Core for an electrical induction device

Abstract

A core for an electric induction device includes a multiplicity of magnetizable metal sheets which form a stack of metal sheets resting on each other. Spacers that are each disposed between two metal sheets form at least one cooling channel which can be subjected to a greater thermal load and at the same time allows improved cooling. Said spacers are made, at least in part, of metal.

Claims

1. A core for an electrical induction device, the core comprising: a multiplicity of magnetizable metal sheets forming a stack of metal sheets resting on each other; and spacers being at least partially metallic and configured a flat bars, each of said spacers being disposed between two respective metal sheets, said spacers forming at least one cooling channel, and said spacers each having a side facing a respective metal sheet and an electrically insulating insulation layer disposed on said side.

2. The core according to claim 1, wherein said spacers are at least partially formed of a magnetizable material, and said magnetizable material is formed of layered magnetizable metal sheets.

3. The core according to claim 2, wherein said magnetizable material assumes a preferred direction of magnetization.

4. The core according to claim 3, which further comprises: a limb and a yoke formed by said metal sheets; a joint formed between said metal sheets of said limb and said yoke; and said preferred direction of magnetization and said joint forming an angle between 70 degrees and 110 degrees.

5. The core according to claim 1, wherein said spacers are fitted with at least one spring element.

6. The core according to claim 1, wherein said spacers are formed of an expanded metal mesh or a wire mesh.

7. The core according to claim 6, wherein said expanded metal mesh or wire mesh is secured in an elastically bent position in said stack of metal sheets.

8. The core according to claim 1, wherein said spacers have a fixing section projecting out of the core.

9. The core according to claim 8, wherein said fixing section forms a hook or an eye for attachment or lifting of the core.

10. The core according to claim 8, wherein said fixing section forms a mounting bracket for attachment to the electrical induction device.

11. The core according to claim 1, wherein said spacers are disposed in mutually parallel first and second planes as seen in a cross-sectional view, and said spacers in said first plane are configured in an offset configuration in relation to said spacers in said second plane.

12. The core according to claim 1, wherein said spacers are at least partially configured as hollow sections.

13. The core according to claim 1, wherein said spacers are formed of a multiplicity of mutually spaced-apart spacer segments being interconnected by connecting webs, said spacer segments have a height, and said connecting webs have a height corresponding to at most 50% of said height of said spacer segments.

14. The core according to claim 2, wherein said spacers include an inner region formed of a non-magnetic metallic material.

15. The core according to claim 3, wherein said spacers include an inner region formed of a non-magnetic metallic material.

16. The core according to claim 4, wherein said spacers include an inner region formed of a non-magnetic metallic material.

17. The core according to claim 8, which further comprises: an upper yoke having a lower edge and a side facing a high voltage winding when installed in a transformer; said upper yoke having spacers on said side being extended beyond said lower edge and having a region of overlap with said yoke forming an arch over said winding partially covering said yoke.

18. The core according to claim 9, which further comprises: an upper yoke having a lower edge and a side facing a high voltage winding when installed in a transformer; said upper yoke having spacers on said side being extended beyond said lower edge and having a region of overlap with said yoke forming an arch over said winding partially covering said yoke.

19. The core according to claim 10, which further comprises: an upper yoke having a lower edge and a side facing a high voltage winding when installed in a transformer; said upper yoke having spacers on said side being extended beyond said lower edge and having a region of overlap with said yoke forming an arch over said winding partially covering said yoke.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) Further appropriate configurations and advantages of the invention are the subject of the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures in the drawing, wherein components of identical function are identified by the same reference numbers, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of the core according to the invention, in a sectional side view,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a core, which is constituted of layered individual flat metal sheets, and incorporates both spacers according to the prior art and metallic spacers according to the present invention,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of an abutment region with spacers, in a side view,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a further abutment region with spacers,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the core according to the invention,

(7) FIG. 6 illustrates a further exemplary embodiment of the core according to the invention,

(8) FIG. 7 illustrates finger-shaped spacers for the core according to the invention,

(9) FIG. 8 shows a core with spacer, according to FIG. 7, and

(10) FIG. 9 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a spacer 9,

(11) FIG. 10 shows an exemplary embodiment of the core 1 with a spacer according to FIG. 9, in a cross-sectional view,

(12) FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate further exemplary embodiments of a spacer, and

(13) FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate further exemplary embodiments of the core according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(14) FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the core 1 according to the invention, in a partially sectional side view. The core comprises three core limbs 2, 3 and 4. The core 1 moreover incorporates an upper yoke 5 and a lower yoke 6. The core 1 is formed of flat, i.e. planar magnetizable metal sheets, in order to prevent eddy current losses in an application thereof in a transformer or a reactance coil. The metal sheets are arranged adjacently to one another at their flat sides. FIG. 1 shows a metal sheet from the center of the core 1, in an overhead view. Metal sheets are stacked in an inward direction to, or outward direction from, the drawing plane.

