioning step; 102. Side wall; 103. Radial outer wall; 104. Inner cavity; 105. Exhaust hole; 111. First groove end; 112. Second groove end; 121. First mounting flange; 122. Mounting clearance groove; 123. Flange mounting hole; 124. Second mounting flange; 141. Axial through hole; g. Clearance. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0043] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this patent application specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right” are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, which may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0044] The rotor assembly and its specific structure, the ring motor having the rotor assembly, and the mill having the ring motor, as described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, are illustrated in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments. FIG1 shows a general view of the rotor assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Figure 2 shows a partial view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1 taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction; Figure 4 shows a partial view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1 viewed from the inside; Figure 5 shows a partial enlarged view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a partial enlarged view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1, with the mounting ribs hidden; Figure 7A shows a partial enlarged view of the rotor assembly of Figure 1 from another perspective; Figure 7B shows the structure near the positioning step of the rotor assembly; Figure 8 shows a partial portion of the rotor assembly of Figure 1; Figure 9 shows a partial portion of the rotor assembly of Figure 1 from another perspective; Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the toroidal motor and a first embodiment of the labyrinth seal structure; Figure 11 shows a second embodiment of the labyrinth seal structure; Figure 12 shows an overall view of the toroidal motor; Figure 13 shows an enlarged view of the circled portion of Figure 9; and Figure 14 shows a partial view of the toroidal motor, particularly showing the support members.

[0046] As shown in the figure, the rotor assembly 1 of this disclosure generally includes a rotor mounting part 10, laminations mounted on the rotor mounting part 10, and a plurality of magnetic tiles 40 held by the laminations.

[0047] The rotor mounting section 10 and its related features will be introduced first below.

[0048] The rotor mounting section 10 is generally annular and forms the basic mounting structure for the rotor assembly. The laminations and magnets 40 are held directly or indirectly by the rotor mounting section 10.

[0049] The rotor mounting portion 10 includes a first mounting portion 12, a second mounting portion 13, and an intermediate mounting portion 14 connecting the first mounting portion 12 and the second mounting portion 13. For example, as shown in FIG7A, the rotor mounting portion 10 has a T-shaped cross-section. The outer surfaces of the first mounting portion 12 and the second mounting portion 13 are flush to form an annular outer surface of the rotor mounting portion 10, and the intermediate mounting portion 14 extends perpendicularly to the first mounting portion 12 and the second mounting portion 13, resulting in a T-shaped cross-section for the rotor mounting portion 10. For example, in the embodiment shown in the figures, the first mounting portion 12 and the second mounting portion 13 are distributed on both sides of the intermediate mounting portion 14, and the outer surfaces of the first mounting portion 12, the second mounting portion 13, and the intermediate mounting portion 14 are flush, collectively forming the annular outer surface of the rotor mounting portion 10. Alternatively, in an embodiment not shown, the first mounting portion 12 and the second mounting portion 13 are directly joined together, and the intermediate mounting portion 14 extends perpendicularly to the first mounting portion 12 and the second mounting portion 13. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, the first mounting portion 12, the second mounting portion 13, and the intermediate mounting portion 14 can be manufactured separately and fixed together by known methods. However, in an alternative embodiment, any two or even all three of the first mounting portion 12, the second mounting portion 13, and the intermediate mounting portion 14 can be manufactured as a single unit.

[0050] In an exemplary embodiment, the rotor mounting portion 10 is assembled from multiple separate sub-parts, each sub-part being arc-shaped, and all sub-parts are spliced ​​together to form a complete annular rotor mounting portion 10. Each sub-part has its own first mounting portion 12, second mounting portion 13, and intermediate mounting portion 14. In other words, the first mounting portion 12, the second mounting portion 13, and the intermediate mounting portion 14 may each include multiple corresponding mounting portion sub-parts. In an alternative embodiment, the rotor mounting portion 10 is a one-piece structure.

