Air compressors for vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air compressor for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an air compressor for a vehicle, wherein the entire operation of the air compressor can be stabilized by a cooling unit in which a portion of compressed air moving through a connecting pipe that mainly delivers the compressed air exchanges heat with a cooling water flowing portion to cool a driving unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air compressor for a vehicle, and more particularly, to an air compressor for a vehicle, wherein the entire operation of the air compressor can be stabilized by a cooling unit in which a portion of compressed air moving through a connecting pipe that mainly delivers the compressed air exchanges heat with a cooling water flowing portion to cool a driving unit. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a fuel cell vehicle may refer to a vehicle in which hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to a humidifier and electric energy generated by an electrochemical reaction which is a reverse reaction of the electrolysis of water is supplied as a driving force of the vehicle, and such a general fuel cell vehicle is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0962903.

[0003] Typically, a passenger fuel cell vehicle may be equipped with a 100kW fuel cell stack. When the fuel cell stack operates under pressure, the air supplied to the stack may be supplied at a high pressure of 1 to 4 bar. Therefore, an air compressor with a rotational speed of 100,000 to 200,000 RPM is required.

[0004] A fuel cell vehicle may typically include a fuel cell stack that generates electricity, a humidifier that increases the humidity of air supplied to the fuel cell stack, a fuel supply unit that supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell stack, an air supply unit that supplies air including oxygen to the fuel cell stack, a cooling module that cools the fuel cell stack, and the like.

[0005] The air supply unit may include an air filter that filters foreign matter included in the air, an air compressor that compresses the air filtered by the air filter and supplies the air, a cooling device that cools the pressurized hot air, a humidifier that increases air humidity, and a valve that adjusts a flow rate.

[0006] The air compressor may compress air sucked in from the outside by using an impeller of the compressor and then deliver the air to the fuel cell stack.

[0007] Here, the impeller of the compressor may be connected to a rotating shaft receiving power from a driving unit, and generally, the driving unit may drive the rotating shaft through electromagnetic induction of a stator and a rotor.

[0008] In this case, the air compressor may generate heat loss in the air bearing due to air resistance caused by the high-speed rotation of the rotor, and therefore may need to cool the motor and bearings, which are its main heat sources. Therefore, a structure has been proposed in which a portion of the compressed air generated by the air compressor's impeller is used to cool the motor and bearings used to rotate the impeller, and then the compressed air is reintroduced into the impeller inlet through the inner hole of the motor's rotating shaft.

[0009] In this regard, Korean Patent No. 10-1810430 discloses an air compressor and a fuel cell vehicle thereof, in which an internal air flow is circulated using the end of a motor shaft, and the air compressor includes: a drive housing in which a rotor and a stator are embedded; a motor shaft including an exhaust hole drilled through the drive housing; an air bearing connected to the rear end of the drive housing to support the rear end of the motor shaft; and a motor cooling path in which cool air collected from an impeller chamber through the internal space of the drive housing to a chamber outside the motor is drawn from the compressed air generated by the impeller, sucked into the exhaust hole, and then discharged from the rear end of the shaft to the front end of the shaft.

[0010] However, such a conventional air compressor has a problem in that the compressed air may have a reduced flow velocity and delayed air flow while passing through a narrow space around the air foil bearing, thereby reducing self-cooling efficiency of the compressed air.

[0011] [Related prior art documents]

[0012] [Patent Document]

[0013] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-1810430 (registered on December 13, 2017) Summary of the Invention

[0014] Technical issues

[0015] An object of the present invention is to provide an air compressor for a vehicle, wherein the entire operation of the air compressor can be stabilized by a cooling unit in which a portion of compressed air moving through a connecting pipe that mainly delivers compressed air exchanges heat with a cooling water flowing portion to cool a driving unit.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide an air compressor for a vehicle that can smoothly cool a drive unit (i.e., an air compressor for a vehicle) without the need for a separate input of air to use a compressed air structure and a compressed air exhaust structure, which completes the cooling of the drive unit by mainly using compressed air to perform cooling and then delivering it to the inlet of the first compression unit (i.e., the front inlet).

