The invention relates to an encapsulation method and encapsulation apparatus for a field circuit which is provided within a rotor body.
Electrical machines have field windings as part of their rotor. Superconducting machines have field windings which are manufactured from a superconducting material. In particular, superconducting machines may have field windings which are manufactured from high-temperature superconductor material.
A field circuit for excitation of the windings of an electrical machine is typically arranged within the rotor of the electrical machine. A field circuit such as this has, inter alia, an alternating-current transformer and a rectifier. One such field circuit is disclosed, for example, in DE 10 2005 047 541 A1.
A field circuit which is arranged within the rotor of an electrical machine is subject to considerable mechanical loads during operation of the electrical machine. The synchronous rotation speed of a two-pole synchronous machine at a mains frequency of 60 Hz is 3600 rpm. With the typical housing sizes of machines such as these, centripetal accelerations of several 1000 g occur, caused by the rotation of the rotor, and act on the field circuit which is arranged within the rotor. Furthermore, the field circuit which is arranged within the rotor is subject to vibration occurring in the rotor. In addition, dust (in some cases electrically conductive dust), moisture, extreme temperatures, etc. occur in the area of the rotor during operation of an electrical machine, and can damage the field circuit. In some cases, a field circuit has complex circuits which, in particular, may have power-electronic components such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, thyristors, power diodes etc. Power-electronic components such as these cause considerable amounts of heat loss during operation, which must be dissipated from the area of the field circuit.
The object of the present invention is to specify an encapsulation method and an encapsulation apparatus for a field circuit which is arranged within a rotor body. The encapsulation method according to the invention and the encapsulation apparatus according to the invention are intended to be improved with respect to the technical problems that exist with the prior art. One particular aim is to specify an encapsulation method for a field circuit which allows mechanically robust encapsulation of the field circuit within the rotor body, with the aim at the same time of ensuring good thermal coupling between the field circuit and the rotor body. A further aim, in particular, is to specify an encapsulation apparatus for a method such as this.
With regard to the method, the object is achieved by the measures specified in claim 1. An encapsulation method is accordingly specified for a field circuit which is arranged within an encapsulation area in the interior of a rotor body. The encapsulation area is bounded at the radially outer edge by the inside of a casing of the rotor body, or components which are thermally coupled directly to the casing of the rotor body. Furthermore, the encapsulation area is bounded on both sides in the axial direction by a cover plate, which is oriented essentially at right angles to an axis of the rotor body, and by a bottom plate. The field circuit comprises at least one board, with electrical components provided on the board, and contacts arranged at the edge of the board. The encapsulation method according to the invention has at least the following steps:
Locking of the field circuit in the encapsulation area such that the contacts are arranged in a tolerance area around a cylindrical casing surface, wherein the cylindrical casing surface is oriented coaxially with respect to the rotor body.
Interlocking pressing of a toroidal elastic ring onto those contact surfaces of the contacts whose surface normals are oriented essentially in the direction of the axis. Furthermore, interlocking pressing of the toroidal elastic ring at least onto the bottom plate for liquid-tight closure of the encapsulation area. The toroidal elastic ring is in this case pressed against the bottom plate and the contact surfaces of the contacts such that all of the contact surfaces which are located in the tolerance area are at least partially in contact with the toroidal elastic ring.
Encapsulation of the encapsulation area with an encapsulation compound.
In particular, the measures according to the invention are linked to the following advantages. The abovementioned measures allow simple encapsulation, without any cavities, of a field circuit in the interior of a rotor body. This advantageously makes it possible to mechanically hold the field circuit well within the rotor body. Furthermore, the abovementioned measures according to the invention allow good thermal coupling of the field circuit to the encapsulation compound. In particular, the electrical components of the field circuit can be coupled to the encapsulation compound. The arrangement of the encapsulation area in the edge area of the rotor advantageously also allows good thermal coupling of the encapsulation compound, and therefore, of the electrical components of the field circuit, to the rotor casing.
Advantageous refinements of the encapsulation method according to the invention are specified in the claims which are dependent on claim 1. In this case, the encapsulation method as claimed in claim 1, can be combined in particular with the features of one or else more dependent claims. The encapsulation method may accordingly also have the following features:
The abovementioned methods are particularly advantageous for encapsulation of field circuits in rotors.