[0051] In a mill having the toroidal motor of this disclosure, the rotor assembly is mounted to the mill barrel. For example, the mill barrel is fixedly connected to the intermediate mounting portion 14 of the rotor mounting portion 10. For this purpose, as shown in FIG4, for example, the intermediate mounting portion 14 of this disclosure is provided with a plurality of axial through holes 141 spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. Fasteners such as bolts can pass through the axial through holes 141 to fix the mill barrel to the intermediate mounting portion 14 of the rotor mounting portion 10.

[0052] According to the example scheme of this disclosure, the first mounting portion 12 and the second mounting portion 13 of the rotor mounting portion 10 are configured to have different thicknesses. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the mill barrel is connected to the first mounting portion 12 of the rotor mounting portion 10. For this purpose, for example, the thickness of the first mounting portion 12 is made greater than the thickness of the second mounting portion 13. By setting the thickness of the first mounting portion 12 to be greater than the thickness of the second mounting portion 13, greater structural strength can be provided on the side connected to the mill barrel, improving the reliability of the connection. At the same time, the overall mass of the rotor is reduced by the smaller thickness of the second mounting portion 13, thereby reducing the weight of the entire motor.

[0053] For example, as shown in Figures 4, 8, and 9, the rotor mounting portion 10 further includes a first reinforcing rib 15 and a second reinforcing rib 16. The first reinforcing rib 15 is fixed to the first mounting portion 12 and the intermediate mounting portion 14. The second reinforcing rib 16 is fixed to the second mounting portion 13 and the intermediate mounting portion 14. By providing these two reinforcing ribs at such locations, the rigidity and bending strength of the rotor mounting portion 10 can be further improved, effectively resisting deformation that may occur under high speed or load conditions, thereby ensuring the durability of the rotor.

[0054] For example, for the rotor mounting portion 10, the height of the reinforcing rib on the side with a larger thickness is smaller, and the height of the reinforcing rib on the side with a smaller thickness is larger. That is, the thickness of the first mounting portion 12 is greater than the thickness of the second mounting portion 13, and the height of the first reinforcing rib 15 is less than the height of the second reinforcing rib 16. Thus, while ensuring the structural strength of the T-shaped rotor mounting portion 10, installation space for the mill cylinder connecting flange is reserved, reducing the weight of the rotor mounting portion 10 and reducing the installation difficulty.

[0055] As described above, the rotor mounting portion 10 may include multiple sub-parts, each sub-part being arc-shaped, and all sub-parts are spliced ​​together to form a complete annular rotor mounting portion 10. For example, adjacent sub-parts are mounted together by mounting flanges. Mounting flanges are shown, for example, in Figure 9. For example, the mounting flanges include a first pair of mounting flanges 121 fixed to the first mounting portion 12 and the intermediate mounting portion 14, and a second pair of mounting flanges 124 fixed to the second mounting portion 13 and the intermediate mounting portion 14. Here, the first pair of mounting flanges 121 includes a pair of plate-shaped flange structures located on the first mounting portion 12 of adjacent sub-parts and mating and fixed together. This pair of plate-shaped flange structures is provided with flange mounting holes 123 facing each other, so that fasteners such as bolts can pass through the mounting holes to fix the pair of mounting flanges together. Similarly, the second pair of mounting flanges 124 refers to a pair of plate-shaped flange structures located on the second mounting portion 13 of adjacent sub-parts and mating and fixed together. The pair of plate flange structures are provided with flange mounting holes 123 that align with each other, so that fasteners such as bolts can pass through the mounting holes to secure the pair of mounting flanges together.

[0056] For example, as shown in FIG4, to facilitate the fixed connection between mounting flanges, in an exemplary embodiment, a mounting clearance groove 122 perpendicular to the first pair of mounting flanges 121 is provided on the inner surface of the first mounting portion 12, i.e., the radially inward-facing surface, near the first pair of mounting flanges 121. The mounting clearance groove 122 provides additional space for convenient fixed connection between adjacent mounting flanges without substantially reducing the structural strength of the rotor mounting portion 10. For example, the number of mounting clearance grooves 122 is the same as the number of flange mounting holes 123 on the first pair of mounting flanges 121, thereby providing space for the installation of each fastener passing through the flange mounting hole 123. For example, the mounting clearance groove 122 can be aligned with the flange mounting hole 123 and extend, for example, perpendicular to the mounting flange.

