Conduit arrangement for a liquid-cooled dynamoelectric machine

Claim 2

A liquid-cooled dynamoelectric machine comprising: a housing member carrying a stator assembly and including a cooling passage terminating at an opening exposed to the interior of said housing member; a shaft member carrying a rotor assembly rotatably supported in said housing so that the rotor assembly electrodynamically reacts with said stator assembly; a cooling passage extending axially through said shaft member from an end opening disposed in opposing relationship to said opening of said housing member; a tubular conduit fluidly connected between said openings of said cooling passages for conducting a liquid coolant therebetween; a self-aligning mounting supported by one of said members within one of said openings and adapted for rotatably receiving one end of said conduit; a universally movable mounting included at an opposite end of said conduit and supported within the other of said openings by the other of said members; and means carried by one of said members and engageable by said conduit to restrain rotation of said conduit at the other of said openings; whereby said ends of said conduit are movably mounted so as to be adjustably aligned in an inclined relationship with the center axes of said openings when said axes are coaxially misaligned.

Claim 3

A liquid-cooled dynamoelectric machine comprising: a housing member carrying a stator assembly and including a cooling passage terminating at an opening exposed to the interior of said housing member; a shaft member carrying a rotor assembly rotatably supported in said housing so that the rotor assembly electrodynamically reacts with said stator assembly; a cooling passage extending axially through said shaft member terminating at an opening disposed in opposing relationship to said opening of said housing member; a self-aligning sleeve bearing supported by one of said members within one of said openings; a tubular conduit fluidly connected between said openings at said cooling passages for conducting a liquid coolant therebetween; said conduit including one end journaled for rotation in said self-aligning bearing in an axially movable relationship thereto; said conduit further including an opposite end forming an annular boss having a convex spherical surface carrying an annular shaft seal, said annular boss being supported by the other of said members in a sealing relationship within the other of said openings thereby providing a universally movable mounting at the other Of said openings; and means carried by said other of said members and engageable by said opposite end of said conduit for restraining relative rotation between said conduit and said other member so that said one end of said conduit rotates in said sleeve bearing when said shaft member is rotated, whereby said ends of said conduit are adjustably mounted so as to be movable in an inclined relationship with respect to the center axes of said openings and axially shiftable between said openings to accommodate coaxial misalignment between said axes.

Claim 4

A liquid-cooled dynamoelectric machine comprising: a housing member carrying a stator assembly and including a cooling passage terminating at an opening exposed to the interior of said housing member; a shaft member carrying a rotor assembly rotatably supported in said housing so that the rotor assembly electrodynamically reacts with said stator assembly; a cooling passage extending axially through said shaft member terminating at an opening disposed in opposing relationship to said opening of said housing member; a self-aligning sleeve bearing supported by one of said members within one of said openings; a tubular conduit fluidly connected between said openings at said cooling passages for conducting a liquid coolant therebetween; said conduit including one end journaled for rotation in said self-aligning bearing in an axially movable relationship thereto; said conduit further including an opposite end forming an annular boss having a convex spherical surface carrying an annular shaft seal, said annular boss being supported by the other of said members in a sealing relationship within the other of said openings thereby providing a universally movable mounting at the other Of said openings; and means carried by said other of said members and engageable by said opposite end of said conduit for restraining relative rotation between said conduit and said other member so that said one end of said conduit rotates in said sleeve bearing when said shaft member is rotated, whereby said ends of said conduit are adjustably mounted so as to be movable in an inclined relationship with respect to the center axes of said openings and axially shiftable between said openings to accommodate coaxial misalignment between said axes.

Claim 5

A liquid-cooled dynamoelectric machine comprising: a housing carrying a stator assembly and including a cooling inlet passage having one end adapted for connection to a supply of liquid coolant and an opposite end terminating at an opening to the interior of said housing; a shaft member carrying a rotor assembly rotatably supported in said housing so that the rotor assembly electrodynamically reacts with said stator assembly and including an end spaced from the interior opening of said cooling inlet passage; a rotor cooling passage extending axially in said shaft member from an end opening thereof; a self-aligning sleeve bearing supported in said interior opening of said cooling inlet passage; a tubular conduit fluidly connected and axially adjustable between said cooling passages for conducting a liquid coolant therebetween, one end section of said conduit being insertable through said interior opening of said cooling inlet passage and journaled for rotation in said self-aligning bearing so that a liquid sealing film is formed therebetween when said conduit is rotated and said one end section further including a radially extending flange for limiting movement of said conduit in one axial direction, and an opposite end section of said conduit including an axially extending slot insertable into said rotor cooling passage and an annular boss having a convex spherical surface carrying an annular O-ring seal supported in said end opening of said rotor cooling passage for forming a universally movable mounting therein; and a pin means extending transversally through said shaft and said slot for engaging the sides of said slot to restrain relative rotation between said conduit and said shaft member and for further engaging the end of said slot to limit movement of said conduit in a second axial direction, whereby the ends of said tubular conduit are adjustably mounted so as to be aligned with the center axes of said openings of said cooling passages and are axially shiftable in the axial space between said end of said shaft and said interior opening of said cooling inlet passage.

Claim 6

A liquid-cooled dynamoelectric machine comprising: a housing carrying a stator assembly and including a cooling inlet passage having one end adapted for connection to a supply of liquid coolant and an opposite end terminating at an opening to the interior of said housing; a shaft member carrying a rotor assembly rotatably supported in said housing so that the rotor assembly electrodynamically reacts with said stator assembly and including an end spaced from the interior opening of said cooling inlet passage; a rotor cooling passage extending axially in said shaft member from an end opening thereof; a self-aligning sleeve bearing supported in said interior opening of said cooling inlet passage; a tubular conduit fluidly connected and axially adjustable between said cooling passages for conducting a liquid coolant therebetween, one end section of said conduit being insertable through said interior opening of said cooling inlet passage and journaled for rotation in said self-aligning bearing so that a liquid sealing film is formed therebetween when said conduit is rotated and said one end section further including a radially extending flange for limiting movement of said conduit in one axial direction, and an opposite end section of said conduit including an axially extending slot insertable into said rotor cooling passage and an annular boss having a convex spherical surface carrying an annular O-ring seal supported in said end opening of said rotor cooling passage for forming a universally movable mounting therein; and a pin means extending transversally through said shaft and said slot for engaging the sides of said slot to restrain relative rotation between said conduit and said shaft member and for further engaging the end of said slot to limit movement of said conduit in a second axial direction, whereby the ends of said tubular conduit are adjustably mounted so as to be aligned with the center axes of said openings of said cooling passages and are axially shiftable in the axial space between said end of said shaft and said interior opening of said cooling inlet passage.