Electric motor including coolant sleeve assembly, coolant sleeve assembly, and methods thereof

Abstract

An electric motor, a coolant sleeve assembly, and a method of cooling a stator of an electric motor are disclosed. An electric motor may include a stator and a coolant sleeve assembly. The coolant sleeve assembly may include a sleeve and a spring. The sleeve may at least partially surround the stator, and the spring may be wound around the sleeve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to cooling assemblies for electric motors, and more particularly to a coolant sleeve assembly suitable for cooling a stator of an electric motor. Background Art

[0002] A coolant jacket may be used to deliver coolant to a stator of an electric motor to cool the stator when the electric motor is in use. In certain configurations, the coolant jacket may be machined, cast, or otherwise formed to include cooling channels to deliver the coolant. Providing coolant channels in the coolant jacket may present some disadvantages, such as increased manufacturing cost and complexity. Systems, devices, and / or methods that avoid the disadvantages associated with prior art coolant jackets remain an area of ​​interest. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present disclosure may include one or more of the following features and combinations thereof.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electric motor may include a stator and a coolant sleeve assembly. The coolant sleeve assembly may include a sleeve at least partially surrounding the stator and a spring wound on the sleeve. The spring may at least partially define at least one coolant channel wall independent of the sleeve to transport coolant around the sleeve to cool the stator when the electric motor is in use.

[0005] In some embodiments, the spring may be a helical spring that at least partially defines at least one helical coolant channel wall around the sleeve. The helical spring may have a rectangular cross-sectional shape. Additionally, in some embodiments, the outer surface of the sleeve may extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis, the outer surface may be free of any grooves or protrusions along the longitudinal axis, and the helical spring may contact the outer surface of the sleeve. When the electric motor is in use, one or more coolant leakage paths independent of the at least one helical coolant channel wall may be defined between the outer surface of the sleeve and the helical spring.

[0006] In some embodiments, the electric motor may include a main housing, the main housing defining an interior space, the coolant sleeve assembly and the stator being at least partially disposed in the interior space so that the main housing, the coolant sleeve assembly and the stator extend circumferentially around a longitudinal axis. The electric motor may include a first annular seal disposed between the sleeve and the main housing at one axial end of the sleeve, and a second annular seal disposed between the sleeve and the main housing at another axial end of the sleeve opposite to the one axial end. In addition, in some embodiments, the main housing may include a first fluid port disposed at an outer diameter of the main housing and a second fluid port disposed at the outer diameter of the main housing, such that the first fluid port and the second fluid port are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis. One of the first fluid port and the second fluid port may be disposed to deliver coolant to the coolant sleeve assembly in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the electric motor is in use, and the other of the first fluid port and the second fluid port may be disposed to deliver coolant from the coolant sleeve assembly in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the electric motor is in use. Additionally, in yet other embodiments, the first fluid port and the second fluid port may be circumferentially spaced from one another about the longitudinal axis.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a coolant sleeve assembly for cooling a stator of an electric motor may include a sleeve sized to receive the stator and a spring wound around the sleeve. The spring may at least partially define at least one coolant channel wall independent of the sleeve to convey coolant around the sleeve to cool the stator when the coolant sleeve assembly is in use.

[0008] In some embodiments, the spring may be a helical spring that at least partially defines at least one helical coolant channel wall around the sleeve. The outer surface of the sleeve may extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis, the outer surface may be free of any grooves or protrusions along the longitudinal axis, and the helical spring may contact the outer surface of the sleeve.

[0009] In some embodiments, when the coolant sleeve assembly is in use, one or more coolant leakage paths independent of the at least one spiral coolant channel wall may be defined between the outer surface of the sleeve and the spiral spring. In addition, in some embodiments, the outer surface of the sleeve may extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis, the spring may contact the outer surface of the sleeve, and the sleeve may be formed to include at least one retaining feature to at least partially retain the spring to interact with the sleeve around the longitudinal axis. In addition, in some further embodiments, the outer surface of the sleeve may extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis, and the spring may contact the outer surface of the sleeve so that the radial tension of the spring at least partially retains the spring to interact with the sleeve around the longitudinal axis.

