A seawater cooling phase change material radiator for an electric ship propulsion motor

Abstract

This utility model provides a seawater-cooled phase change material radiator for electric marine propulsion motors, belonging to the field of marine propulsion motor heat dissipation technology. It includes a motor body and a heat dissipation mechanism. The heat dissipation mechanism surrounds the motor body in a ring shape. The heat dissipation mechanism includes a heat dissipation main component, which wraps around the outer surface of the motor body. A shaped phase change material layer is disposed inside the heat dissipation main component, and a seawater cooling channel is embedded inside the shaped phase change material layer, forming a single unit. By adopting a technical solution combining the shaped phase change layer with direct seawater cooling, the dual advantages of the phase change material's large-capacity heat storage and seawater's efficient cooling are fully utilized. The heat dissipation main component features strong heat dissipation capacity, precise temperature control, excellent corrosion resistance, and a simple and reliable structure. It can effectively solve the heat dissipation problem of high-power electric propulsion motors, improve motor operating efficiency and service life, and reduce maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of heat dissipation technology for ship propulsion motors, and more specifically, to a seawater-cooled phase change material radiator for electric ship propulsion motors. Background Technology

[0002] With the promotion of green shipping concepts and the rapid development of electric ship technology, high-power electric propulsion motors have become the core power unit of modern electric ships. Electric propulsion motors generate a lot of heat when running at high power, especially under continuous high load conditions. The temperature of key components such as motor windings, iron cores and bearings rises sharply, which seriously affects the efficiency, reliability and service life of the motor.

[0003] Traditional motor cooling methods mainly employ air cooling or liquid cooling systems. However, air cooling systems are limited by salt spray corrosion and limited heat dissipation capacity in marine environments, while traditional liquid cooling systems require complex piping systems and anti-corrosion treatments, increasing system complexity and maintenance costs. Utility Model Content

[0004] To overcome the above deficiencies, this utility model provides a seawater-cooled phase change material radiator for electric ship propulsion motors that overcomes or at least partially solves the above technical problems.

[0005] This utility model is implemented as follows: This utility model provides a seawater-cooled phase change material radiator for an electric marine propulsion motor, comprising a motor body and a heat dissipation mechanism, wherein the heat dissipation mechanism surrounds the motor body in a ring-shaped arrangement. The heat dissipation mechanism includes: A heat dissipation main body, which is wrapped around the outer surface of the motor body; A shaped phase change material layer is disposed inside the heat dissipation main component; The seawater cooling channel is embedded inside the shaped phase change material layer, and the two are integrated.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the outer surface of the heat dissipation body is provided with a plurality of radial heat dissipation fins, the heat dissipation fins are made of a shaped phase change material, the heat dissipation fins and the heat dissipation body form an integral structure, the number of heat dissipation fins is 16-24, the fin height is 100-150mm, the thickness is 8-12mm, and the fin surface is designed with fine texture.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the seawater cooling channel is configured as a spiral, and the seawater cooling channel further includes a main spiral channel and a secondary spiral channel to form a double spiral structure. The spiral pitch is 80-120mm, and the cross-sectional shape of the seawater cooling channel is elliptical.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the shaped phase change material layer is prepared by composite material of paraffin-based phase change material, expanded graphite thermally conductive reinforcing material, epoxy resin binder and chopped fiber reinforcing material, and the phase change temperature of the shaped phase change material layer is set in the range of 45-50°C, the mass ratio of expanded graphite is 15-25%, the mass ratio of epoxy resin is 3-8%, and the mass ratio of chopped fiber is 1-3%.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the heat dissipation body is made of 316L stainless steel or titanium alloy, and the surface of the heat dissipation body is provided with an anti-corrosion coating. The heat dissipation body is connected to the motor body through a mounting flange.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the outer surface of the heat dissipation mechanism is further provided with a temperature monitoring mechanism, which includes a filter plate, a valve, and a temperature sensor.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the temperature sensor is a type K thermocouple with a measurement accuracy of ±0.5℃.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the shaped phase change material layer is prepared by a pressing process, which is performed under a pressure of 30 MPa, resulting in an axial thermal conductivity of 21.21 W / m·K and a radial thermal conductivity of 11.70 W / m·K.

