Air Bubble Flushing in Liquid Cooled Generator Cores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid cooled generators face overheating and damage due to trapped air bubbles in the cooling fluid flow paths, which existing methods struggle to efficiently flush out, affecting the cooling efficiency and reliability of the generators.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a rotor with a central core and stator winding where the flow line through the central core has larger diameters to allow air passage while restricting liquid flow, using orifices of specific diameters at the ends to facilitate efficient bubble flushing and maximize fluid flow through the main winding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cooling tube (bubble flushing tube) is formed in the axis of the core lamination to flush air bubbles, then air bubbles can be removed from the cooling fluid flow path, but fluid flow through the main winding is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the bubble flushing function from the main cooling flow path by providing a separate dedicated flushing tube (220) that runs through the core lamination axis. This allows air bubbles to be removed through a separate channel without diverting the main cooling fluid flow from the windings, thus maintaining both reliable bubble removal and high cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent flow paths: the main cooling flow path that delivers fluid through the windings for heat removal, and a separate bubble flushing path through the core lamination. This segmentation allows each function to operate independently at optimal flow rates without compromising the other
2Reliability
If the flow line through the central core has larger diameters to allow air passage, then bubble flushing is improved, but liquid flow restriction increases
Solution Approach 1:
The separate flushing tube acts as an intermediary channel that handles the air bubble removal function without interfering with the main cooling fluid flow. The flushing tube provides a dedicated path for gas-liquid separation, allowing the main cooling system to maintain high liquid flow rates while bubbles are simultaneously removed through the intermediary flushing path
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 ensures effective bubble flushing and maintains high fluid flow through the main winding, reducing the risk of overheating and damage while optimizing cooling efficiency by directing more fluid flow to the main winding during operation.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second diameters are configured such that air flow is permitted to pass through the first and second laminates and to restrict the flow of a liquid through the first and second laminates
Implementation Method 2
A flow line passes through the central core and is configured to extend from the first laminate to the second laminate
Implementation Method 3
Such generators employ a cooling flow of fluid through spaces between conductors in a main field winding to prevent overheating and damage to the main field winding
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A liquid cooled generator is provided having a rotor (104, 200, 300) having a central core (110, 210, 310) and a main stator winding (112) wrapped around the central core. A first laminate (114, 214, 314) at a first end of the central core is provided having a first orifice (120, 220, 320) defining a first diameter (230, 336) and a second laminate (116, 216, 316) at a second end of the central core is provided having a second orifice (120, 220, 320) defining a second diameter that is the same as the first diameter. A flow line (118, 218, 318) passes through the central core and is configured to extend from the first laminate to the second laminate, the flow line defining a third diameter (232, 332) that is larger than the first and second diameters. The first and second diameters are configured such that air flow is permitted to pass through the first and second laminates and to restrict the flow of a liquid through the first and second laminates.