[0010] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for cooling a stator of an electric motor may include: assembling a coolant sleeve assembly; placing the stator in a sleeve of the coolant sleeve assembly so that the sleeve at least partially surrounds the stator; integrating the coolant sleeve assembly in a main housing of the electric motor so that the coolant sleeve assembly is disposed in an interior space defined by the main housing; supplying coolant to the coolant sleeve assembly via a fluid inlet formed in the main housing; and circulating coolant around the sleeve via at least one spiral coolant channel wall, the at least one spiral coolant channel wall being at least partially defined by a spring of the coolant sleeve assembly, the spring being independent of the sleeve.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method may include exhausting heated coolant from the main housing via a fluid outlet formed in the main housing. Expelling heated coolant from the main housing via the fluid outlet may include conveying coolant in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the coolant sleeve assembly.

[0012] In some embodiments, integrating the coolant sleeve assembly into the main housing may include arranging the coolant sleeve assembly in the interior space so that the main housing, the coolant sleeve assembly, and the stator extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis. Additionally, in some embodiments, supplying coolant to the coolant sleeve assembly via the fluid inlet may include delivering coolant in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coolant sleeve assembly. Furthermore, in still other embodiments, assembling the coolant sleeve assembly may include selecting the spring to have a certain stiffness, the stiffness of which may prevent the spring from being significantly deformed due to exposure to pressurized coolant and allowing the spring to be installed around the sleeve and at least partially in contact with the sleeve.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method may include providing a first annular seal between the sleeve and the main housing at one axial end of the sleeve. The method may include providing a second annular seal between the sleeve and the main housing at another axial end of the sleeve opposite the one axial end.

[0014] In some embodiments, assembling the coolant sleeve assembly may include wrapping the spring around the sleeve such that the spring is at least partially in contact with the sleeve. Assembling the coolant sleeve assembly may include retaining the spring around the sleeve using at least one retaining feature of the sleeve.

[0015] These and other features of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments. Brief description of the attached figure

[0016] The invention described herein is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example and not limitation. To make the illustrations simple and clear, the elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of certain elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for the sake of clarity. In addition, where appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated between the drawings to indicate corresponding or similar elements.

[0017] Figure 1 is a simplified exploded view of a coolant sleeve assembly suitable for use in an electric motor;

[0018] Figure 2 is to accommodate Figure 1 A partial perspective view of a main housing of an electric motor of the coolant sleeve assembly;

[0019] Figure 3 It was taken along line 3-3 Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the main housing;

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 An assembled perspective view of a coolant sleeve assembly;

[0021] Figure 5 Yes Assembly Figure 1 A simplified flow chart of a method for a coolant sleeve assembly;

[0022] Figure 6 is used Figure 1 A simplified flow chart of a portion of a method of cooling a stator of an electric motor using a coolant sleeve assembly; and

[0023] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A simplified flow chart of another part of the method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Although the concepts of the present disclosure may have various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the concepts of the present disclosure are not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed, but rather, are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives consistent with the present disclosure and the appended claims.

[0025] References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an exemplary embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each embodiment may or may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, a person skilled in the art may implement the feature, structure, or characteristic in other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described. In addition, it should be understood that items listed in the form of "at least one of A, B, and C" may refer to (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C). Similarly, items listed in the form of "at least one of A, B, or C" may refer to (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).

[0026] In the accompanying drawings, for ease of description, some structural or method features, such as those representing devices, modules, instruction blocks, and data elements, may be represented in a specific arrangement and / or order. However, it should be understood that this specific arrangement and / or order may not be required. On the contrary, in some embodiments, these features may be arranged in a manner and / or order different from that shown in the exemplary drawings. In addition, the inclusion of a structural or method feature in a particular drawing does not mean that the feature is required in all embodiments. In some embodiments, the feature may not be included, or the feature may be combined with other features.

[0027] In some embodiments, the schematic elements used to represent method blocks can be manually executed by a user. In other embodiments, these schematic elements can be automatically implemented using any suitable form of machine-readable instructions (such as software or firmware applications, programs, functions, modules, routines, processes, procedures, plug-ins, applets, widgets, code snippets, and / or other), and each such instruction can be implemented using any suitable programming language, library, application programming interface (API), and / or other software development tools. For example, in some embodiments, Java can be used. TM , C++ TMAnd / or other programming languages ​​to implement the schematic elements. Likewise, the schematic elements for representing data or information can be implemented using any suitable electronic device or structure, such as registers, data storage libraries, tables, records, arrays, indexes, hashes, distribution maps, trees, lists, charts, files (of any file type), folders, directories, databases, and / or others.