(15) In abutment regions 7, the illustrated metal sheet of the core limb 2 is configured with a V-shape at both ends thereof. The metal sheet illustrated here abuts against metal sheets of the upper or lower yoke 4, 5, thereby constituting a joint. The same applies correspondingly to the metal sheets arranged below or above the drawing plane. Further abutment regions 8 are present between the core limbs 3 and 4 and the upper yoke 5 or the lower yoke 6. In the abutment regions 8, the mutually adjoining metal sheets of the core 1 also constitute an obliquely-oriented joint.

(16) Between two metal sheets which extend in parallel to one another, spacers 9 are arranged, which are constituted of a metallic material. The spacers 9 of the central core limb 2, in the exemplary embodiment represented, are configured as solid bars which, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated, are configured with a rectangular cross section. Between the spacers 9 which, in a single plane, are all arranged with the same mutual spacing, cooling channels 10 extend.

(17) Conversely, the spacers 9 of the core limbs 3 and 4 are not configured as continuous bars. Instead, the spacers are configured in the form of blocks, wherein the individual blocks are not mutually connected, but delimit transverse channels, by means of which the cooling channels 10 oriented in a mutually parallel arrangement in the longitudinal direction of the core limbs 3, 4 are interconnected. The flux of an insulating fluid in this region is schematically represented by the arrows 11. In a further configuration of the invention, the block-shaped configuration of the spacers 9 can be achieved by the use of a wire mesh or similar.

(18) Heat losses are transmitted from the metal sheets to the insulating fluid flowing through the cooling channels 10, and can thus be effectively evacuated from the core 1.

(19) FIG. 2 illustrates the constitution of the sheet metal stacks in the limb of a core 1, which is fitted both with spacers 9 according to the invention and with spacers 12 according to the prior art. In the representation of the core 1, which is enlarged in relation to FIG. 1, metallic spacers 9 according to the invention can be observed in the lower half, whereas the spacers 12 in the upper part of FIG. 2 are formed of an insulating material, according to the prior art. The outer surfaces of the metal sheets 13, which face a cooling channel 10 and which simultaneously permit an exchange of heat with the insulating fluid flowing in the cooling channel 10, are represented here by bold lines. It can be seen that, in this manner, the cooling channels 10 in the lower section, where a metallic spacer 9 is employed, feature a thermally-conductive delimitation over their full perimeter. Conversely, no transmission of heat occurs between the flat sides of the spacers 12 and the insulating fluid in the cooling channel 10. In a core according to the prior art, the transmission of heat occurs exclusively via the flat sides of the metal plates 13 which delimit the cooling channel. It is thus clarified that the exchange of heat is improved in the context of the invention.

(20) Moreover, the spacers 9 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated are formed of layered magnetizable metal sheets 13. In the exemplary embodiment, the metal sheets 13 of the spacers 9 are arranged in the same layer direction and with the same preferred direction of magnetization, and are formed of the same material as the core metal sheets 13 which enclose the cooling channel 10.

(21) In the core section represented, the magnetically active cross section of the core is increased by the spacers 9 accordingly. The spacers 9 are therefore capable of accommodating a proportion of the magnetic flux carried by the core 1. The fullness factor of the core increases. This effect can be exploited for the reduction of the maximum induction, for example for the suppression of core noise, or for the reduction of the diameter of the core limb.

(22) FIG. 3 shows the abutment region 7 of the core 1 according to the invention in greater detail. It can be seen that, in the abutment region 7, a joint is configured, which is constituted by the mutually abutting edges of metal sheets. The joints between the pairs of metal sheets are mutually offset from one layer to the next. This is indicated by the broken line, which illustrates a joint which is arranged to the rear of the drawing plane. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the spacers 9 of the limb 2 are formed of a laminated magnetizable material, which assumes a preferred direction of magnetization. The laminated magnetizable spacers 9 moreover extend into the upper and lower yoke region. The preferred direction of magnetization of the metal sheets 13 of the core and the preferred direction of magnetization of the spacers 9 are indicated by double-headed arrows.