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide an air compressor for a vehicle, which has sufficient cooling performance by including the following elements: a first cooling unit, which cools the rotor and the bearings by conveying the compressed air cooled by exchanging heat with the cooling water when the compressed air moves through the first flow path of the motor housing, through the second flow path of the rear cover; a second cooling unit, which cools the front impeller through the first through hole of the front impeller; a third cooling unit, which bypasses the rotor and cools the inside of the motor housing; and an open shaft unit, which enables a portion of the compressed air in the rear inlet to be further cooled as it moves from the rear to the front of the rotor in the axial direction.

[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide an air compressor for a vehicle, which has improved cooling performance of a rotor disk in contact with a first thrust bearing and a second thrust bearing by including a 2-2 flow path of a rear cover inclined in the rotation direction of the rotor, and makes the flow of compressed air for performing cooling smoother by adjusting the cross-sectional area of ​​a cooling unit.

[0019] Technical Solution

[0020] In one general aspect, an air compressor 1000 for a vehicle may include: a first compression unit 100, comprising: a front housing 110 having a front inlet 111 for introducing air to be compressed and a front outlet 112 for discharging the compressed air therefrom; and a front impeller 120, which is positioned in the front housing 110; a second compression unit 200, comprising: a rear housing 210 having a rear inlet 211 for introducing air passing through the first compression unit 100 and a rear outlet 212 for discharging the compressed air therefrom, which is connected to the front outlet 112 of the first compression unit 100 through a connecting pipe 400; and a rear impeller 220, which is positioned in the rear housing 210; a drive unit The drive unit 300 has the front housing 110 and the rear housing 210 located at the front and rear portions thereof, respectively, and includes: a motor housing 310 having a cooling water flow portion 313 for cooling water to flow therethrough; a stator 300a connected to the inner circumferential surface of the motor housing 310; a rotor 301 rotating in the stator 300a; and a rotor disk 302 integrally formed with the rotor 301 to drive the front impeller 120 and the rear impeller 220; and a cooling unit 500 that introduces a portion of the compressed air compressed by the first compression unit 100 and flowing through the connecting pipe 400, exchanges heat with the cooling water to cool the drive unit 300.

[0021] In addition, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle may be a rear-rotor type in which the rotor disk 302 is located at the rear, and the cooling unit 500 may be positioned extending along the length direction of the motor housing 310 and include a first flow path 311 that exchanges heat with the cooling water flow portion 313 .

[0022] In addition, the first flow path 311 may include: a 1-1 flow path 311-1 for conveying compressed air from the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing 310 to the inner center; and a 1-2 flow path 311-2 for conveying compressed air from the 1-1 flow path 311-1 to its rear.

[0023] In addition, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle may further include: a rear cover 330 and a diffuser 340, which are positioned between the motor housing 310 and the rear housing 210 to support the rotor disk 302, wherein the rear cover 330 includes: a second flow path 333, which is used to receive compressed air delivered from the first flow path 311 and deliver the compressed air to the rotor disk 302.

[0024] In addition, the second flow path 333 may include: a 2-1 flow path 333-1 having an opening for communicating with the 1-2 flow path 311-2; and a 2-2 flow path 333-2 for transporting compressed air from the 2-1 flow path 333-1 to the inner center.

[0025] In addition, the rear cover 330 may include: a seating portion 335 formed to be recessed forward in a predetermined central area of ​​the rear surface of the rear cover to seat the rotor disk 302 in the seating portion 335; and a second through hole 334 having an opening predetermined area adjacent to the outer periphery of the seating portion 335 to allow a portion of the compressed air transported through the second flow path 333 to bypass the rotor disk 302.

[0026] In addition, the 2-2 flow path 333 - 2 may be inclined along the rotation direction of the rotor 301 so that the 2-1 flow path 333 - 1 communicates with the seating portion 335 .

[0027] In addition, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle may further include a first thrust bearing 303 and a second thrust bearing 304 that respectively support the front and rear of the rotor disk 302 .