[0028] In addition, in the accompanying drawings, connecting elements (such as solid or dotted lines or arrows) are used to illustrate the connection, relationship or association between two or more other schematic elements, and the absence of any such connecting elements does not mean that there is no connection, relationship or association. In other words, some connections, relationships or associations between elements may not be shown in the figure to avoid blurring the content of the present disclosure. In addition, for ease of explanation, a single connecting element can be used to represent multiple connections, relationships or associations between elements. For example, when a connecting element represents the communication of a signal, data or instruction, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that such an element can represent one or more signal paths (such as a bus) as needed to achieve communication.

[0029] See also Figure 1 The exemplary coolant sleeve assembly 100 is suitable for use with an electric motor (not shown). More specifically, the best Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is adapted to be integrated into the main housing 200 of the electric motor 202. As will be discussed below, the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is adapted to interact with the stator 204 of the electric motor 202. When the electric motor 202 is in use, the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is configured to use a coolant to dissipate heat generated by the stator 204, thereby cooling the stator 204.

[0030] In this exemplary embodiment, the coolant sleeve assembly 100 includes a sleeve 110 and a spring 150. Figure 2-4 As shown, the sleeve 110 can be sized to receive and at least partially surround the stator 204. The spring 150 is adapted to be wound around the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 such that the spring 150 and the outer surface 112 extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis 102 of the coolant sleeve assembly 100. In some embodiments, as will be discussed below, one or more retaining features can be used to retain the spring 150 on the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110. In any case, the sleeve 110 and the spring 150 are separated from each other so that when the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is assembled, the spring 150 needs to be installed around the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110.

[0031] When Figure 1When the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is assembled as shown (see the assembly to the right of the equal sign), the spring 150 illustratively defines at least one coolant passage wall 152 that is independent of the sleeve 110. The at least one coolant passage wall 152 is shaped to convey coolant around the sleeve 110 to cool the stator 204 when the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is in use. The coolant conveyed by the at least one coolant passage wall 152 may include or otherwise embody oil, a lubricating fluid, a hydraulic fluid, a refrigerant, or other suitable cooling medium.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, when wound on the sleeve 110, adjacent and / or continuous portions of the spring 150 (e.g., portions of the spring 150 that are adjacent to each other in an axial direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 102) define adjacent and / or continuous coolant channel walls 152. In at least some embodiments, as described above, the adjacent and / or continuous coolant channel walls 152 cooperate with the sleeve 110 to define coolant channels 154 for conveying coolant around the sleeve 110. Therefore, in such embodiments, each of the coolant channels 154 may include or otherwise embody an axial and / or circumferential space defined between the adjacent and / or continuous coolant channel walls 152 and the sleeve 110.

[0033] In some configurations, a sleeve, jacket, or similar structure configured to interact with a stator of an electric motor may be formed by machining, casting, or other means to include at least one coolant channel to deliver coolant on the stator. It is noteworthy that because at least one coolant channel is formed in the sleeve itself (e.g., on the outer surface of the sleeve), the manufacture of the sleeve requires precision machining, resulting in increased manufacturing complexity and cost. Unlike such configurations, as described above, the coolant sleeve assembly 100 of the present disclosure substantially avoids these manufacturing challenges by providing a coolant channel wall 152 and a coolant channel 154 independent of the sleeve 110. Therefore, compared to sleeves used in other configurations, the casting or machining operations performed on the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 can be greatly simplified, and compared to sleeves having other configurations, the amount of material removal required on the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 can be significantly reduced.

[0034] The exemplary sleeve 110 has a circular cross-sectional shape and includes an outer surface 112 and an inner surface 114 disposed opposite the outer surface 112. The inner surface 114 extends circumferentially all the way around the longitudinal axis 102 to define a central passage 116 of the sleeve 110 that may be sized to accommodate the stator 204. The sleeve 110 extends along the longitudinal axis 102 from an end 118 to an end 120 disposed opposite the end 118.

[0035] In the exemplary embodiment, the sleeve 110 includes a flange ring 122 at the end 118. In at least some embodiments, the flange ring 122 may include, embody, or otherwise provide a mounting flange for mounting the coolant sleeve assembly 100 in the main housing 200 of the electric motor 202. To facilitate mounting, the flange ring 122 may be formed to include mounting features, such as one or more holes, protrusions, projections, or combinations thereof, which may be specific to the mounting configuration of the coolant sleeve assembly 100 in the main housing 200. Additionally, in some embodiments, the flange ring 122 may provide a structure for mounting one or more elements of the electric motor 202, such as one or more coil windings of the stator 204.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the outer surface 112 and the inner surface 114 of the sleeve 110 can be formed into substantially smooth surfaces by casting, machining or other means. Therefore, as described above, the manufacturing operation of the sleeve 110 can be simplified compared to other configurations. In some embodiments, as described below with reference to Figure 4 As further discussed, the sleeve 110 may include retention features to retain the spring 150 about the outer surface 112 when the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is in use. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the outer surface 112 may be free of any grooves or protrusions along the longitudinal axis 102 other than any retention features disposed thereon.

