Patent ID: 6438820
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: H02K,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of reducing rotor body windage loss in a rotary electric machine having a rotor and a stator surrounding said rotor in substantially concentric relationship therewith, and wherein the stator is formed with a plurality of radially oriented slots, each slot defined by a pair of parallel side walls, and having at least one stator bar therein, the method comprising:a) providing a wedge having a dovetail mounting portion for sliding engagement within said slot at a location radially inward of said stator bar to thereby hold said stator bar in said slot; and b) forming said wedge to leave an unfilled space at a radially innermost end of the slot, the unfilled space having a depth hswd as measured from an entrance to the slot to said wedge, and a width bs as measured between said pair of parallel side walls, and wherein a slot aspect ratio A as defined by hswd/bs is equal to about 0.80.