[0057] The following section introduces the laminations, magnetic tiles, and their related structural features.

[0058] As mentioned above, the rotor assembly also includes laminations mounted to the rotor mounting portion 10 and a plurality of magnetic tiles 40 held by the laminations.

[0059] The lamination is composed of multiple lamination units 30. When viewed from a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, each lamination unit 30 is an arc-shaped segment, and all lamination units 30 constitute a complete annular lamination.

[0060] Each lamination unit 30 is, for example, formed by stacking several individual laminations along the axial direction.

[0061] Each stamping unit 30 has one or more magnetic tile mounting slots 32 on its outer surface. In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, each stamping unit 30 has four magnetic tile mounting slots 32. This disclosure does not exclude other numbers of magnetic tile mounting slots 32, such as one, two, three, five, etc.

[0062] The rotor assembly also includes multiple magnets 40, also referred to as magnets. These magnets 40 are arranged in groups, referred to herein as magnet groups. Each magnet group is mounted in a magnet mounting slot 32. Each magnet group may include multiple magnets 40 stacked together in the axial direction. The individual magnet groups are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction.

[0063] For example, as shown in Figure 3, the magnetic tile mounting groove 32 is a dovetail groove, and the magnetic tile 40 is disposed in the dovetail groove. The shape of the dovetail groove can provide a retaining force to prevent the magnetic tile 40 from leaving the lamination unit 30 in a radially outward direction.

[0064] For example, as shown in Figure 5 or 13, each lamination unit 30 has two retaining plates 33 located at its two axial ends for holding the magnetic tile assembly. As shown, bolts 34 can be passed through the rotor lamination unit 30 and the retaining plates 33, with nuts 35 on the bolts 34. Tightening the nuts 35 secures the retaining plates 33 to the ends of the rotor lamination unit 30, thereby using the retaining plates 33 to fix and constrain the magnetic tile 40 within the magnetic tile mounting groove 32. The bolts 34 and nuts 35 can be replaced with other fasteners, and this disclosure does not exclude other methods for securing the two retaining plates 33.

[0065] In this disclosure, the lamination unit 30 is connected to the rotor mounting portion 10 via mounting ribs 20. Referring to Figures 3 and 6, the rotor mounting portion 10 is provided with a plurality of axially extending and circumferentially spaced mounting slots 11, while the inner surface of each lamination unit 30 is provided with a lamination slot 31. When the lamination unit 30, the mounting ribs 20, and the rotor mounting portion 10 are assembled together, the first rib portion 21 of each mounting rib 20 is accommodated in the mounting slot 11, and the second rib portion 22 is accommodated in the lamination slot 31. Both the mounting slot 11 and the lamination slot 31 have limiting portions that restrict the radial movement of the mounting rib 20, thereby preventing the lamination unit 30 from leaving the rotor mounting portion 10 in a radially outward direction. By providing the mounting ribs 20, pre-assembly of the lamination unit 30 with the rotor mounting portion 10 can be achieved in a simple manner.

[0066] In an embodiment not shown, the mounting rib 20 and the lamination unit 30 may not be provided with a second rib portion and a lamination strip groove 31, but may be fixed relative to each other by other known methods.

[0067] For example, in addition to the first rib portion 21 and the second rib portion 22, the mounting rib 20 also has an intermediate rib portion 23 connecting the first rib portion 21 and the second rib portion 22. The width of both the first rib portion 21 and the second rib portion 22 is greater than the width of the intermediate rib portion 23, thus the mounting rib 20 generally forms an I-shape. For example, in the embodiment shown in the figures, the width of the first rib portion 21 may be the same as the width of the second rib portion 22, and both may be greater than the width of the intermediate rib portion 23. In this disclosure, the length direction of the rib portion is the direction of its longest dimension, and it is parallel to the axial direction after installation. The height direction of the rib portion is the extension direction from the first rib portion to the second rib portion, and it is the radial direction after installation. The width direction of the rib portion is the direction perpendicular to its height and length directions, and the width of the rib portion is the dimension measured along its width direction.