[0037] In the exemplary embodiment, the spring 150 includes or otherwise embodies a helical spring 150. Thus, when the spring 150 is mounted about the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110, the at least one coolant passage wall 152 defined by the spring 150 includes or otherwise embodies at least one helical coolant passage wall 152. In some embodiments, the at least one helical coolant passage wall 152 extends circumferentially all the way around the longitudinal axis 102 in a repeating manner to form a continuous helical coolant passage wall having a plurality of circular rings.

[0038] The helical spring 150 illustratively has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. In some embodiments, the rectangular cross-sectional shape of the helical spring 150 can facilitate interaction and / or contact between the spring 150 and the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 about the longitudinal axis 102 to form at least one helical coolant channel wall 152. However, in other embodiments, the helical spring 150 can have another suitable cross-sectional shape. For example, in some embodiments, the helical spring 150 can have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, a conical cross-sectional shape, or a frustoconical cross-sectional shape, just to name a few.

[0039] In this exemplary embodiment, the sleeve 110 and the helical spring 150 each have a metal structure. When selecting the helical spring 150 for use in the coolant sleeve assembly 100, several factors should be considered. On the one hand, the helical spring 150 should have a certain stiffness to allow the spring 150 to be installed around the sleeve 110 and at least partially contact the sleeve 110. On the other hand, the helical spring 150 should have a certain stiffness to prevent the spring 150 from being significantly deformed due to exposure to the pressurized coolant. It should be understood that the helical spring 150 can be selected based on a configuration and geometry that imparts a desired stiffness.

[0040] When Figure 1 When the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is assembled as shown, the helical spring 150 contacts the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110. In some embodiments, the contact between the outer surface 112 and the helical spring 150 forms at least one helical coolant passage wall 152. Therefore, in those embodiments, it can be said that the outer surface 112 and the helical spring 150 together define at least one helical coolant passage wall 152.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as those in which the spiral spring 150 and the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 together define at least one spiral coolant passage wall 152, one or more coolant leakage paths 160 may be defined between the outer surface 112 and the spring 150. More specifically, one or more coolant leakage paths 160 may be defined between the outer diameter OD of the sleeve 110 (which extends to the outer surface 112) and the inner diameter ID of the spring 150. In at least some embodiments, the coolant leakage path 160 includes or otherwise embodies a flow path independent of the at least one spiral coolant passage wall 152 along which coolant may leak when the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is in use. It should be understood that in some cases, it may be desirable and / or advantageous to minimize coolant leakage along the coolant leakage path 160, thereby increasing heat transfer between the stator 204 and the coolant. As described in more detail below, a seal may be employed to minimize fluid leakage.

[0042] It should be appreciated that the electric motor 202 including the coolant sleeve assembly 100 can be suitable for a variety of applications. In one aspect, the electric motor 202 can be suitable for use in one or more vehicle applications. For example, the electric motor 202 can be included in fire and emergency vehicles, garbage trucks, passenger cars, RVs or motorhomes, municipal and / or service vehicles, agricultural vehicles, mining vehicles, specialty vehicles, energy vehicles, defense vehicles, port service vehicles, engineering vehicles, and transportation and / or buses, to name a few.

[0043] Additionally, in some embodiments, the electric motor 202 incorporating the coolant sleeve assembly 100 can be incorporated into a vehicle powertrain and / or transmission system and used to generate rotational power to drive the vehicle. The vehicle powertrain and / or transmission system including the electric motor 202 can be applied to or otherwise incorporated into the following equipment: tractors, front-end loaders, scraper systems, cutters and shredders, hay and forage equipment, planting equipment, seeding equipment, sprayers and fertilizer applicators, tillage equipment, utility vehicles, mowers, dump trucks, backhoes, track loaders, crawler loaders, bulldozers, excavators, graders, steer loaders, tractor loaders, wheel loaders, rakes, aerators, skidders, bunchers, forwarders, harvesters, swing machines, knuckle loaders, diesel engines, axles, planetary gear transmissions, pump transmissions, gearboxes, generators, and marine engines, among other suitable equipment.