With regard to the apparatus, the object is achieved by the measures specified in claim 9.
An encapsulation apparatus is accordingly specified for a field circuit which is arranged within an encapsulation area in the interior of a rotor body. The encapsulation area is bounded at the radially outer edge by the inner face of a casing of the rotor body or components which are thermally connected directly to the casing of the rotor body. Furthermore, the encapsulation area is bounded in the axial direction on both sides by a cover plate, which is oriented essentially at right angles to the axis of the rotor body, and by a bottom plate. The field circuit comprises at least one board with electrical components which are provided on the board. Contacts which can be used to make contact with the field circuit are arranged at the edge of the board. The encapsulation apparatus furthermore comprises:
A holder for locking the field circuit in the encapsulation area, by means of which the field circuit can be locked in the encapsulation area such that the contacts are arranged in a tolerance area around a cylindrical casing surface. The cylindrical casing surface is oriented coaxially with respect to the rotor body. The encapsulation apparatus furthermore has a toroidal elastic ring which is pressed onto those contact surfaces of the contacts whose surface normal is oriented essentially in the direction of the axis. Furthermore, the toroidal elastic ring is pressed at least onto the bottom plate for liquid-tight closure of the encapsulation area. The toroidal elastic ring is also pressed on such that all of the contact surfaces which are located in the tolerance area are at least partially in contact with the toroidal elastic ring.
Advantageous refinements of the encapsulation apparatus according to the invention are specified in the claims which are dependent on claim 9. In this case the encapsulation apparatus according to the invention can be combined with the features of a dependent claim, and in particular with the features of a plurality of dependent claims. The encapsulation apparatus can accordingly also have the following features:
Further advantageous refinements of the encapsulation method according to the invention and of the encapsulation apparatus according to the invention will become evident from the claims which have not been mentioned above, and in particular from the drawing, which will be explained in the following text. The drawing schematically illustrates exemplary embodiments of the encapsulation apparatus according to the invention, and of the encapsulation method according to the invention.
In this case, in the figures:
Corresponding parts in the figures are provided with the same reference symbols. Parts which are not referred to in any more detail are generally known prior art.
Contacts 103 which are arranged at the edge of the board 102 are located on the board 102. The contacts 103 are arranged on the side of the board 102 which points in the direction of the axis A. Furthermore, the field circuit comprises electrical components 104 which are arranged on the board 102. The electrical components 104 can preferably be power-electronic components, such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, thyristors, power diodes, etc.
The rotor body, which has a cover plate 107 and a bottom plate 108, is held by means of clamping screws 105. The encapsulation area 101 is bounded on its radially outer edge by the casing of the rotor body and further components of the rotor 106, 106′, 106″ which are thermally directly connected to the casing of the rotor body.
The board 102 can be locked within the encapsulation area 101 by generally technically conventional measures. Furthermore, the board 102 or else individual electrical components 104 of the field circuit can be locked by a special holder. The board 102 is locked within the encapsulation area 101 such that the contacts 103 are located in a tolerance area 109, which extends around a cylindrical casing surface 110. The cylindrical casing surface 110 is arranged essentially coaxially with respect to the rotor body, and therefore essentially coaxially with respect to the axis A. A tolerance area 109 extends along the circumference of the cylindrical casing surface 110, in the radial direction on both sides of the cylindrical casing surface 110. The tolerance area 109 may, in particular, have a predetermined radial width.