[0028] In addition, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle may further include a front journal bearing 305 and a rear journal bearing 306 that respectively support the front and rear portions of the rotor 301 .

[0029] In addition, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle may further include a front cover 320, wherein the cooling unit 500 includes: a first cooling unit P1, wherein the compressed air passing through the first flow path 311 and the second flow path 333 cools the rotor disk 302, the first thrust bearing 303 and the second thrust bearing 304, and cooling is performed while moving from the rear to the front of the rotor 301 through the rear cover 330, the area between the front cover 320 and the rotor 301.

[0030] In addition, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle may further include a first through hole 122 passing from the rear to the front of the front impeller 120 , wherein the cooling unit 500 includes: a second cooling unit P2 , wherein the compressed air cools the front impeller 120 while passing through the first through hole 122 .

[0031] In addition, the first through hole 122 may be inclined from the outer rear portion to the central front portion.

[0032] In addition, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle may further include: a third through hole 312 and a fourth through hole 323, which are opened in the motor housing 310 and the front cover 320, respectively, for compressed air to cool the interior of the motor housing 310 through the second through hole 334 to move to the second cooling unit P2, wherein the cooling unit 500 includes: a third cooling unit P3, wherein the compressed air cools the interior of the motor housing 310 while passing through at least one of the second through hole 334, the third through hole 312 and the fourth through hole 323.

[0033] In addition, in the cooling unit 500 , the connecting pipe 400 and the first flow path 311 may be connected to each other through a cooling pipe 510 , and the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the first cooling unit P1 and the second through hole 334 of the rear cover 330 may be greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cooling pipe 510 .

[0034] In addition, the rotor 301 may include an open shaft unit that is open in an axial direction to cool the rotor 301 by receiving a portion of the compressed air from the rear inlet 211 .

[0035] Beneficial effects

[0036] As described above, the present invention can provide an air compressor for a vehicle, wherein the entire operation of the air compressor can be stabilized by a cooling unit in which a portion of the compressed air moving through a connecting pipe that mainly delivers the compressed air exchanges heat with a cooling water flow portion to cool a driving unit.

[0037] In particular, the present invention can provide an air compressor for a vehicle that can smoothly cool a drive unit (i.e., an air compressor for a vehicle) without the need for a separate input of air to use a construction of compressed air and any construction for exhausting compressed air, which completes the cooling of the drive unit by mainly using compressed air to perform cooling and then delivering it to the inlet of the first compression unit (i.e., the front inlet).

[0038] In addition, the present invention can provide an air compressor for a vehicle, which has sufficient cooling performance by including the following elements: a first cooling unit, which cools the rotor and bearings by conveying compressed air that is cooled by exchanging heat with cooling water when the compressed air moves through the first flow path of the motor housing through the second flow path of the rear cover; a second cooling unit, which cools the front impeller through the first through hole of the front impeller; a third cooling unit, which bypasses the rotor and cools the interior of the motor housing; and an open shaft unit, which enables a portion of the compressed air in the rear inlet to be further cooled as it moves from the rear of the rotor to the front thereof in an axial direction.

[0039] In addition, the present invention can provide an air compressor for a vehicle, which has improved cooling performance of a rotor disk in contact with a first thrust bearing and a second thrust bearing by including a 2-2 flow path of a rear cover inclined in the rotation direction of the rotor, and makes the compressed air flow for performing cooling smoother by adjusting the cross-sectional area of ​​the cooling unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an air compressor for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[0041] Figure 2 and Figure 3 2 are sectional views and enlarged views of an air compressor for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[0042] Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 A diagram showing the flow of compressed air in an air compressor for a vehicle is shown (here, the configuration of the bearings is not shown).

[0043] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view along the AA' direction.

[0044] Figure 6 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a front cover is assembled at a rear portion of an air compressor for a vehicle according to the present invention toward a front portion thereof (here, a diffuser is spaced apart therefrom).

[0045] Figure 7 yes Figure 6A partial enlarged view of .

