Electric Motor Brake Locking Mechanism for Storm Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake systems for electric motors in cranes and wind turbines are complex, expensive, and bulky, making them difficult to install and requiring complex manipulation to release, which can disrupt engine cooling air flows and pose risks during storms.
Innovation Solution
A compact brake system for electric motors with a cylinder head, axially movable armature, retaining elements, springs, an electromagnet, and a locking mechanism that allows easy manual or electrical control to maintain the armature in an inactive position, facilitating free motor rotation and easy installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical locking system is added to hold the armature in the inactive position, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member is integrated with the armature assembly, combining the locking function with the existing armature structure. This merging reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall system while maintaining the ability to reliably hold the armature in the inactive position during storms or power failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is designed to be automatically actuated by the armature's movement itself. When the armature moves to the inactive position, the locking member is automatically engaged without requiring external mechanical actuators or complex control systems, thereby improving reliability while minimizing added complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If the brake system is made compact and simple, then the ease of installation is improved, but the reliability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The brake system is divided into modular components: the locking member as a separate element that can be independently installed and adjusted, the armature assembly, and the brake disc. This segmentation allows for easier installation and maintenance while ensuring that each component can be optimized for its specific function, maintaining overall system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member acts as an intermediary element between the armature and the brake disc, providing a simple mechanical interface that ensures reliable locking without requiring complex mechanisms. This intermediary component facilitates easy installation while maintaining the reliability needed for storm conditions and power failures.
3Ease of operation
If the locking mechanism is made manually operable, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member is designed to be automatically engaged when the armature moves to the inactive position, eliminating the need for separate manual control mechanisms. The system essentially locks itself through the natural movement of the armature, providing ease of operation while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring a manual mechanism to actively lock the brake, the system is designed so that the locking action occurs automatically through the armature's movement. The inversion of the control logic - from active manual locking to passive automatic locking - simplifies the control mechanism while maintaining ease of operation.
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
The solution provides a reliable, compact, and easily controllable brake system that can be used in all positions, simplifying manual operation and reducing installation complexity while maintaining the motor's free rotation capability, even in the absence of electrical power.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnet urging, when supplied with current, the armature in the inactive position
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a brake (20) for an electric motor (10), comprising: a yoke, at least one brake disc intended for being rotated with the shaft of the electric motor, at least one armature axially movable relative to the yoke between a braking position in which said armature is applied against the brake disc and an inactive position at a distance from the brake disc, at least one retaining element (50) axially movable with the armature, at least one spring tending to maintain the armature in braking position, an electromagnet biasing the armature into the inactive position when supplied with current, and a system for locking the armature in the inactive position, the locking system comprising a locking member (70) movable between a locked position in which said member engages with the retaining element (50) such as to retain the armature in inactive position against the return action of the spring and an unlocked position for releasing the armature allowing the armature to be returned into the braking position, the retaining element (50) comprising a rod (51) sliding in the yoke, the locking member (70) being rotatable about an axis of rotation parallel to that of the motor, the brake comprising an electrical actuator making it possible to move the locking member.