Patent Description:
It is known that radial cooling fans may be adapted to reduce noise in motors for vehicles, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication Number <CIT>. Radial fans such as those described in <CIT> comprise a plurality of blades that extend radially outwards from a central hub and rotate in a single direction.

However, noise reduction is of little concern in hydroelectric systems in which electrical power is generated from the flow of water. An example of a hydroelectric system is disclosed in International Patent Application Publication Number <CIT>.

Cooling fans are used to cool machines such as electric generators in hydroelectric systems. In order for a radial fan to cool an electric generator, the fan is adapted to be mounted on a shaft, or rotor, of the electric generator. The fan rotates about a central axis of rotation of the electric generator.

In pump-turbine hydroelectric systems electricity is generated or converted into potential energy by using an artificial lake or a reservoir, from where water is guided to a pump, a turbine or a pump-turbine. The pump, turbine or pump-turbine is typically connected to an electric motor, generator or motor-generator that can generate electricity and/or pump water into the artificial lake or the reservoir to store the energy as potential energy.

Electrical motor-generators that are connected to a pump-turbine need to either generate electricity in turbine mode or they consume electricity in pump mode. This means that depending on the use, the electrical motor-generators are required to rotate in either direction. In either mode, electrical motor-generators generate heat.

The prior art fails to provide a cooling system or a radial fan for a hydroelectric machine that can cool the machine in either pump or turbine mode. Accordingly, there is a need to cool pump-turbines when working in either pump mode or turbine mode which is not fulfilled by the prior art.

<CIT> discloses a dynamoelectric machine, wherein cooling air is sent into spaces between magnetic poles of a salient pole type rotor in parallel with an axis of the rotor, an air chamber is provided in the vicinity of axial ends of the poles of the rotor and adapted to rotate the air therewithin together with the rotor, whereby the cooling air flows from the outside of the rotor through the air chamber into the spaces between the poles.

<CIT> discloses an electric machine comprising a rotor and a stator has axially aligned ventilating channels in the rotor. The surface area portion taken up by the ventilating channels on the cross-sectional surface of the rotor is at least <NUM>%, preferably at least <NUM>%, especially preferably at least <NUM>%, more particularly at least <NUM>% and in particular at least <NUM>%. The rotor thus has both an excellent cooling system and a small moment of inertia.

The invention over comes the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a hydroelectric machine according to claim <NUM>.

The term "transverse profile" means the shape of a face of the blade lying in a plane that is normal to the axis of rotation.

The blades of prior art radial fans for hydroelectric machines have a variety of different shapes. However, in known radial fans, each blade has substantially straight edges extending in a radial direction, which edges are substantially parallel to one another.

The invention enables a bi-directional radial fan to be used to cool a motor-generator in either pump mode or turbine mode. Radial fans according to the prior art are limited by their ability to rotate in one direction only, and thereby cool effectively in a single rotational direction. The invention provides a reversible, or bi-directional, fan that cools a motor-generator in either pump mode or turbine mode. Thus, the same pressure and rate of air flow is generated independent of the direction of rotation. The direction of air flow remains unchanged. The fan is mounted on the rotor of a motor-generator, such that the fan rotates in either direction to cool the motor-generator.

Because of the symmetrical profile of each blade, it has been found that a fan of a hydroelectric machine according to the present invention has a considerably better performance with respect to static pressure generation and efficiency compared to fans having straight blades. By providing an efficient cooling system, the invention enables large increases in power efficiency when generating electricity or converting electricity to potential energy.

Preferably, the fan of a hydroelectric machine according to the invention has a diameter equal to or more than three metres. A fan according to the invention having dimensions suitable for use with a hydroelectrical machine for the production and storage of energy on an industrial scale, is not subject to the drawbacks of the prior art.

It has also been found that a fan of a hydroelectric machine according to the invention can generate a higher static pressure and thus facilitate a higher flow rate than a known radial fan for a hydroelectric machine having straight blades of similar dimensions.

In addition, the fan of a hydroelectric machine according to the present invention may have much smaller dimensions, for example, a smaller diameter, compared to known radial fans for hydroelectric machines yet still facilitate the same flow rate as those larger known fans having straight blades.