[0013] The present invention provides a seawater-cooled phase change material radiator for electric marine propulsion motors, the beneficial effects of which include: By employing a technical solution combining a shaped phase change layer with direct seawater cooling, the dual advantages of the phase change material's large-capacity heat storage and seawater's efficient cooling are fully utilized. The heat dissipation main component features strong heat dissipation capacity, precise temperature control, excellent corrosion resistance, and a simple and reliable structure. This effectively solves the heat dissipation problem of high-power electric propulsion motors, improves motor operating efficiency and service life, reduces maintenance costs, and provides crucial support for the reliable operation of electric ships. Compared to traditional radiators, heat dissipation capacity is increased by 30-40%, weight is reduced by 20-30%, and maintenance cycles are extended by more than 50%, meeting usage requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the heat dissipation mechanism and the motor body of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the phase change material layer of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the axial cross-sectional structure of the heat dissipation main component of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a radial cross-sectional view of the heat dissipation main component of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal double-helix channel structure of the phase change material layer of this utility model; Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the present utility model; Figure 7 Scanning electron microscope image of the microstructure of the phase change material layer.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Motor body; 2. Temperature sensor; 3. Heat dissipation mechanism; 31. Heat dissipation main component; 32. Shaped phase change material layer; 33. Seawater cooling channel; 4. Heat dissipation fins; 5. Main spiral channel; 6. Secondary spiral channel; 7. Flange; 8. Temperature monitoring mechanism; 9. Filter plate; 10. Valve. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0018] Example Reference Figures 1-7 This utility model provides a technical solution: a seawater-cooled phase change material radiator for an electric ship propulsion motor, comprising a motor body 1 and a heat dissipation mechanism 3. The heat dissipation mechanism 3 surrounds the motor body 1 in a ring shape. The heat dissipation mechanism 3 includes a heat dissipation main component 31, which is wrapped around the outer surface of the motor body 1. The heat dissipation main component 31 adopts a cylindrical structure, with its inner diameter matching the outer diameter of the propulsion motor body 1. The outer diameter is 100-160mm larger than the inner diameter, providing installation space for the shaped phase change material layer 32 and the heat dissipation fins 4. The shaped phase change material layer 32 is disposed inside the heat dissipation main component 31, and the seawater cooling channel 33 is embedded inside the shaped phase change material layer 32, forming an integral unit.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the heat dissipation body 31 is made of 316L stainless steel or titanium alloy. The surface of the heat dissipation body 31 is coated with an anti-corrosion coating. The heat dissipation body 31 is connected to the motor body 1 via a mounting flange 7. The outer surface of the heat dissipation body 31 is provided with a plurality of radial heat dissipation fins 4. The heat dissipation fins 4 are made of a shaped phase change material and form an integral structure with the heat dissipation body 31. The number of heat dissipation fins 4 is 16-24, the fin height is 100-150 mm, the thickness is 8-12 mm, and the fin surface is designed with fine textures. The heat dissipation fins 4 are evenly distributed on the outer surface of the heat dissipation body 31. The number of fins is 20, the fin height is 120 mm, the root thickness is 10 mm, the top thickness is 6 mm, and they have a wedge-shaped cross-section design. Each heat dissipation fin 4 is made of the same shaped phase change material and forms an integral structure with the heat dissipation body 31 during the pressing and molding process. The surface of the heat dissipation fins 4 is designed with a fine texture structure 24 parallel to the fin height direction, with a texture depth of 0.1-0.3 mm and a spacing of 2-3 mm. This surface texture can increase the surface area by 15-20% and is conducive to the development of the boundary layer for natural convection heat transfer. The spacing between the fins is 25 mm, which ensures sufficient space for natural convection while making the overall structure compact.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the seawater cooling channel 33 is spiral-shaped, and includes a main spiral channel 5 and a secondary spiral channel 6, forming a double spiral structure. The spiral pitch is 80-120 mm, and the cross-sectional shape of the seawater cooling channel 33 is elliptical, with an optimized design. The elliptical cross-section has a larger perimeter-to-area ratio than a circular cross-section, increasing the contact area between the seawater and the shaped phase change material. The inner wall surface of the channel is designed with fine spiral grooves, 0.2-0.5 mm deep, with a spiral angle of 30° to the mainstream direction. This design enhances the turbulence intensity of the seawater, improves the convective heat transfer coefficient, and also has a self-cleaning function, reducing biofouling.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the shaped phase change material layer 32 is compositely prepared from paraffin-based phase change material, expanded graphite thermally conductive reinforcing material, epoxy resin binder, and chopped fiber reinforcing material. The phase change temperature of the shaped phase change material layer 32 is set in the range of 45-50°C. The mass proportion of expanded graphite is 15-25%, the mass proportion of epoxy resin is 3-8%, and the mass proportion of chopped fibers is 1-3%. The shaped phase change material layer 32 is prepared by a compression molding process under a pressure of 30 MPa. The axial thermal conductivity reaches 21.21 W / (m·K), and the radial thermal conductivity reaches 11.70 W / (m·K). The microstructure of the shaped phase change material layer 32 exhibits a typical porous network structure. Expanded graphite forms a continuous three-dimensional thermally conductive network in the matrix, paraffin completely fills the porous structure of the expanded graphite, epoxy resin forms a thin film coating layer on the graphite surface, and chopped fibers act as a reinforcing skeleton dispersed throughout the matrix. This microstructure ensures the material's high thermal conductivity, good phase change properties, and excellent mechanical strength.