Before the insertion of a mandrel 111 into the encapsulation apparatus 100, a toroidal elastic ring 112 is introduced into the encapsulation apparatus 100 from the inside. The mandrel 111 may be cylindrical or else conical. The toroidal elastic ring 112 can preferably have an essentially rectangular cross section. Furthermore, the toroidal elastic ring 112 is inserted into the encapsulation apparatus 100 such that the toroidal elastic ring 112 is pressed by means of the mandrel 111 onto the cover plate 107 and the bottom plate 108 such that the encapsulation area 101 is closed in a liquid-tight manner. Alternatively, the toroidal elastic ring 112 can be inserted into the encapsulation apparatus 100 such that it closes the encapsulation area 101 in a liquid-tight manner on the contact surface between the bottom plate 108 and the toroidal elastic ring 112. In this case, the cover plate 107 can be placed on the rotor body after encapsulation has been carried out, and the actual encapsulation process is carried out as a so-called open encapsulation process. Furthermore, the toroidal elastic ring 112 is pressed in by means of the mandrel 111 such that those contact surfaces of the contacts 103 whose surface normal points in the direction of the axis A and which are located within the tolerance area 109 make contact with the toroidal elastic ring 112. Pressing the toroidal elastic ring 112 onto the contact surfaces in this way makes it possible to avoid those surfaces of the contacts 103 whose surface normals point in the direction of the axis A from being wetted with the encapsulation compound when the encapsulation compound is subsequently introduced into the encapsulation area 101. The contact surfaces of the contacts 103 are therefore free of encapsulation compound after encapsulation of the field circuit, and contact can therefore easily be made with them.
Encapsulation compound can be introduced into the encapsulation area 101 through an opening 113 in the cover plate 107 of the encapsulation apparatus 100. In order to ensure that the field circuit, in particular the board 102 and the electrical components 104 which are provided on the board, is encapsulated without any cavities, the board 102 and further electrical components 104 are arranged in the encapsulation area 101 such that the encapsulation compound can wet all the exposed surfaces of the board 102 and of the electrical components 104. In particular, the board 102 may have apertures or holes for this purpose, or may be arranged in the encapsulation area 101 such that corresponding gaps are provided for the encapsulation compound to pass through.
The edges of the components to be encapsulated may be inclined, chamfered or rounded. Further rotor parts which project into the encapsulation area 101 may likewise be inclined, chamfered or rounded. This makes it possible to avoid increased stresses in these areas during curing of the encapsulation compound.
The displacement body 201 may, in particular, be manufactured from glass-fiber-reinforced plastic. The displacement body 201 may also, in particular, be matched to the shape of the board 102. Furthermore, the displacement body 201 may be matched to the components 104 which are provided on the board 102, and may be matched to the contacts 103. The displacement body 201 can likewise be matched to further electrical components 103 of the field circuit which are not mounted on the board 102. The displacement body 201 may be matched by shaping or else by 3D scanning. Encapsulation compound can be saved by means of the displacement body 201. Furthermore, the displacement body 201 may have a similar or virtually the same coefficient of expansion to that of the encapsulation compound. This makes it possible to reduce stress cracks or wall separation occurring as a result of temperature changes.
During encapsulation of the boards 102, 102″, the contact surfaces of the contacts 103 whose surface normal points in the direction R are still free of encapsulation compound after the encapsulation process. The contact surfaces are therefore accessible from the inside of the rotor body and, may for example, make contact with a contact bar 301, which can preferably be manufactured from copper.
The surface normals to the flattened areas or recesses 402 may in particular point in the direction of the axis of the rotor body. Centripetal accelerations acting on the electrical components 104 can thus be absorbed over a large area by the holder.
The flattened areas or recesses 402 may also in particular be designed such that they accommodate the electrical components 104 in an interlocking manner.
The toroidal elastic ring 112 may, in particular, be manufactured from silicone or a silicone-like material.
The field circuit which is arranged within the rotor may be encapsulated by means of an apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment of the drawings as explained above. The encapsulation method according to the invention may in this case be developed in accordance with the following explanatory notes.
The encapsulation area may be heated by suitable measures in order to cure the encapsulation compound. Furthermore, an atmospheric encapsulation method, a vacuum encapsulation method, a pressure-gelling method, an injection-molding method or a hot-melt method may be used as encapsulation methods. Furthermore, a hybrid system comprising an encapsulation compound and an adhesive compound may be used as a material system for encapsulation. In particular, the encapsulation process can be carried out using a reaction resin system based on one or more of the following materials: epoxy resins, polyurethane, silicone, polyester resin, polyester imide resin and/or hydrocarbon resin. In order to reinforce the encapsulation compound, fillers, fibers, hollow glass balls, flakes, fabrics and/or agglomerations may be added to it.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2007 030 963.7 | Jul 2007 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP08/58440 | 7/1/2008 | WO | 00 | 5/4/2010 |