[0068] In the exemplary embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, each lamination unit 30 is mounted to the rotor mounting portion 10 by two mounting ribs 20, thus achieving efficient mounting with a simple structure. In alternative embodiments, each lamination unit 30 may utilize a different number of mounting ribs 20.

[0069] According to the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 13, the rotor assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners 36 that securely connect the lamination unit 30, the mounting rib 20, and the rotor mounting portion 10. The fasteners 36 extend generally in a radial direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the lamination unit 30 is provided with a plurality of mounting holes 37 to allow the fasteners 36 to pass through. By using fasteners that simultaneously pass through the lamination unit 30, the mounting rib 20, and the rotor mounting portion 10, effective fastening of all three can be achieved in a simple manner with fewer parts. In an alternative embodiment, the fasteners may also pass only through the mounting rib 20 and the rotor mounting portion 10.

[0070] For example, the mounting ribs 20 are positioned between adjacent magnetic tile groups. In the embodiment shown in the figures, each lamination unit 30 is provided with four magnetic tile mounting slots 32 to hold four magnetic tile groups, and each lamination unit 30 is mounted to the rotor mounting portion 10 via two mounting ribs 20. Both mounting ribs 20 are positioned between two adjacent magnetic tile groups. Thus, the fasteners 36 do not pass through the magnetic tiles 40, but directly secure the lamination unit 30, the mounting ribs 20, and the rotor mounting portion 10 together.

[0071] Adjacent lamination units 30 are joined together, for example, by mating protrusions and recesses, which may have complementary shapes to facilitate consistent positioning of the individual lamination units 30. As indicated by arrow A in FIG6, the recess may be dovetail-shaped, and the protrusion has a complementary shape. In other embodiments not shown, the protrusions and recesses may have other shapes, such as rectangular, polygonal, irregular shapes, etc.

[0072] For example, as shown in FIG7B, the rotor mounting part 10 is provided with a positioning step 101 that abuts against one of the fixing pieces 33 to prevent the fixing piece 33 from moving away from the lamination unit 30 in the axial direction.

[0073] As described in the background section, the rotor of a ring motor is large in volume, and the magnets have extremely strong magnetic force. The attraction between the magnets and the stator is also extremely strong during magnet installation, making installation very difficult and prone to safety hazards. Therefore, in this disclosure, the lamination unit 30, on which the magnet tile 40 is mounted, slides to its mounting position on the rotor mounting part 10 by means of the sliding of the mounting rib 20, thereby achieving convenient and effective sliding assembly and overcoming this technical problem. The structural features and assembly method related to sliding assembly will be described in detail below.

[0074] For example, this disclosure utilizes multiple mounting ribs 20 as one of the mounting components for mounting the lamination unit 30 to the rotor mounting portion 10, such that the mounting ribs 20 are fixedly connected to the lamination unit 30, and the related structure is configured such that during the assembly of the rotor assembly, the multiple lamination units 30 can move to their mounting positions on the rotor mounting portion 10 by means of the sliding of the mounting ribs 20 in the mounting portion groove 11. Specifically, the fixed connection between the mounting ribs 20 and the lamination unit 30 can be achieved by having a second rib portion 22 accommodated in and fixed relative to the lamination groove 31. However, in embodiments not shown, the mounting ribs 20 and the lamination unit 30 may have other fixing methods.

[0075] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first rib portion 21 of the finally assembled mounting rib 20 is accommodated in the mounting section groove 11, and the second rib portion 22 is accommodated in the stamping groove 31.

[0076] For example, this disclosure makes the first groove end 111 of the mounting portion strip groove 11 open in the axial direction, as shown in FIG6, to allow the mounting rib 20 to be inserted into the mounting portion strip groove 11 in the axial direction. Thus, the mounting rib 20 can be pre-fixed to the rotor mounting portion 10 by inserting it into the mounting portion strip groove 11 from the first groove end 111.

[0077] As shown in FIG7, in an exemplary embodiment, the second groove end 112 of the mounting portion strip groove 11 is not open in the axial direction. The second groove end 112, which is closed in the axial direction, can be used to provide a stop for the mounting rib 20. However, this disclosure does not exclude the possibility that the second groove end 112 of the mounting portion strip groove 11 may also be configured to be open in the axial direction.

