Conductor winding assembly for a gas-cooled electric machine

Claim 2

A rotor for an electric machine, said rotor comprising a rotor body (1) having at least one gas-cooled rotor winding comprising a plurality of winding conductors, said winding conductors being inserted into slots (2) in said rotor body (1), insulated from said rotor body (1), are being secured by slot wedges (3), said winding conductors being assembled from two part conductors (5,6) which are constructed to be approximately U- or E-shaped and the legs of which (7,8,9,10,11,12) are placed against each other in such a manner that at least one longitudinal duct (13,14) is formed between said two part conductors (5,6), said at least one longitudinal duct (13,14) passing completely through said rotor body (1) in the longitudinal direction, said two part conductors (5,6) being riveted together by solid riveting elements (20) disposed only in the legs (7 to 12) of said two part conductors (5,6) without intersecting the surface of said winding conductors.

Claim 3

A rotor as claimed in claim 1, wherein: (a) said solid riveting elements (20) are disposed in recesses (18,19) constructed as slots (18,19) which extend over the entire length of said two part conductors (5,6) and (b) said riveting elements are strips (20) of soft copper.

Claim 4

A rotor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solid riveting elements (20) are disposed in recesses (18,19) which have in the area close to the surface a width which at least approximately corresponds to the thickness of said solid riveting elements (20) and which have in the interior of each recess (18,19) a free volume which is filled at least partially by the associated solid riveting element (20).

Claim 5

A rotor as claimed in claim 3, wherein the width (b) of each one of said solid riveting elements (20) is greater than the sum of the depths (t, t') of the associated one of said recesses (18,19).

Claim 6

A rotor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said solid riveting elements (20) are made of a material which is softer than the conductor material.

Claim 7

A rotor as recited in claim 4 wherein the width (b) of each one of said solid riveting elements (20) is greater than the sum of the depths (t, t') of the associated one of said recesses by 0.3 to 0.8 mm.

Claim 8

A rotor as claimed in claim 5 wherein said solid riveting elements are made of soft copper.

Claim 9

A rotor for an electric machine, said rotor comprising: (a) a rotor body having a cylindrical outer surface symmetrical about an axis, said rotor body having at least one slot extending axially of said rotor body and communicating with said cylindrical outer surface of said rotor body; (b) a plurality of winding conductors disposed in said at least one slot in radial array, each one of said winding conductors being composed of a pair of part conductors each of which is U- or E-shaped in cross-section, the legs of each one of each pair of associated part conductors ending in an at least approximately planar surface placed against a corresponding at least approximately planar surface on the other one of each pair of associated part conductors so that at least one longitudinal duct is formed between each pair of associated part conductors, at least one recess being formed in said at least approximately planar surface in one of each pair of associated part conductors and a communicating recess being formed in said at least approximately planar surface in the other one of each pair of associated part conductors, said recesses having a narrower width at their openings to the associated at least approximately planar surface than their width at at least one interior point; and (c) a solid rivet at least substantially filling said at least one recess and said communicating recess to bind each pair of associated part conductors together.

Claim 10

A rotor for an electric machine, said rotor comprising: (a) a rotor body having a cylindrical outer surface symmetrical about an axis, said rotor body having at least one slot extending axially of said rotor body and communicating with said cylindrical outer surface of said rotor body; (b) a plurality of winding conductors disposed in said at least one slot in radial array, each one of said winding conductors being composed of a pair of part conductors each of which is U- or E-shaped in cross-section, the legs of each one of each pair of associated part conductors ending in an at least approximately planar surface placed against a corresponding at least approximately planar surface on the other one of each pair of associated part conductors so that at least one longitudinal duct is formed between each pair of associated part conductors, at least one recess being formed in said at least approximately planar surface in one of each pair of associated part conductors and a communicating recess being formed in said at least approximately planar surface in the other one of each pair of associated part conductors, said recesses having a narrower width at their openings to the associated at least approximately planar surface than their width at at least one interior point; and (c) a solid rivet at least substantially filling said at least one recess and said communicating recess to bind each pair of associated part conductors together.

Claim 11

A rotor as recited in claim 8 wherein: (a) said at least one recess and said communicating recess in each pair of associated part conductors are axially extending slots and (b) said solid rivets are axially extending strips.

Claim 12

A rotor as recited in claim 8 wherein said solid rivets are made of a material that is softer than the material of which said part conductors are made.

Claim 13

A rotor as recited in claim 10 wherein said solid rivets are made of soft copper.