US3751699A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Gas filled vertical dynamoelectric machine
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1972-04-25
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Granted: 1973-08-07
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Expires: 1992-04-25
Abstract
Abstract A totally enclosed, inert gas filled vertical dynamoelectric machine is described wherein liquid lubricant in the lower bearing housing is employed to seal the machine output shaft against the loss of inert gas. To inhibit loss of lubricant from the seal, a stationary oil sleeve concentrically disposed within a zone between the rotor shaft and shaft sleeve protrudes to a height in excess of the oil level within the housing by an amount at least equal to the change in level produced by the pressure of the inert gas within the machine. The lower bearing preferably is enclosed by a selectively notched bearing cover which serves in conjunction with annular grooves upon the shaft sleeve to prevent oil creepage along the exterior of the shaft while blow-out of oil from the seal by excessive gas pressure within the machine is inhibited by a liquid filled, generally U-shaped tube communicating the motor interior with the ambient. To prevent turbulence produced by rotation of the rotor from breaking the seal, the lubricant should extend to a level above the bearing or a selectively apertured partition could be inserted between the lower end of the shaft sleeve and the bearing.
Inventors
- 👤 R Gleichman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 08:23
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02K; H02K9/00; H02K9/24; F; F16; F16C; F16C33/00; F16C33/30; F16C33/66; F16C33/6637; F16C33/664; F16C33/6651; F16C33/6659; F16J; F16J15/00; F16J15/16; F16J15/40; H02K5/00; H02K5/04; H02K5/16; H02K5/173; H02K5/1732; F16C2300/00; F16C2300/30; F16C2300/34; F16C2380/00; F16C2380/26; F16N; F16N7/00; F16N7/36; F16N7/366
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
292 words
In a dynamoelectric machine characterized by a rotor mounted upon a vertically extending shaft, a stator circumferentially mounted around said rotor, and means for circulating a pressurized fluid through at least a portion of said machine to remove heat by forced convection and conduction from said pressurized fluid to a cooler surface lying within the flow path of said fluid, the improvement comprising a shaft seal situated between said pressurized fluid and the machine ambient to inhibit excessive leakage of pressurized fluid from said machine, said seal including a reservoir of liquid lubricant, a bearing disposed circumferentially about said shaft to permit rotation of said rotor within said stator, at least a portion of said bearing being submerged within said liquid lubricant, a rotary sleeve fixedly secured to said shaft to rotate therewith, an axial portion of said sleeve being spaced from said shaft to provide an annular zone between said shaft and said sleeve, a lubricant sleeve extending into the zone between said rotary sleeve and said rotary shaft, the radially outer face of said lubricant sleeve serving to confine liquid lubricant within said machine, said lubricant sleeve extending axially to a height in excess of the depth of lubricant within said reservoir by an amount at least equal to the difference in lubricant levels respectively in said annular zone and in said reservoir that are produced by the pressure of said fluid within said machine, thereby to permit the lubricant level within the region between the lubricant sleeve and the rotary sleeve to substantially exceed the height of lubricant within said reservoir without spilling over said lubricant sleeve, said lubricant within said bearing seal contacting both said machine ambient and said pressurized fluid to seal the interior of said machine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
292 words
In a dynamoelectric machine characterized by a rotor mounted upon a vertically extending shaft, a stator circumferentially mounted around said rotor, and means for circulating a pressurized fluid through at least a portion of said machine to remove heat by forced convection and conduction from said pressurized fluid to a cooler surface lying within the flow path of said fluid, the improvement comprising a shaft seal situated between said pressurized fluid and the machine ambient to inhibit excessive leakage of pressurized fluid from said machine, said seal including a reservoir of liquid lubricant, a bearing disposed circumferentially about said shaft to permit rotation of said rotor within said stator, at least a portion of said bearing being submerged within said liquid lubricant, a rotary sleeve fixedly secured to said shaft to rotate therewith, an axial portion of said sleeve being spaced from said shaft to provide an annular zone between said shaft and said sleeve, a lubricant sleeve extending into the zone between said rotary sleeve and said rotary shaft, the radially outer face of said lubricant sleeve serving to confine liquid lubricant within said machine, said lubricant sleeve extending axially to a height in excess of the depth of lubricant within said reservoir by an amount at least equal to the difference in lubricant levels respectively in said annular zone and in said reservoir that are produced by the pressure of said fluid within said machine, thereby to permit the lubricant level within the region between the lubricant sleeve and the rotary sleeve to substantially exceed the height of lubricant within said reservoir without spilling over said lubricant sleeve, said lubricant within said bearing seal contacting both said machine ambient and said pressurized fluid to seal the interior of said machine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A dynamoelectric machine according to claim 1 further including means for inhibiting turbulence produced by rotor rotation from penetrating the region at the lower end of said shaft sleeve to breach said seal during operation of said machine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A dynamoelectric machine according to claim 2 wherein said turbulence inhibiting means includes a level of lubricant within said bearing seal in excess of the height of said bearing to completely submerge said bearing within said lubricant reservoir.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
