Abstract:
Electric power generation (EPG) arrangements, such as generator sets for example, can be constructed with many different configurations depending on customer needs. Variations in the configuration include the placement of a circuit panel relative to a generator and the length of the generator. Multiple different electrical power transmission cabling arrangements are traditionally required to accommodate multiple circuit panel/generator configurations. This disclosure relates to an electrical power generation arrangement that include a cabling guide that is positionable, as by rotation for example, in one of a plurality of rotary positions relative to the generator. The cabling guide is positioned in a selected rotary position based on the position of the circuit panel relative to the generator or the length of the generator or both. A cabling conduit can be connected between the guide and the circuit panel. Power transmission cabling extends from the generator through the cabling guide and through conduit to the circuit panel. The cabling guide permits ready customization to individual customer specifications regarding circuit panel placement and generator length or both.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/529,595 filed on Dec. 16, 2003. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This disclosure generally relates to electric power generation arrangements, such as generator sets for example. More particularly and without limitation, this disclosure relates to an electric power generation arrangement that includes a power transmission cabling guide positionable relative to a generator in a plurality of rotary positions.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Electric power generation (EPG) arrangements, such as generator sets for example, typically include a generator that is electrically connected to a breaker circuit. To accommodate varying customer needs, EPG arrangements have been customizable to provide either a rear-mounted breaker circuit or a side-mounted breaker circuit. As a result, different power transmission cabling arrangements were required for each breaker circuit mounting location. Dedicated drop-over generator enclosures or long cabling trunk runs have been used to accommodate the various cabling arrangement. Accordingly, providing the customer with multiple options for the location of the breaker circuit relative to the generator was costly and complicated.  
         [0004]     In addition, customization of EPG arrangements can also include offering generators from various manufacturers or having various capacities. Generators can vary in length depending on the manufacturer or capacity. Consequently, these different generator lengths require still additional cabling arrangements, thus further increasing the cost and complexity of providing the customer multiple configuration options.  
         [0005]     In some cases, the breaker circuit has been mounted on the generator housing itself to avoid problems of providing cabling from the generator to the breaker circuit. However, this arrangement is believed to be undesirable for EPG arrangements using acoustic, noise-attenuating enclosures. The arrangement is undesirable because airflow in such enclosures can be critical and control circuit panels, which are desirably accessible from outside of the enclosure must generally be placed nearby the breaker circuit, which is inside the enclosure, thus limiting flexibility for airflow paths.  
         [0006]     This disclosure is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems identified above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     According to one aspect, an EPG arrangement comprises a generator, a circuit panel positioned adjacent to the generator, a cabling guide positioned adjacent to the generator and being positionable relative to said generator in one of a plurality of rotary positions, and power transmission cabling connected between the circuit panel and the generator, the cabling extending through the cabling guide.  
         [0008]     According to another aspect, a method for electrically connecting a generator to a circuit panel in an EPG arrangement is disclosed. The method includes positioning a circuit panel relative to a generator, positioning a cabling guide relative to the generator in one of a selectable plurality of rotary positions, extending power transmission cabling such that it extends through the cabling guide, and electrically connecting the power transmission cabling to the circuit panel and the generator.  
         [0009]     According to still another aspect, a method for providing a customer an EPG arrangement having one of a plurality of customer selectable configurations is disclosed. The method includes the step of accepting a customer order for an EPG arrangement specifying one of a plurality of customer selectable configurations, the customer selectable configurations varying based on at least one of (i) the positioning of a circuit panel relative to a generator, and (ii) alternator length in configurations where the generator comprises an alternator having a rotor axis and having an alternator length measured in a direction parallel to the rotor axis. The method further includes the steps of constructing a power generation arrangement based on the selectable configuration specified in the customer order, the constructing step including electrically connecting the generator to the circuit panel according to the method described in the immediately preceding paragraph. The cabling guide is placed in a rotary position suitable for the selectable configuration specified in the customer order.  
         [0010]     Other aspects and features will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of electric power generation (EPG) arrangement as described herein.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a partially exploded perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  from a different angle.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is fragmentary plan view of another embodiment of an EPG arrangement similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 1  but with certain parts removed and certain parts shown as semi-transparent for illustration purposes.  
         [0015]      FIGS. 5A through 5D  are fragmnentary plan views of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  each showing a cabling guide in one of a plurality of positions and also showing a plurality of circuit panel mounting locations.  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of a cabling guide as described herein.  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a cabling guide base as described herein.  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  is an exploded side elevational view of a cabling guide as described herein.  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a cabling guide clip as described herein.  
         [0020]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of exemplary cabling as described herein.  
         [0021]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a cabling conduit as described herein.  
