Cooling Fan Rotor Support for Railway Dynamo-Electric Machine

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional rotary electric machines for railway vehicles face challenges in stably fixing the rotor, leading to axial center position displacement, potential damage from stator and rotor contact, and difficulty in securing space for cooling, while also increasing mass and cost due to the need for rotor supporting devices and support receiving units.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a stator, rotor with a laminated magnetic steel core, cooling fans with groove-like or hole-like holding portions for bearing attaching and detaching jigs, and a tubular frame with detachable bearing units, allowing for simplified bearing attachment and detachment without relying on frictional support, thus maintaining rotor alignment and enabling efficient cooling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If rotor supporting devices and support receiving units are provided near the bearing bracket and housings, then the rotor can be supported during bearing maintenance, but it becomes difficult to secure space for cooling the bearings with a cooling fan and increases the mass of the rotary electric machine

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebearing maintenance operationVSAvoidmass of rotary electric machine
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling fan is designed to serve dual functions: it cools the bearings and simultaneously acts as a rotor supporting device. The fan blades extend to form support surfaces that contact the rotor shaft, allowing the fan to support the rotor during bearing maintenance while maintaining its primary cooling function. This eliminates the need for separate rotor supporting devices, reducing mass while enabling bearing maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the cooling fan structure with the rotor support function by extending the fan blades to contact the rotor shaft. This integration combines two previously separate functions (cooling and support) into a single component, thereby reducing the number of parts and overall mass while maintaining both functionalities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of operation

If the rotor is supported by frictional force at the tip portions of rotor supporting devices, then the rotor can be held in position, but it is difficult to stably fix the rotor and the axial center position may be displaced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improve rotor support operationVSAvoidrotor fixation stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces the friction-based mechanical support system with a geometric constraint system. Instead of relying on friction at tip portions, the fan blades are designed with specific geometries that mechanically constrain the rotor shaft position. This substitution provides more reliable and stable fixation by using geometric interlocking rather than friction, preventing axial center position displacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If rotor supporting devices are provided to support the rotor, then the rotor can be held during bearing maintenance, but additional structures increase the mass and cost of the rotary electric machine

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebearing detachment operationVSAvoidnumber of support structures
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling fan is designed to serve dual functions: it cools the bearings and simultaneously acts as a rotor supporting device. The fan blades extend to form support surfaces that contact the rotor shaft, allowing the fan to support the rotor during bearing maintenance while maintaining its primary cooling function. This eliminates the need for separate rotor supporting devices, reducing mass while enabling bearing maintenance operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 solution simplifies the operation of attaching and detaching bearings, prevents rotor-stator contact, secures space for cooling, and reduces the mass and cost of the rotary electric machine by eliminating the need for additional support structures, ensuring stable rotor fixation and efficient maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

a cooling fan, which is attached to the core holder and which has blade portions extending in a radial direction of the rotor

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Implementation Method 2

a bearing unit that is detachably attached to the rotor shaft supporting unit and that rotatably supports the rotor shaft

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRolling contact: Ball Bearing

Data Source

PatentEP2717441B1Dynamo-electric machine and bearing replacement method
Publication Date: 2020.01.22 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2717441B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2717441B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2717441B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(c)

AI summary

A rotary electric machine includes a stator core 3; a rotor 7 that includes a laminated core 4, core holders 5 and 11, and cooling fans 60 and 70; a frame that includes a tubular unit 9 that encloses the stator core 3 and the rotor 7, and a first bracket 1 and a second bracket 2 that extend in a direction of a rotor shaft 6 and supports the rotor shaft 6; and cartridges 29 and 49 that are detachably attached to the first bracket 1 and the second bracket 2 and rotatably supports the rotor shaft 6, wherein groove-like or hole-like holding portions 64 and 74, which hold end portions of bearing attaching and detaching jigs 20a and 20b inserted through the first bracket 1 and the second bracket 2, are provided in the cooling fans 60 and 70.