[0022] The outer surface of the heat dissipation mechanism 3 will also be equipped with a temperature monitoring mechanism 8, which includes a filter plate 9, a valve 10 and a temperature sensor 2.

[0023] Temperature sensor 2 uses a K-type thermocouple with a measurement accuracy of ±0.5℃. The temperature monitoring mechanism 8 adopts a distributed sensor network design. Eight temperature sensors 2 are installed at key locations in the heat dissipation mechanism 3: two at the air inlet of the motor body 1, two at the air outlet of the motor body 1, and four in the radial center of the heat dissipation body 31. The temperature sensors 2 use K-type armored thermocouples with a measurement range of -50℃ to +200℃, a measurement accuracy of ±0.5℃, and a response time of less than 3 seconds. The temperature monitoring mechanism 8 also includes a data acquisition unit, which uses a 24-bit high-precision ADC converter with a sampling frequency of 2Hz and features digital filtering and temperature compensation functions. Valve 10 is configured as an intelligent valve, employing a 32-bit ARM microprocessor with built-in PID control and fuzzy control algorithms. It can precisely regulate seawater flow based on multi-point temperature feedback. Seawater first passes through a coarse filter plate 9 to remove impurities larger than 5mm, then through a cyclone separator to remove denser particles, and finally through a precision filter plate 9 to remove microparticles larger than 100μm and algae. The filter plate 9 employs a multi-stage filtration design, including a stainless steel wire mesh filter element and an activated carbon filter element, and features automatic backwashing. The intelligent valve is an electrically adjustable ball valve with a valve opening adjustment accuracy of 0.5% and a response time of less than 8 seconds. It is equipped with position feedback and torque protection functions. The flow sensor 19 is an electromagnetic flow meter with a measurement accuracy of ±1% and a range of 0.1-10 L / s. The pressure sensor 20 is a piezoresistive sensor with a measurement accuracy of ±0.25% and a range of 0-1 MPa.

[0024] Specifically, the working process or working principle of a seawater-cooled phase change material radiator for electric ship propulsion motors is as follows: This equipment adopts a technical solution that combines a shaped phase change material layer 33 with direct seawater cooling, giving full play to the dual advantages of the phase change material's large-capacity heat storage and seawater's efficient cooling. The radiator has the characteristics of strong heat dissipation capacity, precise temperature control, excellent corrosion resistance, and simple and reliable structure. It can effectively solve the heat dissipation problem of the main body 1 of the high-power electric propulsion motor, improve the operating efficiency and service life of the motor body 1, reduce maintenance costs, and provide an important guarantee for the reliable operation of electric ships. Compared with traditional radiators, the heat dissipation capacity is increased by 30-40%, the weight is reduced by 20-30%, and the maintenance cycle is extended by more than 50%.

[0025] In practical application, the preparation process of the shaped phase change material layer 32 adopts a melt impregnation-press molding composite process. First, industrial-grade paraffin wax (melting point 46-48℃) is completely melted at 70℃. Then, 20% of expanded graphite powder (particle size 50-80 mesh) is gradually added according to the mass ratio, and mechanically stirred at 500 rpm for 30 minutes until the paraffin wax is completely adsorbed by the expanded graphite. Subsequently, 5% of epoxy resin (bisphenol A type) and 2% of chopped glass fibers (length 3-6 mm) are added, and stirring is continued for 15 minutes until completely uniform. The mixture is poured into a cylindrical molding mold with a pre-set seawater cooling channel 4 mold, and pressed under 30 MPa pressure. After holding the pressure for 30 minutes, the pressure is slowly released, and after curing at room temperature for 24 hours, the material is demolded to obtain an integrated shaped phase change material structure with built-in seawater cooling channels 33. The seawater cooling channels 33 adopt a double helix structure design, including a main helix channel 5 and a secondary helix channel 6. The main spiral channel 5 has an elliptical cross-section with a major axis of 22mm, a minor axis of 14mm, a spiral pitch of 100mm, and a spiral helix angle of 15°. The secondary spiral channel 6 has a circular cross-section with a diameter of 10mm, a spiral pitch of 80mm, and a spiral helix angle of 12°. The two spiral channels are connected at the top and bottom of the heat dissipation body 31 by a connecting pipe, forming a complete cooling circulation loop. Seawater enters the main spiral channel 5 through the inlet located at the bottom of the heat dissipation body 31, spirals upward to the top of the heat dissipation body 31, then flows downward through the connecting pipe into the secondary spiral channel 6, and finally exits from the outlet of the heat dissipation body 31. This double spiral design not only increases the residence time of seawater in the heat dissipation body 31 but also improves the heat transfer area and heat transfer efficiency.