[0078] As mentioned above, the rotor mounting portion 10 may be provided with a positioning step 101 that abuts against one of the fixing plates 33. For example, the structure may be designed such that there is a gap g between the fixing plate 33 abutting against the positioning step 101 and the rotor mounting portion 10. This positioning step 101 and gap g are shown in FIG7B. By setting the gap, it is possible to avoid friction between the fixing plate of the lamination unit 30 and the rotor mounting portion 10 when the rotor lamination unit 30 is inserted, thereby preventing damage to the rotor mounting portion 10 or the rotor lamination unit 30 due to friction.

[0079] The assembly steps of the ring motor disclosed herein mainly include: First, assembling the rotor assembly and stator assembly before the lamination unit 30 is installed, such that the stator assembly surrounds the rotor assembly. Second, fixing the mounting rib 20 to the lamination unit 30. This step may include a sub-step of fixing the magnet 40 to the lamination unit 30, which can be performed before or after fixing the mounting rib 20 to the lamination unit 30. Third, inserting the mounting rib 20 fixed to the lamination unit 30 into the mounting slot 11 of the rotor mounting portion 10, at which time the lamination unit 30 holds one or more magnet assemblies, and the mounting rib 20 slides in the mounting slot 11 until the lamination unit 30 reaches its mounting position on the rotor mounting portion 10. The mounting position may be the position where the fixing piece 33 abuts against the positioning step 101. Fourth, after the lamination unit 30 reaches its mounting position on the rotor mounting part 10, the lamination unit 30, the mounting rib 20 and the rotor mounting part 10 are fixedly connected by a plurality of fasteners 36.

[0080] For example, the axial dimension of the mounting rib 20 is larger than the axial dimension of the lamination unit 30, and one end of the mounting rib 20 extends out of the lamination unit 30. In this way, the end of the mounting rib 20 extending out of the lamination unit 30 can serve as an insertion end. Thus, when initially inserted, the magnet is relatively far from the stator assembly. Although the magnetic attraction force on the lamination unit 30 increases as it moves closer to the stator assembly in the axial direction, it will not be attracted to the stator assembly because it has already engaged with the mounting rib 20. Therefore, by having one end of the mounting rib 20 extend out of the lamination unit 30, the lamination unit 30 and the mounting rib 20 can be engaged before the attraction force between the magnet and the stator assembly increases. Subsequently, the lamination unit 30 is pushed along the mounting rib 20, avoiding installation difficulties or even safety hazards caused by excessive attraction between the magnet and the stator.

[0081] The overall structure of the toroidal motor proposed in this disclosure will be described below. The toroidal motor according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure generally includes: a housing 1, a stator assembly 2, and a rotor assembly 3. The housing 1 is constructed in an annular shape and has a radial inner wall 100, the housing 1 defining an inner cavity 104 therein. The inner cavity 104 may be an annular channel. For example, the housing 1 may include at least two sub-housings joined together circumferentially; in an exemplary embodiment, the housing 1 is formed by four sub-housings, each having substantially the same structure. The stator assembly 2 is mounted on the radial inner wall 100 on the side opposite to the inner cavity 104. The rotor assembly 3 is mounted radially inside the stator assembly 2.

[0082] Unlike existing technologies that use simple frames or ring-shaped plates to mount stator assemblies, this disclosure uses a ring-shaped outer shell with an inner cavity to mount the stator assembly, thus providing stronger and more stable structural support for the stator assembly and the entire ring motor. Furthermore, compared to existing structures where the stator assembly is encapsulated within a housing, because the stator assembly is mounted on the radial outer wall on the side opposite to the inner cavity of the housing, heat from the stator assembly can be directly transferred to the housing through the radial outer wall and then dissipated to the external environment, further improving the heat dissipation of the stator assembly. Therefore, the ring motor of this disclosure is particularly suitable for mechanical equipment such as mills with high working loads and harsh operating conditions.

