Motor LRU Sensor Socket for Internal Wiring and Field Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor sensor systems in cooling towers face issues with corrosion, contamination, and maintenance challenges due to external communication cables, leading to increased costs and safety risks, as well as limitations in replacing sensors without shutting down the system.
Innovation Solution
The Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) sensor system, which routes power and communication wiring internally within the motor cavity, allowing for 'plug and play' installation and easy replacement of sensors without external wiring, reducing the need for skilled labor and minimizing exposure to hazardous environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external communication cables are used for sensor systems, then sensor installation and replacement require skilled labor and system shutdown, but this leads to corrosion, contamination, and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the communication cable connection point from the external environment and relocates it to the motor cavity interior. The sensor connector is integrated into the motor housing, allowing sensors to connect internally without external cables that are susceptible to corrosion and contamination in cooling tower environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is nested within the motor cavity structure. The connector is integrated into the motor housing, and sensors connect internally, creating a nested configuration that protects connections from the harsh external environment while maintaining accessibility for replacement.
2Ease of manufacture
If communication cables are routed externally on the motor, then cables are easily accessible for connection, but they are susceptible to corrosion, contamination, and breaking in harsh environments
Solution Approach 1:
The communication cable routing is extracted from the external motor surface and relocated to the motor cavity interior. This removes the cables from the harsh external environment where they are exposed to corrosion and contamination, while the connector remains accessible through the motor housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor housing acts as a protective shell that encloses the communication cable connections. This protective enclosure shields the cables and connectors from corrosion, contamination, and physical damage while maintaining the necessary electrical connections.
3Ease of operation
If sensors are built into the motor framework, then sensor replacement is simplified, but RTD and Thermocouple sensors have less-than-desirable MTBF and cannot be replaced in the field
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is segmented into a replaceable sensor component and a fixed motor housing connector. This allows the sensor to be replaced independently without replacing the entire motor or complex wiring harness, while maintaining reliable internal connections through the integrated connector design.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor connection system is designed to be dynamically replaceable. The connector remains permanently installed in the motor housing, while sensors can be dynamically connected and disconnected, enabling field replacement without system shutdown or complex disassembly.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If communication cables are protected in conduits or cable glands, then cable breaking and fire risks are reduced, but corrosion and contamination still occur making connector separation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is extracted from external cable glands and conduits and relocated to the motor cavity interior. This eliminates the need for protective conduits while maintaining protection from environmental factors, and the integrated design allows easy connector separation for sensor replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is nested within the motor housing structure, which provides inherent protection from environmental corrosion and contamination. This nested configuration eliminates the need for external protective conduits while maintaining ease of connector access and separation for maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
A motor has a housing which comprises a cavity and a socket accessible from outside the housing. The socket has an interior surface. The motor includes a LRU sensor system which comprises an LRU sensor having electrical conductors and internal sensor wiring that is electrically connected to the electrical conductors and electrical conductors on the interior surface of the socket, wherein when the LRU sensor is positioned in the socket, the electrical conductors on the LRU sensor contact the electrical conductors on the interior surface of the socket.