[0046] Figure 8 and Figure 9 2 are sectional views and enlarged views of an air compressor for a vehicle according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Hereinafter, an air compressor 1000 for a vehicle having the above-mentioned features according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention, Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view and an enlarged view of an air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention, Figure 4 It shows Figure 2 A diagram of the compressed air flow in an air compressor 1000 for a vehicle is shown, Figure 5 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view along AA' direction, Figure 6 is a plan view showing a state in which the front cover 320 is assembled at the rear of the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention toward the front thereof, Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of Figure 8 and Figure 9 1 and 2 are sectional views and enlarged views of an air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention.

[0049] An air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention may include a first compression unit 100 , a second compression unit 200 , a driving unit 300 , and a cooling unit 500 .

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, in the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention, air compressed primarily by the first compression unit 100 may be supplied to the second compression unit 200 through the connecting pipe 400 and then secondarily compressed to be discharged.

[0051] First, the first compression unit 100 may be a unit positioned at the front and mainly generates compressed air, and is positioned in the area including Figure 2 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 The portion on the left side of each of the drawings may be defined as the front portion.

[0052] The first compression unit 100 may include a front housing 110 and a front impeller 120. The front housing 110 may have a front inlet 111 for introducing air to be compressed and a front outlet 112 for discharging the compressed air therefrom, and may be a blower compressed so that the cross-sectional area gradually decreases in the moving direction of the air introduced into the front inlet 111. Here, the front outlet 112 may be connected to the connecting pipe 400 for discharging the compressed air toward the connecting pipe 400.

[0053] The front impeller 120 may be positioned in the front housing 110 and receive torque from the driving unit 300 to rotate and compress air introduced into the front inlet 111. A first sealing member 121 may be positioned on a rear portion of the front impeller 120.

[0054] The second compression unit 200 may include a rear housing 210 and a rear impeller 220. The rear housing 210 may have a rear inlet 211 and a rear outlet 212, and the air compressed mainly by the first compression unit 100 is supplied to the rear inlet 211 through the connecting pipe 400, and the compressed air is discharged from the rear outlet 212, and the rear housing 210 may be a blower compressed so that the cross-sectional area gradually decreases in the moving direction of the air introduced into the rear inlet 211.

[0055] The rear impeller 220 may be positioned in the rear housing 210 and receive torque from the driving unit 300 to rotate and compress air introduced into the rear inlet 211. A second sealing member 221 may be positioned on a front portion of the rear impeller 220.

[0056] The driving unit 300 may include a motor housing 310 , a stator 300 a , a rotor 301 , and a rotor disk 302 .

[0057] The motor housing 310 may be the basic body of the drive unit 300 and is located between the front housing 110 and the rear housing 210. Furthermore, the motor housing 310 may include a cooling water flow portion 313, which is a space where cooling water flows. The cooling water flow portion 313 may cool the motor housing 310 itself through a water cooling method while cooling water flows through the motor housing 310, and simultaneously cool the compressed air passing through the cooling unit 500, thereby also achieving cooling through an air cooling method. The specific configuration of the cooling unit 500 is described below.

[0058] Furthermore, the motor housing 310 may include a stator 300 a , a rotor 301 , and a rotor disk 302 positioned therein.

[0059] The stator 300 a may be coupled and fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the motor case 310 , and include a plate and a coil.

[0060] The rotor 301 may include: one side, namely, a front portion coupled to the front impeller 120 of the first compression unit 100; and the other side, namely, a rear portion coupled to the rear impeller 220 of the second compression unit 200, so as to rotate the front impeller 120 and the rear impeller 220. Here, the rotor disk 302 may be formed integrally with the rotor 301. When receiving external power, the rotor 301 can generate torque through electromagnetic interaction with the stator, and the front impeller 120 and the rear impeller 220 can be rotated by this force, thereby compressing the air primarily and secondarily.

[0061] Here, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention may be a rear-rotor type in which the rotor disk 302 is located at the rear. Therefore, a portion of the compressed air flowing through the connecting pipe 400 may be introduced, exchange heat with the cooling water flow portion 313 while moving from the front to the rear, and be supplied to the rotor disk 302 in a cooled state, thereby smoothly performing cooling.