[0044] See now Figure 2 , the stator 204 is located in the central passage 116 of the sleeve 110, and the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is assembled as described above. The coolant sleeve assembly 100 and the stator 204 are at least partially disposed in the interior space 206 defined by the main housing 200. More specifically, the coolant sleeve assembly 100 and the stator 204 are at least partially disposed in the interior space 206 so that the main housing 200, the coolant sleeve assembly 100, and the stator 204 extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis 212. In some embodiments, the longitudinal axis 212 is parallel and / or substantially similar to the longitudinal axis 102.

[0045] In this exemplary embodiment, the main housing 200 is formed to include an inlet fluid port 220 and an outlet fluid port 230. The inlet fluid port 220 is adapted to receive coolant supplied from a coolant source (not shown) into the coolant sleeve assembly 100. It should be appreciated that, at least in some embodiments, the coolant supplied to the inlet fluid port 220 includes or otherwise embodies coolant that has not been significantly heated by the heat generated during operation of the stator 204 of the electric motor 202. The outlet fluid port 230 is adapted to discharge or exhaust the coolant supplied from the coolant source to the coolant sleeve assembly 100. It should be appreciated that, at least in some embodiments, the coolant discharged from the outlet fluid port 230 includes or otherwise embodies coolant that has been significantly heated by the heat generated during operation of the stator 204.

[0046] The inlet fluid port 220 and the outlet fluid port 230 are illustratively disposed at an outer diameter 222 of the main housing 200. In particular, the fluid ports 220, 230 are disposed at the outer diameter 222 such that the fluid ports 220, 230 are spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis 212. Additionally, the fluid ports 220, 230 are disposed at the outer diameter 222 such that the fluid ports 220, 230 are spaced apart from one another circumferentially around the longitudinal axis 212.

[0047] In this exemplary embodiment, the inlet fluid port 220 is configured to deliver coolant into the coolant sleeve assembly 100 in the direction indicated by arrow 224 when the electric motor 202 is in use. In some embodiments, the direction indicated by arrow 224 can be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 212. However, in other embodiments, the direction indicated by arrow 224 may not be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 212. In one example, the direction indicated by arrow 224 can be offset relative to the longitudinal axis 212.

[0048] Additionally, in this exemplary embodiment, the outlet fluid port 230 is configured to deliver coolant from the coolant sleeve assembly 100 in the direction indicated by arrow 234 when the electric motor 202 is in use. In some embodiments, the direction indicated by arrow 234 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 212. However, in other embodiments, the direction indicated by arrow 234 may not be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 212. In one example, the direction indicated by arrow 234 may be offset relative to the longitudinal axis 212. In any case, the directions indicated by arrows 224, 234 are illustratively opposite to each other.

[0049] See now Figure 3 In at least some embodiments, it may be desirable to contain coolant that can flow along one or more coolant leakage paths 160 when the electric motor 202 is in use. To this end, in the exemplary embodiment, the electric motor 202 includes annular seals 310, 320. The annular seals 310, 320 are exemplary identical to each other.

[0050] Each of the annular seals 310, 320 illustratively includes or otherwise embodies any structure or collection of structures suitable for placement between the sleeve 110 (e.g., the outer surface 112) and the main housing 200 to form a circumferential seal around the longitudinal axis 212. In some embodiments, each of the seals 310, 320 includes a gasket, an O-ring, a compression ring, a washer, etc. In the exemplary embodiment, the annular seal 310 is a radial seal or an O-ring, and the annular seal 320 is an axial seal or a gasket. In any case, the seals 310, 320 are disposed between the sleeve 110 and the main housing at the corresponding axial ends 118, 120 of the sleeve 110.

[0051] In some embodiments, a circumferential seal formed at least in part by the annular seals 310, 320 together about the longitudinal axis 212 between the ends 118, 120 of the sleeve 110 can prevent coolant from flowing along the leakage path 160 to the exterior of the coolant sleeve assembly 100. In this regard, the seals 310, 320 facilitate containment of coolant delivered through the at least one spiral coolant passage 154 within the coolant sleeve assembly 100 when the electric motor 202 is in use. It should be appreciated that, at least in some embodiments, increased coolant containment within the coolant sleeve assembly 100 facilitates increased heat transfer from the stator 204 to the coolant supplied to the assembly 100. Increased heat transfer may be beneficial in reducing the operating temperature of the electric motor 202 and preventing performance degradation over the service life.

