Bobbin Wound Reactor Assembly with Welded Laminations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical reactors face challenges with eddy current losses, noise, and inefficient manufacturing processes, including high energy consumption and labor-intensive assembly due to the use of laminated core steel and mechanical fasteners, which complicate the assembly and operation of reactors, especially when handling high harmonic currents.
Innovation Solution
The design and manufacturing process for the reactor assembly involves permanently securing E-shaped and I-shaped metal laminations with welds to form singular units, using a structural adhesive like epoxy to reduce noise and eliminate mechanical fasteners, and employing a spring clip assembly to simplify the connection of reactor portions, thereby reducing assembly time and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If laminated core steel is used to mitigate eddy current losses, then power efficiency is improved, but manufacturing complexity and assembly time increase due to special handling and stacking requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual laminations are welded together to form a single integrated core structure, combining what would otherwise be separate components into one unified piece that maintains the low eddy current loss properties while simplifying handling and assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The laminations are pre-assembled and welded into complete core structures before being transported to the final assembly location, performing the complex stacking and joining operations in advance to simplify the main assembly process
2Loss of energy
If laminated core steel with separate lamination pieces is used, then eddy current losses are reduced, but audible noise increases due to motion of lamination pieces from magnetic fields
Solution Approach 1:
The separate lamination pieces are welded into a single rigid core structure, eliminating the relative motion between laminations that causes audible noise while preserving the eddy current loss mitigation benefits of the laminated construction
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using mechanical fasteners or adhesives to clamp laminations together, the invention uses welding to fuse them into a monolithic structure, inverting the approach from mechanical assembly to metallurgical bonding to achieve both noise reduction and structural integrity
3Object-generated harmful factors
If mechanical connectors such as clamps or braces are added to clamp laminations together, then noise is reduced, but labor required to assemble the reactor increases
Solution Approach 1:
Mechanical fasteners and clamps are replaced with welding, substituting a mechanical assembly system with a metallurgical bonding process that creates a permanent, rigid connection eliminating noise without requiring complex assembly mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The core laminations are merged into a single welded structure, combining multiple components into one piece that requires no additional fasteners or clamps, thereby eliminating the assembly steps required for mechanical connectors
4Object-generated harmful factors
If varnish dip immersion followed by heat cure treatment is employed, then reactor is sound proofed and environmentally protected, but manufacturing time and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-step varnish immersion and heat cure process is replaced with welding, substituting a complex chemical and thermal treatment sequence with a direct metallurgical bonding process that achieves noise reduction and structural integrity in a single operation
Solution Approach 2:
The welding process extracts and eliminates the need for separate varnishing and heat curing steps, removing these intermediate processes entirely while achieving the desired noise reduction and structural protection through direct metallurgical bonding
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a quieter, more efficient reactor assembly with improved structural integrity, reduced manufacturing and assembly time, and lower material costs, while also meeting electrical safety standards and minimizing audible noise during operation.
Implementation Method 1
a first core (10) comprising a plurality of stacked E-shaped planar metal laminates welded together to form a singular unit
Implementation Method 2
The use of epoxy in the manufacturing process reduces reactor noise during operation
Data Source
AI summary
A reactor assembly including a first core formed of a plurality of stacked E-shaped planar metal laminates welded together, and a second core formed of a plurality of stacked I-shaped planar metal laminates welded together. The first core includes a plurality of legs having bottom surfaces, the plurality of legs including first and second outer legs and a center leg. A bobbin assembly is provided with a plurality of bobbins each having a hollow inner cavity, and wire wound around the bobbin. The plurality of bobbins including first and second outer bobbins and a center bobbin. A U-shaped spring clip includes a pair of clip arms that each extend down through a different one of the inner cavities, and tab apertures that are engaged with matching latching tabs on the second core, such as on a mounting foot secured to the second core.