         [0022]      FIG. 12  is a side elevational view of the cabling conduit shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]      FIGS. 1 through 4  illustrate an electric power generation (EPG) arrangement generally designated  20 . The power generation arrangement  20  includes a generator  22 , a circuit panel  24  positioned adjacent to the generator  22 , and a cabling guide, generally designated  26 , positioned adjacent to the generator  22  and the circuit panel  24 . The cabling guide  26  is positionable relative to the generator  22  in one of a plurality of rotary positions and can be rotatable relative to the generator  22  about an axis A. Power transmission cabling, generally designated  28 , is connected between the circuit panel  24  and the generator  22  and extends through the cabling guide  26 . The generator  22  and the circuit panel  24  can be mounted to a base or frame  30 , which can be conventional except as specifically described herein.  
         [0024]     The term “generator” can include a conventional dynamoelectric alternator having a rotating armature or rotor and a fixed stator, hydrogen or other fuel cell, a solar power cell, or any other device for producing electrical power. In embodiments using a conventional dynamoelectric alternator, such as illustrated in the figures and designated  32 , the alternator may be driven by any suitable motive source (not shown), such as a spark-ignited or compression-ignited reciprocating piston engine or a diesel or natural gas powered turbine engine for example. The invention is conveniently illustrated using an alternator  32  that includes a rotor, partially shown at  32 A, generally positioned within an alternator housing  32 B, with the rotor  32 A rotating about a rotor axis B. The illustrated rotor axis B is substantially perpendicular to the axis A of the cabling guide  26 , but the axes A and B need not be perpendicular and can be otherwise transverse or even parallel to each other. The alternator  32  is considered to have a length measured in a direction parallel to its rotor axis B, and such length can vary depending on the manufacturer or the capacity of the alternator or both.  
         [0025]     With reference to  FIG. 4 , the illustrated circuit panel  24  includes circuits  34  such as conventional breaker circuits  34 A, conventional control circuits  34 B, and conventional status monitors  34 C ( FIG. 1 ), although the circuit panel  24  could include any combination of such circuits or monitors. The breaker circuit  34 A may be a 3-pole breaker (plus earth or ground) as shown in  FIG. 4 , but a 4-pole or other breaker circuit could be used. The control circuits  34 B, which can be conventional and are thus not shown in detail, can include, by example only, printed circuit board, relays, switches, fuses, and additional breaker circuits. The status monitors  34 C, which are also not shown in detail, can include conventional digital or analog displays or gauges. The circuit panel  24  may also include optional connection points (not shown) for users to provide current to auxiliary devices such as a water heater or a battery heater for example  
         [0026]     Referring also to  FIGS. 5A through 5D , the cabling guide  26  is a turret-like structure that can be located atop the generator  22  and is positionable relative to the generator  22  in one of a plurality of rotary positions. As used herein, “rotary position” is intended to mean an angular orientation relative to a reference axis. For example, the term “rotary position” includes rotational positions where the cabling guide  26  is rotatable about the axis A. The term “rotary position” also includes angular orientations obtained by placement of the cabling guide  26  in one of a plurality of rotationally fixed but selectable angular orientations, (for example by using key-keyway structures or polygonal shaped interfitting parts as discussed later). In this regard, the angular orientation may be rotationally fixed in an absolute sense or, by way of a detent structure, relatively fixed unless sufficient non-destructive angular force is applied. The cabling guide  26  is turret-like inasmuch as it is rotatable to guide the power transmission cabling  28  in a plurality of selectable directions away from the generator  22 .  FIGS. 5A through 5D  illustrate the cabling guide  26  is various rotary positions and also show the circuit panel positioned in various circuit panel mounting locations on the frame  30 .  
         [0027]     Referring particularly to  FIGS. 6 through 8 , the cabling guide  26  includes a body  36  rotatably mounted to a base  38  that is fixed in relation to the generator  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the base  38  comprises a base plate  40  mounted to an alternator housing  32 B ( FIG. 2 ). The base plate  40  includes an upstanding circular wall or bearing  44 . The body  36  includes a circular bearing portion  46  sized to match the circumference of upstanding wall  44  so that the body  36  can be positioned atop the base  38  such that the wall  44  is received within the bearing portion  46 . Thus, the wall  44  defines a circular bearing about which the body  36  is rotatable relative to the cabling guide axis A. The body  36  also includes an upstanding portion  48  extending or lying in a plane substantially parallel to the axis A. Of course, the upstanding portion could lie in other planes. The upstanding portion  48  includes a frame  50 , which defines a window  52 , and an aperture wall  54  fastened to the frame  50 . The aperture wall  54  defines one or more cabling apertures  56  that open through the window  52  when the aperture wall  54  is mounted to the frame  50 .  