[0052] See now Figure 4 In some embodiments, when the spring 150 is wrapped around the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110, the spring 150 contacts the outer surface 112 so that the radial tension of the spring 150 at least partially keeps the spring 150 interacting with the sleeve 110 about the axis 212. In addition, in some embodiments, when the spring 150 is wrapped around the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110, the spring 150 contacts the outer surface 112 so that the friction between the spring 150 and the sleeve 110 at least partially keeps the spring 150 interacting with the sleeve 110 about the axis 212. In these embodiments, the sleeve 110 can be formed with or without any locking or retaining features.

[0053] Additionally, in some embodiments, the sleeve 110 is formed to include one or more retention features 410 (shown in phantom). The retention features 410 include or otherwise embody any feature or collection of features that can interact with the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 to at least partially retain the spring 150 about the axis 212. In some embodiments, the retention features 410 can include one or more stops, tabs, flanges, or other suitable positive locking features that are sized to cooperate with the spring 150 to lock and / or retain the spring 150 around the sleeve 110. Additionally, in some embodiments, the retention features 410 can include one or more slots or holes formed in the sleeve 110 that are sized to accommodate the spring 150. However, in other embodiments, as described above, the retention features 410 can be omitted entirely from the sleeve 110.

[0054] See now Figure 5, which depicts an exemplary method 500 of assembling the coolant sleeve assembly 100. It should be understood that, in at least some embodiments, the method 500 can be performed manually (e.g., by one or more operators). In other embodiments, the method 500 can be performed by an electronic control system that is capable of receiving input provided by one or more operators. In any case, the method 500 corresponds to or is otherwise related to the following Figure 5 However, it should be understood that the method 500 may be performed in one or more orders different from the exemplary order.

[0055] The exemplary method 500 begins at block 502. At block 502, a spring 150 of the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is selected. Among other things, the selection of the spring 150 at block 502 may take into account the configuration and geometry of the spring 150 and the stiffness of the spring 150. As described above, at block 502, the spring 150 may be selected based on a stiffness that is able to resist significant deformation when the spring 150 is exposed to pressurized coolant and allows the spring 150 to be installed around the sleeve 110. Additionally, in some embodiments, the selection of the spring 150 at block 502 may be based on the selection of the sleeve 110, which will be discussed below. In any case, from block 502, the method 500 proceeds to block 504.

[0056] In block 504 of the exemplary method 500, a spring 110 of the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is selected. In some embodiments, the selection of the spring 150 in block 502 is performed in accordance with the selection of the sleeve 110 in block 504. Additionally, in some embodiments, the selection of the sleeve 110 in block 504 may include or otherwise embody forming the sleeve 110. In those embodiments, forming the sleeve 110 may include forming a sleeve body (e.g., a sleeve body defining substantially smooth surfaces 112, 114) and a flange ring (e.g., flange ring 122). Regardless, from block 504, the method 500 proceeds to block 506.

[0057] In block 506 of the exemplary method 500, the spring 150 is wrapped around the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 such that the spring 150 contacts the sleeve 110. In some embodiments, the spring 150 is wrapped around the outer surface 112 to obtain a desired shape and geometry of at least one spiral coolant passage wall 152 around the sleeve 110. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the spring 150 is wrapped around the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 in preparation for installing or integrating the coolant sleeve assembly 100 into the main housing 200 of the electric motor 202. In those embodiments, the spring 150 can be wrapped around the sleeve 110 so that when installed or integrated into the main housing 202, the spring 150 is positioned to receive coolant supplied through the inlet fluid port 220 and to deliver coolant toward the outlet fluid port 230. In any case, at least in some embodiments, the method 500 proceeds from block 506 to block 508.

[0058] At block 508 of the exemplary method 500, the spring 150 is retained in interaction with the sleeve 110 using the retention features 410 formed in the sleeve 110. In some embodiments, to retain the spring 150 with the sleeve 110 at block 508, the spring 150 may be mated with, disposed in direct contact with, or otherwise coupled to the sleeve 110 using the retention features 410. Of course, in embodiments where the sleeve 110 is formed without any retention features, block 508 may be omitted from the method 500.

[0059] See now Figure 6 and Figure 7 , which depicts an exemplary method 600 for cooling the stator 204 of the electric motor 202. It should be appreciated that, in at least some embodiments, the method 600 may be performed manually (e.g., by one or more operators). In other embodiments, the method 600 may be performed by an electronic control system that is capable of receiving input provided by one or more operators. In any case, the method 600 corresponds to or is otherwise related to the following Figure 6 and Figure 7 However, it should be understood that the method 600 may be performed in one or more orders different from the exemplary order.