[0062] In addition, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention may include a bearing facilitating rotation of the rotor 301, a first thrust bearing 303 and a second thrust bearing 304 respectively supporting the front and rear of the rotor disk 302, and a front journal bearing 305 and a rear journal bearing 306 respectively supporting the front and rear of the rotor 301.

[0063] The air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention may include a front cover 320 positioned between the front housing 110 and the motor housing 310 , and a rear cover 330 and a diffuser 340 positioned between the motor housing 310 and the rear housing 210 .

[0064] The front cover 320 may be made of a plate-shaped first plate portion 321 mounted on the front of the motor housing 310, and include a first mounting portion 322 that is open to allow the rotor 301 to be inserted into the center of the first plate portion 321. The front journal bearing 305 may be positioned in the area where the first mounting portion 322 of the front cover 320 is located. Here, the front cover 320 may have a space at the front for mounting the front impeller 120 and the front housing 110, and may have a rear portion that blocks the front of the motor housing 310.

[0065] The rear cover 330 may be formed of a plate-shaped second plate portion 331 mounted on the rear portion of the motor housing 310 and include a second mounting portion 332 that is open to allow the rotor 301 to be inserted into the center of the second plate portion 331. The rear journal bearing 306 may be positioned in the area where the second mounting portion 332 of the rear cover 330 is located. The rear cover 330 may include a seating portion 335 that is formed to be recessed forward in a predetermined central area of ​​the rear surface of the rear cover to seat the rotor disk 302 in the seating portion 335.

[0066] The diffuser 340 may be positioned on the rear of the rear cover 330 to have a positioning space for the rear cover 330 and the rotor disk 302 at the front, and may have a space for positioning the rear impeller 220 between the diffuser and the rear casing 210 at the rear.

[0067] The diffuser 340 may also be made of a plate-shaped third plate portion 341 and include a third mounting portion 342 opened to allow the rotor 301 to be inserted into the center of the third plate portion 341 .

[0068] The compressed air passing through the connecting pipe 400 (i.e., a portion of the air mainly compressed by the first compression unit 100 and delivered to the second compression unit 200) can be introduced into the cooling unit 500 of the present invention, exchanging heat with the cooling water flow portion 313 to cool the driving unit 300.

[0069] First, the cooling unit 500 may include the first flow path 311 of the motor housing 310 .

[0070] The first flow path 311 may include a 1-1 flow path 311-1 for delivering compressed air from the outer peripheral surface to the inner center of the motor housing 310 and a 1-2 flow path 311-2 for delivering compressed air from the 1-1 flow path 311-1 to the rear thereof.

[0071] The 1-2 th flow path 311 - 2 may be parallel to the cooling water flow portion 313 and thus may cool the compressed air flowing therein by exchanging heat with the cooling water flow portion 313 . Figure 5 Twelve cooling water flow portions 313 and six 1-2 flow paths 311-2 are shown positioned in the circumferential direction. However, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention is not limited thereto and may include corresponding components having more various numbers and sizes.

[0072] In addition, the cooling unit 500 may include the second flow path 333 of the rear cover 330 .

[0073] Second flow path 333 may be a flow path for supplying cooled compressed air supplied from first flow path 311 to rotor disk 302, and includes a 2-1 flow path 333-1 having an opening for communicating with 1-2 flow path 311-2, and a 2-2 flow path 333-2 for conveying compressed air from 2-1 flow path 333-1 to the inner center. Here, 2-2 flow path 333-2 may have one side communicating with 2-1 flow path 333-1 and another side formed as a recess in a predetermined area of ​​the rear surface of rear cover 330, and may be in communication with seating portion 335 on which rotor disk 302 is seated.