[0026] In practical applications, the heat dissipation mechanism 3 was optimized and improved to meet the needs of high-power propulsion motors (power above 1500kW). The main heat dissipation component 31 adopts a segmented design, consisting of an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section, each 400-500mm in length, connected by flanges 7 to form a whole. This segmented design facilitates the manufacturing, transportation, and installation of large heat sinks. Furthermore, the phase change material layer 32 adopts a stepped phase change design, with the upper section using a material with a phase change temperature of 45℃, the middle section using a material with a phase change temperature of 47℃, and the lower section using a material with a phase change temperature of 50℃. This stepped design better matches the axial temperature distribution of the motor body 1, improving heat dissipation efficiency. The design of the seawater cooling channel 33 was also adjusted accordingly, adopting a three-stage series structure. The flow parameters of each stage were optimized according to the heat load of the corresponding section. The number of heat dissipation fins 4 was increased to 30, the fin height was increased to 150mm, and heat-conducting fins 23 were added to the fin surface to further enhance heat dissipation capacity. The temperature monitoring mechanism 8 incorporates 2 to 12 temperature sensors, with 4 sensors per segment, enabling more precise temperature control. The intelligent control system adds predictive control functionality, allowing it to adjust cooling intensity in advance based on motor load changes.

[0027] To address the application requirements of low-power propulsion motors (below 300kW), the heat dissipation mechanism 3 was simplified. The main heat dissipation component 31 adopted a compact design, reducing the outer diameter by 20-30% and the weight by 30-40%. The number of heat dissipation fins 4 was reduced to 12, the fin height to 80mm, and the temperature sensors 2 were simplified to 4, employing a simplified PID control algorithm. The seawater cooling system used a simplified filter plate 9, eliminating some monitoring sensors. The overall design prioritized cost control and structural simplification while ensuring basic heat dissipation performance and reliability.

Claims

1. A sea water cooling phase change material radiator for an electric marine propulsion motor, characterized by, It includes a motor body (1) and a heat dissipation mechanism (3), wherein the heat dissipation mechanism (3) surrounds the motor body (1) in a ring-shaped manner: The heat dissipation mechanism (3) includes: Heat dissipation body (31), which is wrapped around the outer surface of motor body (1); A shaped phase change material layer (32) is disposed inside the heat dissipation body (31); Seawater cooling channel (33) is embedded inside the shaped phase change material layer (32), and the two are integrated.

2. A phase change material heat sink for electric marine propulsion motor cooling with seawater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the heat dissipation body (31) is provided with a number of radial heat dissipation fins (4). The heat dissipation fins (4) are made of a shaped phase change material. The heat dissipation fins (4) and the heat dissipation body (31) form an integral structure. The number of heat dissipation fins (4) is 16-24, the fin height is 100-150mm, the thickness is 8-12mm, and the fin surface is designed with fine texture.

3. A sea water cooling phase change material radiator for an electric marine propulsion motor according to claim 2, characterized in that, The seawater cooling channel (33) is spiral in shape. The seawater cooling channel (33) also includes a main spiral channel (5) and a secondary spiral channel (6) to form a double spiral structure. The spiral pitch is 80-120mm. The cross-sectional shape of the seawater cooling channel (33) is elliptical.

4. A phase change material heat sink for electric marine propulsion electric machines using sea water cooling according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heat dissipation body (31) is made of 316L stainless steel or titanium alloy. The surface of the heat dissipation body (31) is provided with an anti-corrosion coating. The heat dissipation body (31) is connected to the motor body (1) through the mounting flange (7).

5. A sea water cooling phase change material heat sink for an electric marine propulsion motor according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer surface of the heat dissipation mechanism (3) is also provided with a temperature monitoring mechanism (8), which includes a filter plate (9), a valve (10) and a temperature sensor (2).

6. A sea water cooling phase change material heat sink for an electric marine propulsion motor according to claim 5, characterized in that, The temperature sensor (2) is a K-type thermocouple with a measurement accuracy of ±0.5℃.

7. A sea water cooled phase change material heat sink for an electric marine propulsion motor according to claim 6, characterized in that, The shaped phase change material layer (32) is prepared by a pressing molding process, and is pressed under a pressure of 30MPa. The axial thermal conductivity reaches 21.21W / (m·K) and the radial thermal conductivity reaches 11.70W / (m·K).

Images