[0083] The housing 1 may include a cooling channel 4 extending circumferentially and radially opposite to the stator assembly 2, disposed on the radial inner wall 100 within the inner cavity 104. Any suitable coolant, such as water or oil, can flow in the cooling channel 4. Since the cooling channel 4 is adjacent to and directly opposite the stator assembly 2, heat from the stator assembly 2 is directly transferred via the radial inner wall 100 to the coolant within the cooling channel 4, thereby achieving optimized cooling of the stator assembly 2. Furthermore, the cooling channel 4 can be formed in any suitable manner; according to a simple exemplary embodiment, the cooling channel can be formed by welding C-shaped steel onto the radial inner wall 100.

[0084] The outer casing 1 also includes a radial outer wall 103 and two side walls 102 connected to the radial outer wall 103 and the radial inner wall 100, and the radial outer wall 103, the radial inner wall 100, and the two side walls 102 define the inner cavity 104.

[0085] The ring motor may include a cover disposed on the side of the stator assembly 2 and the rotor assembly 3 to cover the stator assembly 2 and the rotor assembly 3 of the ring motor. The cover may include a first cover 71 disposed on one side of the stator assembly 2 and the rotor assembly 3 and a second cover 72 disposed on the other side of the stator assembly 2 and the rotor assembly 3. Both the first cover 71 and the second cover 72 may be fixed to the housing 1, for example, a side wall 102 of the housing 1. It should be understood that when the housing is composed of multiple sub-housing segments, the first cover 71 and the second cover 72 may also be segmented for each sub-housing; or a single ring cover may be provided for all sub-housings.

[0086] For example, it also includes at least one support member 73 supported between the shield and the housing 1. For example, there are several support members 73 between the first shield 71 and the housing 1, and between the second shield 72 and the housing 1. As shown in FIG14, the support member 73 may include a plate-like portion mounted to the housing 1 and a plate-like portion mounted to the shield, as well as an intermediate extension connecting the two plate-like portions. The support member can prevent the first shield 71 and the second shield 72 from excessive deformation toward the housing, stator assembly, and rotor assembly due to accidental impacts, etc.

[0087] For example, the ring motor also includes a fan 9 for cooling the ring motor, the fan 9 being able to generate a cooling airflow inside the ring motor, for example, blowing cooling air into the inner cavity 104. For example, as shown in FIG12, the fan 9 may be disposed on the radial outer wall 103 of the housing 1.

[0088] In the exemplary embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, the radial inner wall 100 includes exhaust holes 105. In the exemplary embodiment, exhaust holes 105 are provided on both axial sides of the radial inner wall 100, as shown in FIG10. By providing exhaust holes 105, air blown into the inner cavity 104 from the external environment by the fan 9 is discharged from the exhaust holes 105, thereby maintaining a positive pressure in the inner cavity 104 at all times. This not only facilitates the discharge of heat from the inner cavity 104 but also more effectively prevents contaminants from entering the inner cavity 104.

[0089] In order to improve the sealing performance between the rotor and stator while preventing dust and other impurities from entering between the rotor and stator, thereby increasing the service life of the toroidal permanent magnet motor, this disclosure designs a special labyrinth seal structure that works in conjunction with a fan. The cooling airflow caused by the fan can exit the toroidal motor from inside the motor through the labyrinth seal structure.

[0090] The labyrinth seal structure disclosed herein is formed by the cooperation of corresponding structures on the rotor assembly and the protective cover. The structure forming the labyrinth seal on the rotor assembly (referred to as the sealing structure part) is located, for example, on the rotor mounting part 10 of the rotor assembly.

[0091] The rotor mounting portion 10 has two axial ends: a first axial end 17 and a second axial end 18. In this disclosure, the labyrinth seal structure between the first shield 71 and the rotor assembly 3 (e.g., the first axial end 17 of the rotor mounting portion 10) is referred to as the first labyrinth seal structure, and the labyrinth seal structure between the second shield 72 and the rotor assembly 3 (e.g., the second axial end 18 of the rotor mounting portion 10) is referred to as the second labyrinth seal structure. For example, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the first labyrinth seal structure and the second labyrinth seal structure are identical.

[0092] The sealing structure on the rotor assembly that forms a labyrinth seal may, for example, be one or more annular grooves. Correspondingly, one or more annular protrusions may be provided on the first shield 71 and / or the second shield 72, which at least partially extend into the annular grooves to form a labyrinth seal.

