Slip-ring mounting assembly for high-power rotary current collector system

• Main Authors: Rehder, Robert Henry, Martin, Wayne Jerome
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.10.2002

There are systems, such as synchronous motors and generators, which supply electrical current to a rotor winding by way of slip rings. The current is typically applied to the slip rings via brushes mounted on a fixed conducting ring. Ordinarily, the slip rings in such systems are at low voltage. A prior art technique is to form the slip ring (usually copper in content) around the circumference of a rotating shaft of the rotor, e.g., by using epoxy to adhere or cast the slip ring to the shaft. An electrical current collector system includes a rotatable shaft (); an electrically conductive slip ring (); and a slip ring support assembly (). The slip ring support assembly () comprises plural post insulators () spaced radially about the rotatable shaft for attaching the conductive slip ring to the rotatable shaft. The post insulators facilitate adjusting of the position of the slip ring relative to the rotatable shaft, e.g., to provide concentric positioning. The post insulators comprise an attachment/adjustment assembly () for connecting to the slip ring. In one embodiment, the attachment/adjustment assembly comprises a spring plate () which is adjustably biased to provide a preloading displacement that absorbs differential movement due to temperature changes of the slip ring an the rotatable shaft. In one example deployment, the current collector system is provided as part of a rotary transformer system () which, e.g., transfers electrical power between a first electrical system (e.g., first electrical grid) and a second electrical system (e.g., second electrical grid).