Liquid-cooled robot joint module and robot

Abstract

This utility model discloses a liquid-cooled robot joint module and robot, belonging to the field of robot technology. It includes: a motor assembly comprising a stator and an outer rotor sleeved outside the stator, and a housing; a reducer, the input end of which is drively connected to the output end of the outer rotor; and a liquid cooling system including a first liquid cooling channel integrated within the housing, the first liquid cooling channel surrounding the stator and having a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein the coolant can remove the heat generated by the stator. This utility model's liquid-cooled robot joint module provides an efficient, reliable, compact, and low-noise heat dissipation method for high-power-density robot joints within an extremely limited space, while avoiding a significant increase in the module's size, weight, and complexity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of robotics technology, and in particular to a liquid-cooled heat dissipation robot joint module and robot. Background Technology

[0002] As robotics technology advances towards higher precision, higher power density, and miniaturization, particularly in humanoid robots, collaborative robots, and high-precision industrial robotic arms, extremely stringent requirements are being placed on the performance of their core drive units—joint modules. Joint modules typically integrate motors, reducers, drive circuits, and sensors. When continuously outputting high torque within a confined space, they generate a significant amount of heat. The main heat sources include Joule heating of the motor windings, core losses, and frictional heat from gear meshing in the reducer.

[0003] In existing technologies, the heat dissipation methods for robot joint modules are mostly natural air cooling or forced air cooling. Natural air cooling relies on heat exchange between the shell and the air. Due to limitations in contact area and thermal conductivity, the heat dissipation efficiency is extremely low and cannot meet the continuous working requirements of high-performance joints. Forced air cooling uses fans to create air convection, but the introduction of fans increases the size, weight, and noise of the module, and its heat dissipation efficiency is constrained by the environment, making it difficult to form an effective heat dissipation path. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this invention is to provide a liquid-cooled robot joint module and robot, which provides an efficient, reliable, compact and low-noise heat dissipation method for high power density robot joints within an extremely limited space, while avoiding a significant increase in the module's size, weight and complexity.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is as follows: A liquid-cooled heat dissipation robot joint module is provided, comprising: An electric motor assembly, comprising a stator and an outer rotor fitted outside the stator, and further comprising a housing; The reducer has its input end connected to the output end of the outer rotor; The liquid cooling system includes a first liquid cooling channel integrated within the housing, the first liquid cooling channel being at least partially surrounding the stator and having a first liquid inlet and a first liquid outlet, wherein the coolant can carry away the heat generated by the stator.

[0006] Furthermore, the first liquid cooling channel extends further and comes into thermal contact with the reducer to dissipate heat from the reducer.

[0007] Furthermore, the liquid cooling system also includes a second liquid cooling channel, which is disposed at the winding end of the stator and is used to provide targeted heat dissipation for the motor windings; The second liquid cooling channel is provided with a second liquid inlet and a second liquid outlet.

[0008] Furthermore, the flow channel shape of the first liquid cooling channel and / or the second liquid cooling channel is one of annular, serpentine, or spiral.

[0009] Furthermore, the first liquid cooling channel and / or the second liquid cooling channel are provided with a Tesla valve structure to enhance the turbulence of the coolant and thus strengthen heat transfer.

[0010] Furthermore, the first liquid cooling channel and the second liquid cooling channel are independent of each other, forming a parallel liquid cooling circuit; Alternatively, the first liquid outlet of the first liquid cooling channel and the second liquid inlet of the second liquid cooling channel are connected by a pipeline to form a series cooling circuit.

[0011] Furthermore, the reducer is one of a harmonic reducer, a cycloidal pinwheel reducer, or a planetary gear reducer.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes: A temperature sensor is located near the motor assembly and / or the reducer; The controller is connected to the temperature sensor and adjusts the flow rate of the coolant according to the temperature signal detected by the temperature sensor.

[0013] A robot, including a liquid-cooled robot joint module.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. The liquid-cooled heat dissipation robot joint module of this utility model dissipates heat from the motor housing and reducer through liquid cooling channels, achieving targeted cooling of the two main heat sources in the joint module. The coolant efficiently absorbs and removes a large amount of heat, ensuring that the motor and reducer operate at a safe temperature, thereby solving the problem of heat dissipation bottleneck of high-performance motors in confined spaces. 2. The liquid-cooled heat dissipation robot joint module of this utility model integrates a Tesla valve structure in the liquid cooling channel. This structure, as a passive turbulence generator, can force the coolant to generate violent eddies and collisions, efficiently destroying the thermal boundary layer on the channel wall, so that the heat dissipation efficiency is improved by orders of magnitude compared with ordinary channels. 3. The liquid-cooled heat dissipation robot joint module of this utility model controls the operating temperature of the motor and reducer within the optimal range through coolant and temperature sensors, effectively preventing problems such as permanent magnet demagnetization, winding insulation aging, lubricant failure and gearbox precision loss caused by overheating. In addition, liquid cooling completely eliminates running components such as fans, resulting in extremely low operating noise. At the same time, the fully sealed liquid cooling system protects the joint module from the effects of harsh environments such as external dust, oil, and moisture. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure from another perspective; Figure 3 This is a sectional view; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the first liquid cooling channel structure; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Example 2; Figure 6 This is a sectional view; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid cooling channel structure in Example 3; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the Tesla valve structure in Example 4.