[0093] Figure 10 shows a first embodiment of the labyrinth sealing structure, and Figure 11 shows a second embodiment of the labyrinth sealing structure. The difference between the two lies in, but is not limited to, the orientation and number of annular grooves. These will be described in detail below.

[0094] In a first embodiment of the labyrinth seal structure, the sealing structure on the rotor mounting portion consists of one or more annular grooves, two of which are shown in Figure 10. These annular grooves are spaced apart by an annular protrusion and open in the axial direction. Correspondingly, the first shield 71 has one or more annular protrusions extending into the one or more grooves, two of which are shown in the figure. These two annular protrusions also extend in the axial direction and at least partially enter the corresponding annular grooves on the rotor mounting portion. This design effectively improves the sealing performance between the rotor and stator while preventing dust and other impurities from entering between the rotor and stator through a simple structure.

[0095] In a second embodiment of the labyrinth seal structure, the sealing structure portion on the rotor mounting portion is one or more annular grooves, with one annular groove 74 shown in FIG. 11. These annular grooves open radially. Correspondingly, the first shield 71 has one or more annular protrusions extending into the one or more grooves, and the end of the first shield 71 extends into the annular groove to form a labyrinth seal. In an embodiment not shown, the sealing structure portion on the rotor mounting portion is two or more radially open annular grooves, with the end of the first shield 71 extending into one of the annular grooves. In addition, the first shield 71 also has a corresponding number of protrusions extending from its body to cooperate with other annular grooves to form a labyrinth seal. This second embodiment of the labyrinth seal structure design has a simple structure and can utilize the edge of the first shield itself as part of the labyrinth seal structure, saving processing time.

[0096] The combined use of the fan and the labyrinth seal structure in this disclosure provides excellent cooling while ensuring good sealing and dustproof performance.

[0097] The exemplary embodiments of the solutions proposed in this disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to exemplary embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and alterations can be made to the above specific embodiments without departing from the spirit of this disclosure, and various combinations can be made to the various technical features and structures proposed in this disclosure without exceeding the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A rotor assembly comprising: The rotor mounting part (10) is annular and is provided with a plurality of mounting strip grooves (11) that extend axially and are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction. Multiple lamination units (30), each lamination unit (30) is used to hold one or more magnetic tile assemblies; Multiple mounting ribs (20) are fixedly connected to lamination units (30), wherein, during the assembly of the rotor assembly, the multiple lamination units (30) can move to their mounting positions on the rotor mounting portion (10) by means of the sliding of the mounting ribs (20) in the mounting portion groove (11).

2. The rotor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Each mounting rib (20) has a first rib portion (21) that is accommodated in the mounting groove (11); Preferably, each lamination unit (30) has one or more lamination strip grooves (31) on its inner surface, and each mounting rib (20) also has a second rib portion (22) accommodated in the lamination strip groove (31).

3. The rotor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The first groove end (111) of the mounting part strip groove (11) is open in the axial direction to allow the mounting rib (20) to be inserted into the mounting part strip groove (11) in the axial direction; Preferably, the second groove end (112) of the mounting part strip groove (11) is not open in the axial direction.

4. The rotor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The axial dimension of the mounting rib (20) is greater than the axial dimension of the lamination unit (30), and one end of the mounting rib (20) extends out of the lamination unit (30).

5. The rotor assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein, Both the mounting groove (11) and the punched groove (31) have limiting portions that restrict the radial movement of the mounting rib (20).

6. The rotor assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Each stamping unit (30) has one or more magnetic tile mounting slots (32) on its outer surface, and each magnetic tile group is installed in a magnetic tile mounting slot (32). Each magnetic tile group includes multiple magnetic tiles (40) stacked together in the axial direction. Preferably, each lamination unit (30) is provided with four magnetic tile mounting slots (32), and each lamination unit (30) is mounted to the rotor mounting part (10) by two mounting ribs (20).

7. The rotor assembly of claim 6, wherein, It also has two retaining plates (33) located at the two axial ends of the lamination unit (30) to hold the magnetic tile assembly.