[0074] Here, it is preferable that the 2-2 flow path 333 - 2 is inclined in the rotation direction of the rotor 301 so that the 2-1 flow path 333 - 1 communicates with the seating portion 335 . Figure 6 and Figure 7 are plan views viewed from the rear, each showing a state in which the rotor 301, the rotor disk 302, and the second thrust bearing 304 are installed and the diffuser 340 is removed, and refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , one side of the 2-2 flow path 333-2 in the peripheral direction can be communicated with the 2-1 flow path 333-1, and the other side can be communicated with the seating portion 335. The figure shows that the 2-2 flow path 333-2 is inclined in the counterclockwise direction, which is the rotation direction of the rotor 301. With this configuration, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle of the present invention can preferably allow the cooled compressed air to be smoothly supplied to the edge area of ​​the first thrust bearing 303 or the second thrust bearing 304, causing the greatest wear at the edge area, thereby achieving sufficient cooling. In more detail, in Figure 7 In the figure, L1 represents the radius from the center of rotor 301 to the portion where 2-2 flow path 333-2 and seating portion 335 contact each other, L2 represents a tangent to L1, and L3 represents the centerline of 2-2 flow path 333-2. Specifically, when θ represents the smaller of the angles L2 and L3, θ can be less than 90°, and its inclination direction can be the rotational direction of rotor 301. The value of θ can be appropriately adjusted and can preferably be made smaller in an area where θ can be made smaller, thereby allowing compressed air to flow smoothly toward the locations where rotor disk 302, first thrust bearing 303, and second thrust bearing 304 are located.

[0075] The compressed air supplied from the first flow path 311 and the second flow path 333 may substantially cool the internal components by using the first cooling unit P1.

[0076] First cooling unit P1 may indicate a space where compressed air moves from the rear to the front, where rotor disk 302 is positioned and cooled. More specifically, in first cooling unit P1, compressed air delivered through first flow path 311 and second flow path 333 cools rotor disk 302, first thrust bearing 303, and second thrust bearing 304, cooling rotor 301 while moving from the rear to the front along the outer circumferential surface of rotor 301.

[0077] In addition, in the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention, the cooling unit 500 may include a second cooling unit P2 to allow compressed air passing through the first cooling unit P1 to cool the front impeller 120 and then be discharged to the front inlet 111 of the front housing 110 .

[0078] The second cooling unit P2 may refer to a space where compressed air moves through the first through-hole 122 located in the front impeller 120. Here, there is a flow in which the air passing through the first cooling unit P1 cools the front impeller 120 while moving from the rear to the front through the first through-hole 122, and is delivered to the front inlet 111 to be compressed again by the first compression unit 100.

[0079] That is, a separate flow path for discharging compressed air to cool the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention is not required, and the compressed air for cooling the compressor may be compressed again by the first compression unit 100 and then supplied to the compressor.

[0080] Here, preferably, the first through-holes 122 are inclined from the outer rear portion to the central front portion so that the compressed air for cooling cools the rear surface of the front impeller 120 and is then delivered to the first through-holes 122 , thereby effectively cooling the front impeller 120 .

[0081] In addition, in the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention, the cooling unit 500 may further include a third cooling unit P3.

[0082] The third cooling unit P3 may represent a space that forms a flow separate from the flow of the first cooling unit P1. Here, a portion of the compressed air delivered through the first flow path 311 and the second flow path 333 may not be supplied to the rotor disk 302 and the first and second thrust bearings 303 and 304, but may be supplied to the motor housing 310 through the second through hole 334 (which is a through hole that passes through the rear cover 330 and performs cooling) and then connected to the first cooling unit P1 to be discharged.

[0083] The second through hole 334 may refer to a hole having an opening predetermined area in the outer circumference of the seating portion 335 , in which the rotor disk 302 is not positioned.

[0084] In addition, if Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the compressed air supplied into the motor housing 310 through the second through-hole 334 and cooled can be directly delivered to the second cooling unit P2 for exhaust. In this case, the third cooling unit P3 may include a third through-hole 312 and a fourth through-hole 323 opened in the motor housing 310 and the front cover 320, respectively, so that the compressed air cooled the interior of the motor housing 310 through the second through-hole 334 can be delivered to the second cooling unit P2 through the third through-hole 312 and the fourth through-hole 323.