         [0028]     The illustrated aperture wall  54  includes four apertures  56 , but the aperture wall  54  may include any number of apertures  56 . The cabling apertures  56  may also be formed directly in the body  36 , but use of a separate aperture wall  54  may be desirable to allow easy customization of the number of cabling apertures  56  while using a common body  36 . The aperture wall  54  can include a tubular wall  58  around each cabling aperture  56 . The walls  58  may be chamfered at their free ends as shown in  FIG. 6  and provide a connection point for cabling conduits as discussed hereafter. As apparent, the apertures  56  can be positioned to open generally toward the circuit panel  26  by rotating the cabling guide body  36  relative to the base  38  or otherwise positioning the body  36  in a desired rotary position. The cabling guide  26  can include a hood or cover  60  removably fastened to the body  36  to define a substantially closed space through with the power transmission cabling  28  can extend. The cover  60  can be provided with a top lip that overlaps the upper edge of the aperture plate  54  to thus provide a generally drip-proof enclosure.  
         [0029]     The parts forming the cabling guide structure can be made from any suitable material. For example, the body  36 , the base  38 , and the cover  60  may be thermoformed from a suitable acrylic capped ABS plastic material and the aperture wall  54  may be injection molded from a suitable nylon material.  
         [0030]     As mentioned above, the body  36  of the cabling guide  26  is rotatable relative to the base  38  to a plurality of rotary positions. The body  26  may be fixed in its desired rotary position by way of one or more clips  62  as shown in  FIG. 9  that fit over the circular bearing portion  46  of the body  26  and the wall  44  of the base  38 . The clips  62  also prevent the body  36  from coming unseated from its position atop the base  38 . Other suitable clips or structures may be used to prevent relative motion.  
         [0031]     The cabling guide  26  need not be rotatable relative to the generator  22  but instead only need be positionable in a plurality of rotary positions. Thus, for example, the base  38  may be fitted with a plurality of angularly spaced keys (not shown) receivable in corresponding angularly spaced keyways (not shown) in the body  36  (or vice versa), thus permitting the body  36  to be fitted to the base  38  in plural rotary positions. For example, an arrangement of three equally angularly spaced keys and keyways would permit selection of three rotary positions angularly spaced by 120 degrees and, in generally, the angular spacing between rotary positions is determined as the quotient of 360 degrees divided by the number of equally spaced keys provided. Of course, the keys need not be equally spaced. A similar result is obtained by forming the bearing wall  44  and the bearing portion  46  in the shape of regular or irregular polygons. In these non-rotatable arrangements, the rotary position of the cabling guide  26  is fixed after the body  36  is positioned atop the base  38  unless an angular force sufficient to shear the keys or to deform the parts is applied to the body  36 . Suitable clips as described above or other structure can be used to prevent movement of the body  36  away from the base  38 . A detent arrangement (not shown) might also be used wherein the rotary position of the body  36  relative to the base  38  is fixed unless a sufficient non-destructive rotary force is applied, thus allowing rotation of the body  36  after fitting but not as a result of small, unintentional forces applied to the body  36 .  
         [0032]     With particular reference to  FIGS. 4 and 10 , the power transmission cabling  28  is electrically connected between power outlet terminals  64  of the generator  22  and the circuit panel  24 . The illustrated power transmission cabling  28  includes plural cables  28 A each connected and extending between the generator  22  and the circuit panel  24 , but a single cable could also be used. The term “cabling” as used herein refers to conventional power transmission cabling as commonly used in diesel generator sets, copper braids as shown in detail in  FIG. 10 , or any suitable transmission medium. With reference to  FIG. 10 , the copper braids comprise a plurality of braided copper strands connected between two tab-like connectors adapted for connection to the circuit panel  24  and the generator terminals  64 . The copper strands are typically coated with a suitable insulating material, as partially shown in  FIG. 10 , but uninsulated cabling may be used subject to local requirements.  
         [0033]     Referring also to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the power transmission cabling  28  can extends through optional flexible cabling conduits  66  connected at one end to the cabling guide  26  and at the other end to the circuit panel  24 . The conduits are shown as semi-transparent if  FIG. 4  for illustration purposes. The illustrated embodiments shows plural conduits  66 —one corresponding to each cabling aperture  56  or one corresponding to each cable  28 A—but the cabling  28  may extend through a single conduit  62 . The conduits  66  may be formed from PVC plastic material reinforced with corrosion resistant PVC coated spring steel wire. The conduits  66  are optional inasmuch as they are not necessary to achieve the benefits of the cabling guide  26 , but suitable insulating conduits may be necessary in some jurisdictions based on local laws and codes, especially if uninsulated cabling is used. The conduits  62  are desirably flexible to permit a single conduit design to be used with multiple circuit panel locations, but rigid conduits customized based on circuit panel location could also be used. The conduits  66  can be connected to the circuit panel  24  and the cabling guide  26  in any suitable manner. In this regard, the tubular walls  58  around each cabling aperture  56  as described above can be constructed as to receive the ends of the conduits  66 , for example in a groove or the like (not shown), and the conduits can be fixed in position by self-tapping screws or other fasteners extending into both the walls  58  and the conduits  66 . A similar connection can be made at the circuit panel ends of the conduits.  