8. The rotor assembly of claim 7, wherein, The rotor mounting portion (10) is provided with a positioning step (101) that abuts against one of the fixing plates (33) to prevent the one of the fixing plates (33) from moving in the axial direction; and Preferably, there is a gap (g) between the fixing piece (33) that abuts against the positioning step (101) and the rotor mounting part (10).

9. The rotor assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The mounting rib (20) also has an intermediate rib portion (23) connecting the first rib portion (21) and the second rib portion (22), wherein the width of the first rib portion (21) and the width of the second rib portion (22) are both greater than the width of the intermediate rib portion (23); Preferably, the width of the first rib portion (21) is the same as the width of the second rib portion (22).

10. The rotor assembly of claim 6, wherein, The mounting ribs (20) are located between adjacent magnetic tile groups.

11. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein, It also includes a plurality of fasteners (36) that securely connect the lamination unit (30), the mounting rib (20) and the rotor mounting part (10).

12. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein, Adjacent lamination units (30) are joined together by protrusions and recesses that fit together.

13. The rotor assembly of claim 1, wherein, The rotor mounting part (10) includes a first mounting part (12), a second mounting part (13), and an intermediate mounting part (14) connecting the first mounting part (12) and the second mounting part (13); The outer surfaces of the first mounting portion (12) and the second mounting portion (13) are flush to form the annular outer surface of the rotor mounting portion (10). The intermediate mounting portion (14) extends perpendicular to the first mounting portion (12) and the second mounting portion (13), so that the cross-section of the rotor mounting portion (10) is T-shaped.

14. The rotor assembly of claim 13, wherein, The rotor mounting portion (10) further includes: The first reinforcing rib (15) is fixed to the first mounting part (12) and the intermediate mounting part (14); The second reinforcing rib (16) is fixed to the second mounting part (13) and the intermediate mounting part (14); The thickness of the first mounting part (12) is greater than the thickness of the second mounting part (13), and the height of the first reinforcing rib (15) is less than the height of the second reinforcing rib (16).

15. The rotor assembly of claim 13, wherein, The rotor mounting section (10) includes multiple sub-sections, and adjacent sub-sections are mounted together by mounting flanges; The mounting flanges include a first pair of mounting flanges (121) fixed to the first mounting part (12) and the intermediate mounting part (14) and a second pair of mounting flanges (124) fixed to the second mounting part (13) and the intermediate mounting part (14); Among them, the inner surface of the first mounting part (12) is provided with a mounting clearance groove (122) perpendicular to the first pair of mounting flanges (121) at a position near the first pair of mounting flanges (121).

16. A ring motor comprising a stator assembly and a rotor assembly as described in any one of claims 1-15, the rotor assembly being mounted radially inside the stator assembly.

17. The ring motor as claimed in claim 16, wherein, One or more annular grooves or annular protrusions are provided on both sides of the rotor mounting part (10); The annular motor also includes a protective cover located on both sides of the annular motor. The protective cover is provided with a structure corresponding to the one or more annular grooves or protrusions to form a labyrinth seal structure between the protective cover and the rotor mounting part (10).

18. The ring motor as claimed in claim 17, wherein, The annular motor is also provided with a fan (9) configured to form a cooling airflow inside the annular motor, wherein the cooling airflow can exit the annular motor via a labyrinth seal structure.

19. A method of assembling a ring motor as described in any one of claims 16 to 18, comprising: Assemble the rotor assembly and stator assembly that have not yet been fitted with lamination unit (30) such that the stator assembly surrounds the rotor assembly; Fix the mounting rib (20) to the stamping unit (30); Insert the mounting rib (20) into the mounting groove (11) of the rotor mounting part (10) and slide the mounting rib (20) in the mounting groove (11) until the lamination unit (30) reaches its mounting position on the rotor mounting part (10).

20. The method of assembling a ring motor as described in claim 19, further comprising: After the lamination unit (30) reaches its mounting position on the rotor mounting part (10), the lamination unit (30), the mounting rib (20) and the rotor mounting part (10) are fixedly connected by a plurality of fasteners (36).

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