Further, a fan of a hydroelectric machine according to the present invention has a higher efficiency due to the symmetrical profile of the blades. This considerably reduces the power consumption on the shaft on which the fan is mounted.

As mentioned above, in such a hydroelectric machine, the same pressure is generated independent of the direction of rotation. The direction of air flow remains unchanged.

In some embodiments of the invention, the transverse profile of each blade may define a tear-drop shape.

Other transverse shapes are also possible. For example, the transverse profile of each blade may define a substantially rectangular shape having rounded opposite ends. In such an embodiment each blade may have a shape comprising opposite substantially parallel straight sides defining a longer dimension of each blade, and preferably rounded opposite shorter ends. This shape is sometimes known as a stadium.

In some embodiments of the invention, the axial thickness of each blade may vary radially along the blade.

In some embodiments of the invention, the axial thickness of each blade may decrease with increasing distance from the rotational axis. It has been found that this reduces delamination on the fan blade leading to further efficiencies in the fan.

According to the invention, the upper sealing component comprises an upper flange. The upper flange defines an air inlet. The presence of the air inlet reduces the pressure loss of air on entry into the radial fan. The upper flange is rounded, i.e. the cross-sectional area of the air inlet reduces as air drawn through the inlet, to further reduce such pressure loss.

Preferably, the lower sealing component comprises a lower flange. The lower flange may at least partially define the air inlet, or the lower sealing component may comprise the air inlet. The lower flange may be rounded.

In the context of this specification the term "rounded" means that a component is shaped in a way to reduce sharp edges and to thereby ensure low pressure loss.

The purpose of the upper sealing component is to prevent or reduce leakage of air flows, and in this respect the upper sealing component may form part of an overall sealing system. The sealing system may be adapted to seal the rotating parts of the fan against stationary air guides.

The upper and lower sealing components are used to mount the fan blades between them and to thereby fix the fan blades in position between the upper and lower sealing components.

The axis of rotation about which the plurality of blades is rotatable is co-axial with the axis of rotation about which the machine is rotatable.

In some embodiments, the machine may comprise two radial fans according to the present invention, which radial fans may be mounted at either end of the rotor.

The invention will now be further described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:.

Referring initially to <FIG>, <FIG>, the rotor of a machine in the form of an electric motor-generator is designated generally by the reference numeral <NUM>. The rotor <NUM> rotates about a shaft <NUM>. The motor is a bi-directional motor and thus can rotate in both directions around the shaft <NUM>.

The machine further comprises a fan designated generally by the reference numeral <NUM>.

The fan comprises a plurality of blades <NUM> which extend radially from an axis of rotation that is co axial with the shaft <NUM>. The fan <NUM> is positioned within components of the rotor <NUM> in order to cool the electric motor-generator during use of the motor.

Because the motor-generator is a bi-directional motor generator, the fan <NUM> is also able to operate bi-directionally.

In some embodiments of the invention, the electric motor-generator <NUM> will comprise two fans <NUM> positioned at opposite ends of the rotor <NUM>.

The fan <NUM> further comprises an upper sealing component <NUM> and a lower sealing component <NUM> shown in more detail in <FIG>. The edge of the upper sealing component <NUM> is designed to provide a flange that partially defines an air inlet <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. The air inlet <NUM> serves to reduce the pressure loss at entry into the radial fan <NUM>. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, in order to further facilitate this reduction in pressure loss, both the upper and lower sealing components <NUM>, <NUM> are rounded.

The lower sealing component <NUM> is connected directly onto the rotor <NUM>.

The purpose of the upper sealing component <NUM> is to reduce or prevent leakage air flows. In this respect the upper sealing component <NUM> is, in this embodiment, part of a sealing system (not shown) that seals the rotating parts of the fan <NUM> against stationary air guides.

The fan blades <NUM> are located between the upper sealing component <NUM> and the lower sealing component <NUM>. The upper sealing component <NUM> and/or the lower sealing component <NUM> may be used to mount the fan blades <NUM> between the two components <NUM>, <NUM> and to thus fix them in position between the two sealing components <NUM>, <NUM>.

The shape of the blades <NUM> will now be discussed in more detail.