         [0034]     With reference to  FIG. 4 , the frame  30  is generally conventional but can be provided with a plurality of selectable predetermined circuit panel mounting locations  72 ,  74 , and  76  in addition to the end mounting location utilized in  FIG. 4 . As will be discussed in detail hereafter, the circuit panel  24  may be mounted in one of the circuit panel mounting locations based on the desired relative positioning of the circuit panel  24  and the generator  22  or based on the length of the generator  22 . The circuit panel  24  may extend along an end of the frame  30  as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , in which case it lies in a plane generally transverse to the alternator axis B in illustrated alternator-based EPG arrangement. The circuit panel may alternatively extend along one of the generally opposed sides of the frame  30  as shown in  FIGS. 5A through 5D , in which case the panel  24  lies in a plane generally parallel to the alternator axis B.  
         [0035]     The circuit panel  26  need not be positioned immediately adjacent and end or side of the frame  30  but could instead be spaced inwardly from the margin of the frame  30 . In the context of alternator-based power generation arrangements  20 , the end of the frame is considered to be the margin that extends transverse to the alternator axis B and the sides are margins that extend generally parallel to the alternator axis B. Alternatively, an end of a frame can be considered a relatively shorter side margin whereas a side of frame can be considered a relatively longer side margin, especially in the case of a rectangular frame structure. As apparent, although the frame  30  is shown as a generally rectangular structure with generally parallel opposed sides, other shapes and configurations can be used. In some instances, for example if the components are to be mounted to an underlying structure, a frame  30  may not be necessary or the underlying structure may be considered a frame.  
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
       [0036]     This cabling guide described above can be used to readily provide a power generation arrangement in which the circuit panel can be positioned relative to the generator at one of a plurality of circuit panel locations. Use of the cabling guide in this manner is conveniently described in the context of a custom order process in which a customer is permitted to specify one of a plurality of selectable configurations. By way of example only, the configurations can vary based on the relative positioning of the circuit panel to the generator or on the alternator length in traditional alternator-based EPG arrangements. Based on the configuration specified in the customer order, an EPG arrangement can be constructed by mounting a generator to a frame, mounting a circuit panel to the frame in the specified location, and electrically connecting the generator to the circuit panel by power transmission cabling extending through a cabling guide as described above. The order in which the mounting activity occurs is unimportant. The customer order can be accepted in any suitable manner such as traditional paper order or electronic orders received via the Internet or otherwise. The orders can be processed manually or through suitable electronic order processing systems.  
         [0037]     Based on the configuration specified in the customer order or otherwise intended, the cabling guide is positioned in an appropriate rotary position such that the cabling aperture(s) open generally toward the circuit panel as shown in the figures. Power transmission cabling can be connected between the generator terminals and the circuit panel. If cabling conduits are used, the cabling is extended through the conduits prior to final connection of the cabling to the circuit panel and the generator terminals. The cabling conduits can thereafter be connected to the circuit panel and the cabling guide, although it will be apparent that one end of each cabling conduit might be connected prior to extending the cabling through the conduit.  
         [0038]     Use of the rotary cabling guide as described above permits accommodation of multiple circuit panel positions without requiring the complex and expensive customized cabling enclosures or trunk runs of prior EPG arrangement, thus reducing the cost and complexity. Use of the rotary cabling guide as described above can also shorten order fulfillment time because the cabling guide can be held in inventory by the EPG arrangement manufacturer rather than being custom-made upon or after order receipt since the cabling guide accommodates various configurations. This also optionally permits pre-assembly of parts of the EPG arrangement even prior to order receipt, thus further permitting a reduction in order fulfillment time if desirable. For example, the EPG arrangement could be pre-assembled prior to order receipt except for mounting of the circuit panel and connection of the power transmission cabling between the circuit panel and the generator. The cabling guide as described above also makes locating the circuit panel (and particularly the breaker circuits) more practical, the allowing use of acoustic enclosures with less concern over internal interference with airflow paths. Although several advantages of the rotary cabling guide are described, those skilled in the art will recognize that the cabling guide need not be used in a manner to provide each and every possible advantage.  
         [0039]     Although selected embodiments of the invention are described above and illustrated in the drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.