US Patent 6903470 High speed generator with high-power rotating rectifiers cooling system

A rectifier hub and associated cooling method provide increased cooling efficiency for rotating rectifier diodes in a dry cavity generator. The rectifier hub has an inner and an outer circumferential surface and includes at least one pair of flow passages, and at least one flow channel. Each pair of flow passages extends between the hub inner and outer circumferential surfaces, and each flow channel is formed in the hub outer circumferential surface and couples the pair of flow passages in fluid communication with one another. This configuration allows a cooling medium to flow directly across the rectifier hub and cool the rectifier diodes mounted within drive cavities formed in the hub.