As can be seen from <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, each of the blades <NUM> has a rounded symmetrical transverse profile. More specifically, each blade is symmetrical about an axis of symmetry S which extends radially from the shaft <NUM>. This is shown in more detail in <FIG>.

A further feature of the shape of each blade is that the profile is rounded at least in parts of the profile, as well as being symmetrical about the axis of symmetry S.

In the illustrated embodiment, the shape of each blade is tear-drop shaped, although other shapes would be possible. For example, each blade could be substantially rectangular in shape having opposite rounded ends.

The shape of the blade <NUM> according to the present invention is contrasted with the shape of known blades <NUM> shown in <FIG>, <FIG>.

It can be readily seen that known blades are substantially straight, having two edges <NUM>, <NUM> which are parallel to one another.

Turning back to the blades <NUM> forming part of a fan of a hydroelectric machine according to the present invention, each blade has a thickness <NUM> extending in an axial direction. In this embodiment of the invention a thickness <NUM> decreases with the radial distance from the shaft <NUM>.

In other words, the thickness <NUM> at the rounded end portion <NUM> of each blade <NUM> is greater than at the narrower end <NUM> of each blade.

The symmetrical transverse shape of the blades <NUM> results in a superior fan performance regarding pressure generation and efficiency compared to fans with radially straight blades.

The performance of a fan of a hydroelectric machine according to embodiments of the invention will now be discussed with reference to a similar known fan having straight blades.

<FIG> sets out the parameters of the fans which were tested. The parameters set out in this table are exemplary only, and different parameters could prevail.

It can be seen that the dimensions of the prior art fan shown in the second column of the table are the same as the parameters of fan <NUM> of a hydroelectric machine according to an embodiment of the invention.

The performance of the two fans will be compared with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Both fans can be used with a bi-directional air cooled electrical motor-generator.

For both fans, the fan performance was calculated with CFD. This study revealed that the symmetrical profiles of the blades <NUM> in fan <NUM> have a considerably higher static pressure generation in wide volume flow range. As shown in <FIG>, the bi-directional radial fan of a hydroelectric machine according to embodiments of the invention generates around <NUM> times higher static pressure for a volume flow of <NUM><NUM>s-<NUM>.

The fan <NUM> of a hydroelectric machine according to the invention facilitates a much higher cooling air flow than a fan according to the prior art. The fan of a hydroelectric machine according to the invention can be used to reduce the temperature of the electric motor-generator or to increase the power of the motor-generator. In addition to the improvement in the static pressure generation, the efficiency is also considerably higher. The higher static efficiency leads to a lower power consumption of the fan of a hydroelectric machine according to embodiments of the invention which is shown in <FIG>.

The superior performance of the fan <NUM> of a hydroelectric machine according to the present invention can be explained by considering the behaviour of flow around the blades. This is shown in <FIG> for a flow rate of <NUM><NUM>s-<NUM>.

Claim 1:
A hydroelectric machine comprising an electric motor-generator and a pump-turbine connected to the electric motor-generator, the machine being configured to generate electricity from a flow of water and to pump water, the electric motor-generator comprising a rotor (<NUM>), a shaft (<NUM>) about which the rotor is bi-directional rotatable, and a bi-directional fan (<NUM>), the fan comprising a plurality of blades (<NUM>) rotatable about an axis of rotation and extending radially from the axis of rotation, the fan (<NUM>) being arranged to cool the hydroelectric machine in pump mode by rotating in a first direction and cool the machine in turbine mode by rotating in a second direction, the first direction being opposite to the second direction,
characterized in that:
the fan is a bi-directional radial fan (<NUM>), which is mounted on the rotor (<NUM>),
wherein each of the blades (<NUM>) has a transverse profile that is symmetrical about a radial line of symmetry (S) extending through the blade (<NUM>), at least a portion of the profile of each blade being curved,
the fan further comprising a lower sealing component (<NUM>) which is connected directly to the rotor (<NUM>) of the electric motor-generator and
an upper sealing component (<NUM>) comprising a rounded upper flange defining an air inlet (<NUM>), the cross-sectional area of the air inlet reducing as air is drawn through the inlet, the blades (<NUM>) being located between the upper and the lower sealing component.