[0060] The exemplary method 600 begins at block 602. At block 602, the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is assembled. In the exemplary embodiment, to perform block 602, the method 500 is performed. In some embodiments, to perform block 602, the method 500 may be performed in conjunction with or in addition to other operations. Regardless, the method 600 proceeds from block 602 to block 604.

[0061] At block 604 of the exemplary method 600, the stator 204 is placed in the central passage 116 of the sleeve 110. In the exemplary embodiment, the stator 204 is placed in the central passage 116 such that the sleeve 110 at least partially surrounds the stator 204 along the longitudinal axis 212. From block 604, the method 600 proceeds to block 606.

[0062] In block 606 of the exemplary method 600, the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is integrated into the main housing 200 of the electric motor 202. In the exemplary embodiment, to perform block 606, block 608 is performed. At block 608, the coolant sleeve assembly 100 is disposed in the interior space 206 of the main housing 200 such that the main housing 200, the coolant sleeve assembly 100, and the stator 204 extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis 212. Additionally, in some embodiments, the performance of block 606 may include placing a spring 150 around the sleeve 110 to receive coolant supplied to the inlet fluid port 220 and to deliver the coolant toward the outlet fluid port 230. In any case, the method 600 proceeds from block 606 to block 610.

[0063] In block 610 of the exemplary method 600, the annular seal 310 is disposed between the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 and the main housing 200. More specifically, in block 610, the annular seal 310 is disposed between the surface 112 and the main housing 200 at the axial end 118 of the sleeve 110. In at least some embodiments, in block 610, the seal 310 is disposed between the surface 112 and the main housing 200 at the axial end 118 of the sleeve 110 such that the seal 310 extends circumferentially all the way around the longitudinal axis 212 at the end 118. Furthermore, in some embodiments, block 610 may be performed before or simultaneously with performing block 602. In any case, the method 600 proceeds from block 610 to block 612.

[0064] In block 612 of the exemplary method 600, the annular seal 320 is disposed between the outer surface 112 of the sleeve 110 and the main housing 200. More specifically, in block 612, the annular seal 320 is disposed between the surface 112 and the main housing 200 at the axial end 120 of the sleeve 110. In at least some embodiments, in block 612, the seal 320 is disposed between the surface 112 and the main housing 200 at the axial end 120 of the sleeve 110 such that the seal 320 extends circumferentially all the way around the longitudinal axis 212 at the end 120. Furthermore, in some embodiments, block 612 may be performed before or simultaneously with performing block 602. In any case, the method 600 proceeds from block 612 to block 714.

[0065] In block 714 of the exemplary method 600, coolant is supplied to the coolant sleeve assembly 100 via the inlet fluid port 220 formed in the main housing 200. In the exemplary embodiment, to perform block 714, block 716 is performed. In block 716, the coolant is delivered relative to the longitudinal axis 212 of the coolant sleeve assembly 100 (e.g., using the inlet fluid port 220). In some embodiments, in block 716, the coolant is delivered along the direction 224 relative to the longitudinal axis 212 using the inlet fluid port 220. From block 714, the method 600 proceeds to block 718.

[0066] At block 718 of the exemplary method 600, coolant is circulated about the sleeve 110 via at least one spiral coolant passage 154 defined at least in part by the spring 150. In some embodiments, performance of block 718 may include conveying the coolant over the sleeve 110 along a spiral flow path defined by the at least one spiral coolant passage 154. In any event, the method 600 proceeds from block 718 to block 720.

[0067] At block 720 of the exemplary method 600, heated coolant (e.g., coolant heated by heat generated by the stator 204) is discharged from the main housing 200 via the outlet fluid port 230 formed in the main housing 200. In the exemplary embodiment, to perform block 720, block 722 is performed. At block 722, the coolant is delivered relative to the longitudinal axis 212 of the coolant sleeve assembly 100 (e.g., using the outlet fluid port 230). In some embodiments, at block 720, the coolant is delivered along the direction 234 relative to the longitudinal axis 212 using the outlet fluid port 230.

[0068] Although the above drawings and descriptions have been described and illustrated in detail for the present disclosure, they should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It goes without saying that the present disclosure only shows and describes its exemplary implementation methods, and all changes and modifications that are consistent with the spirit of the present disclosure should be protected.

Claims

1. An electric motor comprising: stator; as well as Coolant sleeve assembly, The coolant sleeve assembly includes a sleeve at least partially surrounding the stator and a spring wound around the sleeve, and The spring at least partially defines at least one coolant channel wall independent of the sleeve to transport coolant around the sleeve to cool the stator when the electric motor is in use.