[0085] Meanwhile, in the cooling unit 500, the connection pipe 400 and the first flow path 311 may be connected to each other through the cooling pipe 510. Here, preferably, the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the first cooling unit P1 and the second through hole 334 of the rear cover 330 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cooling pipe 510.

[0086] The cross-sectional area of ​​the first cooling unit P1 may represent an area between the second mounting portion 332 of the rear cover and the rotor 301, and may represent an area in which the compressed air may move, and Figure 5 This area is shown in .

[0087] When a plurality of second through holes 334 are provided, the cross-sectional area of ​​the second through holes 334 may represent the total cross-sectional area of ​​the second through holes.

[0088] Since the sum of the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cooling unit P1 and the cross-sectional area of ​​the second through hole 334 is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cooling pipe 510 in the area where the compressed air for cooling is introduced, the air compressor 1000 for a vehicle according to the present invention can allow the compressed air to have further improved cooling performance by making the flow of the compressed air smoother.

[0089] That is, when the compressed air passes through the first flow path 311 and the second flow path 333, passes through one of the flow paths of the first cooling unit P1 and the third cooling unit P3, and then passes through the second cooling unit P2, the cooling unit 500 can smoothly cool the interior of the air compressor 1000 for the vehicle, and then can be discharged to the front inlet 111 to be combined with other air introduced into the compressor for compression. Therefore, the air compressor 1000 for the vehicle according to the present invention can have further improved cooling performance without requiring any separate structure for delivering compressed air or any separate structure for discharging the compressed air that has completed cooling.

[0090] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be applied in various ways. In addition, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications to the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims.

[0091] [Detailed description of main components]

[0092] 1000: Air compressor for vehicle, 100: First compression unit, 110: Front housing,

[0093] 111: front inlet, 112: front outlet, 120: front impeller,

[0094] 121: first sealing member, 122: first through hole, 200: second compression unit,

[0095] 210: rear shell, 211: rear inlet, 212: rear outlet,

[0096] 220: rear impeller, 221: second sealing member, 300: drive unit,

[0097] 300a: stator, 301: rotor, 301a: open shaft unit,

[0098] 302: rotor disk, 303: first thrust bearing,

[0099] 304: Second thrust bearing, 305: Front journal bearing,

[0100] 306: rear journal bearing, 310: motor housing,

[0101] 311: First flow path (311-1: 1-1th flow path, 311-2: 1-2th flow path),

[0102] 312: third through hole, 313: cooling water flow part, 320: front cover,

[0103] 321: first plate portion, 322: first mounting portion, 323: fourth through hole,

[0104] 330: rear cover, 331: second plate portion, 332: second mounting portion,

[0105] 333: Second flow path (333-1: 2-1st flow path, 333-2: 2-2th flow path),

[0106] 334: second through hole, 335: placement portion (having a mounting space for the rotor disk), 340: diffuser, 341: third plate portion, 342: third mounting portion,

[0107] 400: connecting pipe, 500: cooling unit, 510: cooling pipe,

[0108] P1: first cooling unit, P2: second cooling unit, P3: third cooling unit (bypass flow path), A1: first cross-sectional area, A2: second cross-sectional area (area for the second through-hole to pass through), A3: third cross-sectional area (area between the second mounting portion of the rear cover and the rotor)