(23) In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, it is essential that the spacers 9 extend in an angular arrangement through the abutment region 7, and thus through the joints configured therein. The preferred direction of magnetization of the spacers 9 and the preferred direction of magnetization of the layered metal sheets 13 of the core 1 are oriented in relation to each other, and in relation to the joint, such that an advantageous magnetic flux distribution is achieved in the core 1 where the latter is employed in a transformer or in a reactance coil.

(24) Sections 9.5 of the spacers 9 which are arranged in the yoke region 5, but outside the abutment region, and consequently do not overlap the joint between the core metal sheet of the limb and the core metal sheet of the yoke, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated, are not formed of a magnetizable material such as magnetic sheet steel, but of a non-magnetizable metallic material. In the exemplary embodiment, the layered metal sheets of the spacers 9 are bonded by an adhesive or a lacquer to constitute bar-shaped stacks.

(25) FIG. 4 shows the abutment region 8 between the upper yoke and the limb of a core according to FIG. 1, wherein the spacers 9, again in this case, extend through the abutment region 8. In the exemplary embodiment represented, only those sections of the spacers 9 which are arranged in the abutment region 8 of the core metal sheets 13, and which therefore extend through the joints 8.2 constituted between metal sheets, are comprised of a magnetizable material. The metal sheets 13 of the core yoke 5, 6 and the core limb 3, for the reduction of no-load losses, have a preferred direction of magnetization in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet. At the joint 8.2, there is thus a change in the preferred direction of magnetization through an angle of approximately 90 degrees.

(26) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, the spacers 9 in the abutment region 8 are likewise constituted by layered metal sheets, which have a preferred direction of magnetization. The preferred direction, by the appropriate tailoring of the spacers 9, extends parallel to the long cut edge of the spacers 9 or, in other words, in the longitudinal direction of the spacers 9. The orientation of the spacer 9 thus configured is established at an angle of between 70° and 110° in relation to the abutment joint 8.2. There is thus a respective difference between the preferred directions of magnetization of the spacers 9 and of the core metal sheets of between 25° and 65°. By this arrangement, effective magnetic bridging of the joints 8.2, and an advantageous magnetic flux distribution in the core region surrounding the cooling channel, are provided.

(27) By the connection of the outer regions of the core and the limb by means of the spacers which are diagonally arranged in the abutment region, a proportion of the magnetic flux can employ a shortened magnetic path, thereby relieving the loading of the inner corner region of the abutment region between the core limb and the core yoke.

(28) FIG. 5 shows a further exemplary embodiment of the core 1 according to the invention, which differs from the exemplary embodiment represented in FIG. 1, in that the spacers 9, in the cross-sectional view represented, are configured in a circular rather than a rectangular design. The spacers 9 having a round or circular cross section provide the advantage that the dimensions thereof can be selected independently of the dimensioning of the core 1, thereby reducing production costs.

(29) In the exemplary embodiment, the spacers are formed of aluminum disks.

(30) Advantageously, the spacers 9 in one plane, for example the plane 14, are arranged with an offset in relation to the spacers 9 in the adjoining plane 15 or 16. Each spacer 9 in the plane 14 is therefore arranged opposite a gap between the spacer 9 in the plane 15 or 16. In this manner, the flux of the insulating fluid can be improved, as represented by the arrows 11.

(31) FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment, in which the spacers 9 are constituted in the form of circular metallic spacing segments 24. These spacing segments 24 are arranged in an offset manner on the surface of the metal sheets, in order to generate turbulence in the flux of the insulating fluid. The spacing segments 24 are interconnected by means of schematically represented reticulated connecting webs 25. These connecting webs 25 are configured with a smaller height than the spacing segments 24, in order to prevent any impairment of the flux of an insulating fluid. A spacing subassembly is produced accordingly, which permits simple installation.