2. The electric motor according to claim 1, wherein: The spring is a helical spring that at least partially defines at least one helical coolant passage wall around the sleeve.

3. The electric motor according to claim 2, wherein: The helical spring has a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

4. The electric motor according to claim 2, wherein: The outer surface of the sleeve extends circumferentially about the longitudinal axis; The outer surface is free of any grooves or projections along the longitudinal axis; and The helical spring contacts the outer surface of the sleeve.

5. The electric motor according to claim 4, wherein: When the electric motor is in use, one or more coolant leakage paths independent of the at least one spiral coolant channel wall are defined between the outer surface of the sleeve and the spiral spring.

6. The electric motor of claim 1 further comprising a main housing defining an interior space, the coolant sleeve assembly and the stator being at least partially disposed within the interior space such that the main housing, the coolant sleeve assembly and the stator extend circumferentially about a longitudinal axis.

7. The electric motor as described in claim 6 further includes a first annular seal, which is arranged between the sleeve and the main housing at one axial end of the sleeve, and a second annular seal, which is arranged between the sleeve and the main housing at the other axial end of the sleeve opposite to the one axial end.

8. The electric motor according to claim 6, wherein: The main housing includes a first fluid port disposed at an outer diameter of the main housing and a second fluid port disposed at the outer diameter of the main housing such that the first fluid port and the second fluid port are spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis.

9. The electric motor according to claim 8, wherein: One of the first fluid port and the second fluid port is configured to deliver coolant to the coolant sleeve assembly in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the electric motor is in use; and The other of the first fluid port and the second fluid port is configured to deliver coolant from the coolant sleeve assembly in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the electric motor is in use.

10. The electric motor according to claim 8, wherein: The first fluid port and the second fluid port are circumferentially spaced from one another about the longitudinal axis.

11. A coolant sleeve assembly for cooling a stator of an electric motor, comprising: a sleeve sized to receive the stator; as well as a spring, which is wound on the sleeve, The spring at least partially defines at least one coolant passage wall independent of the sleeve to transport coolant around the sleeve to cool the stator when the coolant sleeve assembly is in use.

12. The coolant sleeve assembly of claim 11, wherein: The spring is a helical spring that at least partially defines at least one helical coolant passage wall around the sleeve.

13. The coolant sleeve assembly of claim 12, wherein: The outer surface of the sleeve extends circumferentially about the longitudinal axis; The outer surface is free of any grooves or projections along the longitudinal axis; and The helical spring contacts the outer surface of the sleeve.

14. The coolant sleeve assembly of claim 11, wherein: When the coolant sleeve assembly is in use, one or more coolant leakage paths are defined between the outer surface of the sleeve and the spring, which are independent of the at least one spiral coolant channel wall.

15. The coolant sleeve assembly of claim 11, wherein: The outer surface of the sleeve extends circumferentially about the longitudinal axis; The helical spring contacts the outer surface of the sleeve; and The sleeve is formed to include at least one retaining feature to at least partially retain the spring in interaction with the sleeve about the longitudinal axis.

16. The coolant sleeve assembly of claim 11, wherein: The outer surface of the sleeve extends circumferentially about the longitudinal axis; and The spring contacts the outer surface of the sleeve such that radial tension of the spring at least partially maintains the spring in interaction with the sleeve about the longitudinal axis.

17. A method of cooling a stator of an electric motor, the method comprising: Assembling the coolant sleeve assembly; placing the stator in a sleeve of the coolant sleeve assembly such that the sleeve at least partially surrounds the stator; integrating the coolant jacket assembly into a main housing of the electric motor such that the coolant jacket assembly is disposed within an interior space defined by the main housing; supplying coolant into the coolant sleeve assembly via a fluid inlet formed in the main housing; as well as Coolant is circulated about the sleeve via at least one spiral coolant passage wall, the at least one spiral coolant passage wall being at least partially defined by a spring of the coolant sleeve assembly, the spring being independent of the sleeve.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising exhausting heated coolant from the main housing via a fluid outlet formed in the main housing.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein: Integrating the coolant jacket assembly into the main housing includes disposing the coolant jacket assembly in the interior space such that the main housing, the coolant jacket assembly, and the stator extend circumferentially about a longitudinal axis.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein: Supplying coolant into the coolant sleeve assembly via the fluid inlet includes conveying coolant in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the coolant sleeve assembly.

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