Claims

1. An air compressor for a vehicle, comprising: A first compression unit (100) includes: a front housing (110) having a front inlet (111) for introducing air to be compressed and a front outlet (112) for discharging the compressed air; and a front impeller (120) positioned in the front housing (110); A second compression unit (200) comprising: a rear housing (210) having a rear inlet (211) connected to the front outlet (112) of the first compression unit (100) through a connecting pipe (400) and having a rear inlet (211) for introducing air passing through the first compression unit (100) and a rear outlet (212) for discharging compressed air therefrom; and a rear impeller (220) positioned in the rear housing (210); A drive unit (300) having the front housing (110) and the rear housing (210) located at the front and rear of the drive unit (300), respectively, and comprising: a motor housing (310) having a cooling water flow portion (313) for cooling water to flow therethrough; a stator (300a) coupled to the inner peripheral surface of the motor housing (310); a rotor (301) rotating in the stator (300a); and a rotor disk (302) integrally formed with the rotor (301) to drive the front impeller (120) and the rear impeller (220); a cooling unit (500) that introduces a portion of the compressed air compressed by the first compression unit (100) and flowing through the connecting pipe (400) and exchanges heat with the cooling water to cool the driving unit (300); and a rear cover (330) and a diffuser (340) positioned between the motor housing (310) and the rear housing (210) to support the rotor disk (302), The air compressor (1000) for a vehicle is a rear-wheel type in which the rotor disk (302) is located at the rear, and The cooling unit (500) is positioned extending along the length direction of the motor housing (310) and includes a first flow path (311) exchanging heat with the cooling water flow portion (313). The rear cover (330) includes a second flow path (333) for receiving compressed air delivered from the first flow path (311) and delivering the compressed air to the rotor disk (302).

2. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The first flow path (311) comprises: A 1-1 flow path (311-1) for conveying compressed air from the outer peripheral surface to the inner center of the motor housing (310); and The 1-2 flow path (311-2) is used to transport compressed air from the 1-1 flow path (311-1) to the rear thereof.

3. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein The second flow path (333) includes: The 2-1st flow path (333-1), whose opening is used to communicate with the 1-2nd flow path (311-2); and The 2-2 flow path (333-2) is used to transport compressed air from the 2-1 flow path (333-1) to the inner center.

4. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein The back cover (330) comprises: a seating portion (335) formed to be recessed forward in a predetermined central area of ​​the rear surface of the rear cover so as to seat the rotor disk (302) in the seating portion (335); and A second through hole (334) has an opening predetermined area adjacent to the outer periphery of the seating portion (335) so as to allow a portion of the compressed air delivered through the second flow path (333) to bypass the rotor disk (302).

5. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein The 2-2 flow path (333-2) is inclined along the rotation direction of the rotor (301) so that the 2-1 flow path (333-1) is communicated with the seating portion (335).

6. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising a first thrust bearing (303) and a second thrust bearing (304) supporting a front portion and a rear portion of the rotor disk (302), respectively.

7. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein The air compressor (1000) for a vehicle further includes a front journal bearing (305) and a rear journal bearing (306) for supporting the front and rear portions of the rotor (301), respectively.

8. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a front cover (320), in, The cooling unit (500) includes: a first cooling unit (P1), wherein compressed air passing through the first flow path (311) and the second flow path (333) cools the rotor disk (302), the first thrust bearing (303) and the second thrust bearing (304), and performs cooling while moving from the rear to the front of the rotor (301) through the area between the rear cover (330), the front cover (320) and the rotor (301).

9. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising a first through hole (122) passing from the rear to the front of the front impeller (120), in, The cooling unit (500) includes a second cooling unit (P2), wherein compressed air cools the front impeller (120) while passing through the first through hole (122).

10. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein The first through hole (122) is inclined from the outer rear portion to the central front portion.

11. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising: a third through hole (312) and a fourth through hole (323), which are opened in the motor housing (310) and the front cover (320), respectively, for allowing compressed air to pass through the second through hole (334) to cool the interior of the motor housing (310) so as to move to the second cooling unit (P2), The cooling unit (500) includes a third cooling unit (P3), wherein compressed air cools the interior of the motor housing (310) while passing through at least one of the second through hole (334), the third through hole (312), and the fourth through hole (323).

12. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein In the cooling unit (500), the connecting pipe (400) and the first flow path (311) are connected to each other through a cooling pipe (510), and The sum of the cross-sectional areas of the first cooling unit (P1) and the second through hole (334) of the rear cover (330) is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the cooling pipe (510).

13. The air compressor for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein The rotor (301) includes an open shaft unit that is open in an axial direction to cool the rotor (301) by receiving a portion of the compressed air from the rear inlet (211).

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