Horizontal Dynamo-Electric Machine Heat Exchanger Inversion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional horizontal rotating electric machines with vertically disposed heat exchangers face limitations in cooling capacity, output power, and transportation due to the placement of feed-water and drain pipes at the lower side, requiring complex and cumbersome assembly and increasing the size of the outer frame.

Innovation Solution

The heat exchangers are rearranged to be longitudinally positioned at the left-right end and rear sides of the main frame, with feed-water and drain outlets relocated to the upper side, allowing for increased length and improved cooling capacity, simplified assembly, and easier transportation by using a refrigerant passageway for cooling and water-cooled heat exchangers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If feed-water and drain pipes are connected at the lower side of the cooling device, then the cooling device can be integrated with the motor main body, but the heat exchanger length is reduced and cooling capacity is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintegration of cooling deviceVSAvoidcooling capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional connection arrangement by moving feed-water and drain outlets from the lower side to the upper side of the heat exchanger. This inversion allows the heat exchanger to be extended in the vertical direction without requiring lower connection space, thereby increasing cooling capacity while maintaining integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of manufacture

If feed-water and drain pipes are connected at the lower side, then integration is achieved, but connection work space is required and assembly becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveintegrationVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the pipe connection points from the lower side integration structure and relocates them to the upper side. This separation of connection functions from the lower integration area eliminates the need for lower connection work space and simplifies assembly by providing accessible upper connection points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of manufacture

If the outer frame size is increased to accommodate lower pipe connections, then integration is possible, but transportation becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintegration capabilityVSAvoidouter frame size
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the pipe connection arrangement to the upper side, the patent eliminates the need for extended lower frame structures and pit spaces. This reduces the overall outer frame volume while preserving integration capability, making the motor easier to transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Temperature

If heat exchanger length is increased for better cooling, then cooling capacity improves, but lower side connection requirements increase device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling capacityVSAvoidconnection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the conflict between heat exchanger length and connection complexity by changing the spatial dimension of connections from lower to upper side. This allows the heat exchanger to extend vertically for improved cooling capacity while connections are made accessible at the upper level, avoiding lower space constraints and simplifying the overall connection architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 configuration enhances the cooling capacity, simplifies assembly and disassembly, and reduces the size of the rotating electric machine, making it easier to transport by allowing the heat exchanger length to be increased and reducing the complexity of pipe pathways and sealing requirements.

Implementation Method 1

water-cooled heat exchangers for cooling the refrigerant gas are provided on the way of the refrigerant passageway

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

the rotor and the stator are cooled by circulating refrigerant gas, which is encapsulated in the main frame, through a refrigerant passageway

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP2587640B1Fully closed horizontal dynamo-electric machine
Publication Date: 2020.02.12 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP2587640B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2587640B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2587640B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

In a totally-enclosed horizontal rotating electric machine in which a rotor (5) horizontally arranged and a stator (3) arranged at an outer circumference side of the rotor are hermetically sealed in a main frame (2), and the rotor and the stator are cooled by circulating refrigerant gas (10), which is encapsulated in the main frame, through a refrigerant passageway, and water-cooled heat exchangers (11) for cooling the refrigerant gas (10) are provided on the way of the refrigerant passageway, the heat exchangers (11) are respectively arranged in a longitudinal direction at each of positions neighboring both left-right end portions at a front side and both left-right end portions at a rear side of the main frame (2), in a state where the main frame is viewed from a side-surface direction orthogonal to an axis line (6) of the rotor (5), and a feed-water inlet (11b) and a drain outlet (11c) of cooling water are provided at an upper side of the heat exchangers (11).