70 words
A dynamoelectric machine according to claim 3 further including at least one annular groove notched along the radially outer surface of said shaft sleeve, a Bearing cover circumferentially disposed about said rotary sleeve at an axial location above said bearing seal, said bearing cover having a notch in registration with the groove of said shaft sleeve and means for gravitationally returning lubricant from said notch to said liquid lubricant reservoir.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A dynamoelectric machine according to claim 2 wherein said turbulence inhibiting means includes a selectively apertured annular plate disposed between the lower end of said rotary sleeve and said bearing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
A dynamoelectric machine according to claim 1 further including a curved tube extending through the housing of said machine, said tube containing liquid in communication with both the pressurized fluid within said machine and the external environment of said machine, said tube being dimensioned to be completely exhausted by an increase in the pressure of said pressurized fluid before lubricant is driven over said oil sleeve within said machine.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
231 words
A vertical dynamoelectric machine comprising a stator, a rotor secured upon a vertically extending shaft, bearing means mounted at spaced apart locations along said rotor to permit rotation of said rotor within said stator, a housing enclosing said machine, a pressurized heat transfer fluid circulating within said housing to transfer heat absorbed from said rotor and stator to a relatively cooler surface along the interior of said machine, a lower bearing seal situated between said pressurized fluid and the motor environment to inhibit leakage of said pressurized fluid from said machine, said seal including a reservoir of liquid lubricant extending to a height at least partially submerging the lower one of said bearing means, a rotary sleeve fixedly secured to said shaft at an axially upper portion of said sleeve, said sleeve being spaced from said shaft along the axially lower portion of said sleeve to provide an annular zone therebetween, a lubricant sleeve extending into the annular zone between said shaft sleeve and said shaft, the radially outer face of said lubricant sleeve serving as a retaining wall for said liquid lubricant, said lubricant sleeve extending to a height at least 3 inches higher than the level of liquid lubricant within said lower bearing means to inhibit spillage of said lubricant over said lubricant sleeve, said lubricant within said bearing seal contacting both said machine ambient and said pressurized fluid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
231 words
A vertical dynamoelectric machine comprising a stator, a rotor secured upon a vertically extending shaft, bearing means mounted at spaced apart locations along said rotor to permit rotation of said rotor within said stator, a housing enclosing said machine, a pressurized heat transfer fluid circulating within said housing to transfer heat absorbed from said rotor and stator to a relatively cooler surface along the interior of said machine, a lower bearing seal situated between said pressurized fluid and the motor environment to inhibit leakage of said pressurized fluid from said machine, said seal including a reservoir of liquid lubricant extending to a height at least partially submerging the lower one of said bearing means, a rotary sleeve fixedly secured to said shaft at an axially upper portion of said sleeve, said sleeve being spaced from said shaft along the axially lower portion of said sleeve to provide an annular zone therebetween, a lubricant sleeve extending into the annular zone between said shaft sleeve and said shaft, the radially outer face of said lubricant sleeve serving as a retaining wall for said liquid lubricant, said lubricant sleeve extending to a height at least 3 inches higher than the level of liquid lubricant within said lower bearing means to inhibit spillage of said lubricant over said lubricant sleeve, said lubricant within said bearing seal contacting both said machine ambient and said pressurized fluid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
80 words
A vertical dynamoelectric machine according to claim 7 wherein said pressurized fluid is cooled by heat exchange with liquid pumped through coils within said machine, said machine further including a curved tube extending through the housing of said machine, said curved tube containing a liquid in communication with both said pressurized fluid and the outside environment, said tube being dimensioned to be completely exhausted by an increase in pressure in said machine before lubricant is driven over said lubricant sleeve.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
A dynamoelectric machine according to claim 8 wherein said U-shaped tube is situated at a location to receive leakage from said coils, said tube serving to exhaust liquid in excess of a predetermined amount.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
A dynamoelectric machine according to claim 7 further including means for inhibiting turbulence produced by rotor rotation from penetrating the region at the lower end of said shaft sleeve to breach said seal during operation of said machine.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A dynamoelectric machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said lower bearing is completely submerged in said liquid lubricant.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
An invention as defined in claim 11 wherein said liquid lubricant extends to a height at least 1 inch above the upper edges of said lower bearings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-06 | 1977-02-05 | 1977-08-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-06 | 1981-02-05 | 1981-08-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-06 | 1985-02-05 | 1985-08-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |