ROTATING MACHINE APPARATUS
A rotating machine apparatus is provided and includes a rotating machine to drive rotation of a shaft, at least one air flow generator mounted on the shaft, a heat exchanger disposed in thermal communication with the rotating machine and being formed to define a plurality of pathways displaced from and extending transversely with respect to the at least one air flow generator and a duct having first and second transverse sections by which the at least one air flow generator and the heat exchanger are coupled.
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The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a rotating machine apparatus.
In various industries, rotating machines are employed in many different applications. Rotating machines can be used to generate power and electricity and they can be employed in automobile engines, aircraft engines and air conditioners. In most cases, however, the operation of rotating machines creates a substantial amount of heat that must be dissipated in order to insure continued operation. This can be achieved for a given rotating machine by placing a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the rotating machine.
Such a heat exchanger works by defining a heat flow pathway along heat transfer elements that extend from the relatively hot rotating machine to a relatively cool heat sink, such as atmospheric surroundings or an air flow. The air flow can be generated by movement of the rotating machine and the heat exchanger through atmospheric surroundings or by a blowing element disposed proximate to the heat exchanger.
The blowing element can include, for example, a fan. In general, the fan may be mounted to a shaft that is driven to rotate by the rotating machine or an external blower that is separate from the heat exchanger. In either case, the fan generates the air flow in alignment with the heat transfer elements. Alternatively, the fan may be an external blower that is separate from the heat exchanger and generates the air flow as a cross-flow relative to the heat transfer elements. In any case, each of the three arrangements present shortcomings, such as temperature differentials at rotating machine ends, pressure drops through the heat transfer elements, large numbers of parts, significant amounts of required maintenance, customer dissatisfaction and high costs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAccording to one aspect of the invention, a rotating machine apparatus is provided and includes a rotating machine to drive rotation of a shaft, at least one air flow generator mounted on the shaft, a heat exchanger disposed in thermal communication with the rotating machine and being formed to define a plurality of pathways displaced from and extending transversely with respect to the at least one air flow generator and a duct having first and second transverse sections by which the at least one air flow generator and the heat exchanger are coupled.
According to another aspect of the invention, a rotating machine apparatus is provided and includes a housing having first and second opposing end walls, a rotating machine disposed within the housing to drive rotation of a shaft, a cross-flow fan mounted on the shaft proximate to one of the first and second end walls, a heat exchanger disposed in thermal communication with the rotating machine and being formed to define a plurality of pathways displaced from and extending transversely with respect to an axis of the cross-flow fan and a duct having first and second transverse sections by which the cross-flow fan and the heat exchanger are fluidly coupled.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a rotating machine apparatus is provided and includes a housing having first and second opposing end walls and first and second opposing side walls extending between the first and second opposing end walls, a rotating machine disposed within the housing to drive rotation of a shaft, a cross-flow fan mounted on the shaft proximate to one of the first and second end walls, a heat exchanger disposed in thermal communication with the rotating machine and including an inlet disposed at an end of the first side wall, an outlet disposed at a corresponding end of the second side wall and a plurality of tubes coupled to the inlet and the outlet to define a plurality of pathways displaced from and extending transversely with respect to an axis of the cross-flow fan and a duct having first and second transverse sections by which the cross-flow fan and the inlet are fluidly coupled.
These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The detailed description explains embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONWith reference to
As used herein, the axis of the cross-flow fan 40 may refer to the rotational axis of the rotatable shaft 35 and the cross-flow fan 40 and/or any axis oriented substantially in parallel with the rotational axis that is confined within the radial extent of the cross-flow fan 40.
As shown in
Still referring to
The material of the plurality of tubes 53, the inlet housing 510, the outlet housing 520, the housing 20 and the rotating machine 30 are disposed in contact with and in thermal communication with one another such that a heat flow pathway is defined from the rotating machine 30 to the plurality of tubes 53. Thus, as the cross-flow fan 40 generates an air flow, either by blowing air or by suction, the air flow proceeds through the duct 60 and the plurality of tubes 53. Thus, heat that is generated by the rotating machine 30 may be absorbed by the flowing air to thereby lower a temperature of at least the rotating machine 30.
In accordance with embodiments, the first duct section 61 encompasses the cross-flow fan 40. In accordance with further embodiments, the first and second transverse sections 61, 62 of the duct 60 may be formed to define first and second curved pathways 610, 620 in which the respective curvatures are oriented transversely with respect to one another.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A rotating machine apparatus, comprising:
- a rotating machine to drive rotation of a shaft;
- at least one air flow generator mounted on the shaft;
- a heat exchanger disposed in thermal communication with the rotating machine and being formed to define a plurality of pathways displaced from and extending transversely with respect to the at least one air flow generator; and
- a duct having first and second transverse sections by which the at least one air flow generator and the heat exchanger are coupled.
2. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one air flow generator is rotatable in first and second opposite directions and comprises at least one of a single entry cross-flow fan and a double entry cross-flow fan.
3. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
- an inlet housing coupled to the duct; and
- an outlet housing in communication with an exterior of an outlet; and
- a plurality of tubes arranged between the inlet and the outlet housings in a substantially rectangular matrix.
4. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first section encompasses the at least one air flow generator.
5. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an air flow pathway is one of defined from the at least one air flow generator, through the duct and to the inlet and defined from the inlet, through the duct and to the at least one air flow generator.
6. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one air flow generator comprises first and second cross-flow fans respectively mounted on the shaft proximate to the first and the second end wall, respectively.
7. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one air flow generator comprises a double entry cross-flow fan.
8. A rotating machine apparatus, comprising:
- a housing having first and second opposing end walls;
- a rotating machine disposed within the housing to drive rotation of a shaft;
- a cross-flow fan mounted on the shaft proximate to one of the first and second end walls;
- a heat exchanger disposed in thermal communication with the rotating machine and being formed to define a plurality of pathways displaced from and extending transversely with respect to an axis of the cross-flow fan; and
- a duct having first and second transverse sections by which the cross-flow fan and the heat exchanger are fluidly coupled.
9. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cross-flow fan comprises at least one of a single entry cross-flow fan and a double entry cross-flow fan.
10. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
- an inlet housing coupled to the duct;
- an outlet housing in communication with an exterior of an outlet; and
- a plurality of tubes arranged between the inlet and the outlet housings in a substantially rectangular matrix.
11. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first section encompasses the cross-flow fan.
12. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 8, wherein an air flow pathway is one of defined from the cross-flow fan, through the duct and to the inlet and defined from the inlet, through the duct and to the cross-flow fan.
13. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the cross-flow fan comprises first and second cross-flow fans respectively mounted on the shaft proximate to the first and the second end wall, respectively.
14. A rotating machine apparatus, comprising:
- a housing having first and second opposing end walls and first and second opposing side walls extending between the first and second opposing end walls;
- a rotating machine disposed within the housing to drive rotation of a shaft;
- a cross-flow fan mounted on the shaft proximate to one of the first and second end walls;
- a heat exchanger disposed in thermal communication with the rotating machine and including an inlet disposed at an end of the first side wall, an outlet disposed at a corresponding end of the second side wall and a plurality of tubes coupled to the inlet and the outlet to define a plurality of pathways displaced from and extending transversely with respect to an axis of the cross-flow fan; and
- a duct having first and second transverse sections by which the cross-flow fan and the inlet are fluidly coupled.
15. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cross-flow fan comprises one of a single entry cross-flow fan and a double entry cross-flow fan.
16. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
- an inlet housing coupled to the duct to form the inlet; and
- an outlet housing to form the outlet in communication with an exterior of the outlet,
- the plurality of tubes being arranged between the inlet and the outlet housings in a substantially rectangular matrix.
17. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the inlet and the outlet housings are substantially similarly shaped and parallel.
18. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first section encompasses the cross-flow fan.
19. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 14, wherein an air flow pathway is one of defined from the cross-flow fan, through the duct and to the inlet and defined from the inlet, through the duct and to the cross-flow fan.
20. The rotating machine apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the cross-flow fan comprises first and second cross-flow fans respectively mounted on the shaft proximate to the first and the second end wall, respectively.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 4, 2011
Publication Date: Sep 6, 2012
Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY (Schenectady, NY)
Inventors: Ravindra Gopal Gardas (Solapur), Radhakrishna Venkateswarlu Darbha (Hyderabad)
Application Number: 13/041,000
International Classification: F28F 13/00 (20060101);