(32) FIG. 7 shows the sectional representation of a spacer 9 according to FIG. 6. It can be seen that a cooling channel 10 is constituted between the metal sheets 13 by the spacing segments 9. The spacing segments 24 are interconnected by means of the connecting webs 25, wherein the height of the connecting webs 25 does not exceed 50% of the height of the spacing segments 9, in order to prevent any impairment of the flux of the insulating fluid in the cooling channel 10. The connecting webs 25 are configured here such that they contribute to the turbulence of the flux of the insulating fluid.

(33) FIGS. 8 and 9 show further examples of a spacer 9, which is configured here in the form of a wire mesh 9.1 and 9.2. The latter is available at a modest cost and, as a result of the round-section wire 9.1 or 9.2 employed, has no edges or sharp points which might damage the insulation of the core metal sheet 13. The execution of the spacer 9 in the form of a corrugated wire netting permits a wide variety of configurations, with extensive scope for adaptation to the geometrical characteristics of the cooling channels of the core.

(34) FIG. 10 shows an exemplary embodiment of the core 1 according to the invention in a sectional side view. It can be seen that the metallic spacers 9 are configured as solid component 9, wherein a fixing section 17 thereof extends out of the core 1. In the exemplary embodiment, the spacers 9 and the fixing sections 17 are formed of steel. The fixing section 17 is equipped with elements for the fitting of lifting gear for the lifting and transport of the core. The compressed core 1 permits the effective transmission of the weight force of the core via the correspondingly configured spacers 9 and the fixing sections 17 integrated therein. The devices customary in the prior art for the attachment of lifting gear to the yoke clamping bars can be omitted.

(35) The fixing sections 17 furthermore increase the surface area of the spacers 9, such that the evacuation of heat from the core 1 is improved even further.

(36) Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, the spacers 9 of the upper yoke 5, on the side thereof which, in the case of an application in a transformer, faces a winding 26 which carries a high voltage, are extended beyond the lower edge of the upper yoke 5 and, in the region of overlap with the winding 26, constitute an arch 18, which covers the adjacent outer core stage of the yoke 5. Accordingly, in the region of overlap of the high-voltage winding 26 by the upper yoke 5, critical corners of the core yoke are shielded with regard to the dielectric strength.

(37) FIG. 11 represents exemplary embodiments of spacers 9, each of which is provided with a fixing section 17 for the lifting and transport of the core 1. In each fixing section 17, an eye 19 is provided for the attachment of lifting gear. In order to accommodate the weight of the core 1, the spacers 9 and the associated fixing sections 17 are of a correspondingly solid construction. The requisite width provided for this purpose results in a partial coverage of the surfaces of the core metal sheets adjoining the cooling channel. In order to prevent this, the relevant spacers in the exemplary embodiment are provided with finger-shaped webs, which seperate recesses 20.

(38) The finger-shaped webs are mechanically designed to be able to accommodate the weight force of the core 1. They delimit recesses 20, which extend outwards in the form of ducts on both sides from the yoke metal sheets of the core 1, thereby permitting the admission and outlet of a cooling fluid.

(39) FIG. 12 illustrates the application of these finger-shaped spacing elements 9 in a core 1. The duct-shaped recesses 20 extend over the full height of the adjoining stage 1.3 of the core yoke, and constitute the cooling channels of the core 1. The spacing element 9 represented on the right-hand side of FIG. 12 is provided with a fixing section 17, which projects beyond the core 1. In the fixing section 17, an eye 19 for the fitting of lifting gear is configured, which permits the transport and lifting of the core 1.

(40) In FIGS. 13 and 14, exemplary embodiments of the core 1 according to the invention are represented, in which the metallic spacer 9, in the fixing section 17 thereof, constitutes a mounting bracket 22. In the view represented in FIG. 13, the mounting bracket 22 on two spacers 9 extends respectively in the horizontal direction. The function of the mounting bracket 22 illustrated is the attachment of a housing element, for example a top cover 21 of a transformer.

(41) In FIG. 14, the mounting bracket extends respectively perpendicularly, wherein the top cover 21 constitutes fixing elements 23, by means of which it is attached to the mounting bracket 22. Moreover, in this case, the spacers of the upper yoke, in the region thereof which overlaps the transformer winding, are also extended 18 at their lower edge in relation to the adjoining core stage, and are rounded to a radius which is greater than the width of the cooling channel, in order to permit the electrical shielding, vis-à-vis the winding, of the core corners of the sheet metal stacks of the yoke having the greatest sheet metal width.