[0016] In the diagram: 1-Stator, 2-Outer rotor, 3-Reducer, 4-Housing, 5-First liquid cooling channel, 6-First liquid inlet, 7-First liquid outlet, 8-Second liquid cooling channel, 9-Second liquid inlet, 10-Second liquid outlet, 11-Tesla valve. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the relevant utility model and not intended to limit the scope of the utility model. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the utility model are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0018] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0019] Example 1: like Figure 1-3As shown, this embodiment provides a liquid-cooled robot joint module, including a motor assembly, a reducer 3, and a liquid cooling system. The motor assembly includes a stator 1 and an outer rotor 2 sleeved outside the stator 1, and also includes a motor housing 4. The input end of the reducer 3 is drively connected to the output end of the outer rotor 2. The housing 4 is located between the motor assembly and the reducer 3.

[0020] The liquid cooling system includes a first liquid cooling channel 5 integrated within the housing 4. In this embodiment, the first liquid cooling channel 5 is arranged around the stator 1. The first liquid cooling channel 5 is provided with a first liquid inlet 6 and a first liquid outlet 7. The coolant in the first liquid cooling channel 5 can carry away the heat generated by the stator 1 and the drive circuit.

[0021] In this embodiment, as Figure 4 As shown, the first liquid cooling channel 5 has an annular shape. Furthermore, the first liquid cooling channel 5 extends further and makes thermal contact with the reducer 3, dissipating heat from both the motor assembly and the reducer 3. During operation, coolant enters the first liquid cooling channel 5 through the first inlet 6, flows through the outer periphery of the stator 1 and the reducer 3, absorbing the heat generated by the motor and reducer 3 during operation, and then flows out from the first outlet 7, achieving efficient heat dissipation for the motor and reducer 3.

[0022] In optional embodiments, exemplary coolants include, but are not limited to, water-glycol mixtures or insulating fluorinated liquids. Specifically, when an insulating fluorinated liquid is used, the boiling point of the coolant is set to be higher than the normal operating temperature but lower than the critical temperature of the component. In this configuration, the liquid cooling system not only provides efficient heat dissipation through single-phase liquid cooling under normal operating conditions, but also possesses a safety redundancy characteristic. That is, in extreme conditions such as instantaneous overload, if the local heat flux density suddenly increases, the coolant can undergo local phase change boiling on the heating surface, rapidly carrying away heat using its large latent heat of phase change, thereby providing an additional safety barrier for the system and preventing thermal runaway. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above selection of coolant is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0023] In this embodiment, the reducer 3 is a planetary gear reducer, and the first liquid cooling channel 5 is arranged around the gear ring. The large amount of frictional heat generated by the meshing of the planetary gears and the gear ring is rapidly transferred to the first liquid cooling channel 5 through the gear ring, and then efficiently carried away by the coolant.

[0024] The liquid-cooled robot joint module exemplified in this embodiment provides efficient, low-noise, and reliable heat dissipation for high-power-density joint modules without significantly increasing their size and weight, thereby improving their power density, operational stability, and environmental adaptability.

[0025] Example 2: This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, such as... Figure 5-6 As shown, a second annular liquid cooling channel 8 is added, which has a similar structure to the first liquid cooling channel 5. The second liquid cooling channel 8 is located at the winding end of the stator 1 and is used for targeted heat dissipation of the motor windings. The second liquid cooling channel 8 has a second liquid inlet 9 and a second liquid outlet 10. In this embodiment, the first liquid cooling channel 5 and the second liquid cooling channel 8 are independent of each other and form a parallel liquid cooling circuit. The independent arrangement of the two liquid cooling channels is more conducive to efficient heat dissipation.

[0026] Example 3: like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, based on embodiment two, the flow channel shapes of the first liquid cooling channel 5 and the second liquid cooling channel 8 are both designed as spirals, so that the flow path of the coolant is highly consistent with the shape of the heat source, the flow channel is longer, and the heat exchange time is more sufficient.

[0027] Example 4: This implementation is based on Example 2, such as Figure 8 As shown, a Tesla valve 11 structure is installed in the first liquid cooling channel 5 and the second liquid cooling channel 8. The Tesla valve 11 structure is integrated in the liquid cooling channel. As a passive turbulence generator, this structure can force the coolant to generate violent eddies and collisions, efficiently destroying the thermal boundary layer on the channel wall, so that the heat dissipation efficiency is improved by orders of magnitude compared with ordinary channels.

[0028] Example 5: This embodiment, based on Embodiment 2, adds temperature sensors and a controller. In this embodiment, multiple temperature sensors are located around the first liquid cooling channel 5, and are directly installed in the winding slots of the motor stator 1, and in key heat-generating components such as the gear ring or housing of the reducer 3. Temperature sensors located around the second liquid cooling channel 8 are installed on the wall of the second liquid cooling channel 8, with the sensing end close to the end of the winding assembly. The controller is connected to the temperature sensors and adjusts the opening of the flow control valve according to the temperature signals detected by the temperature sensors, thereby regulating the flow rate of the coolant in the first and second liquid cooling channels 5 and 8 respectively.

[0029] When a temperature increase is detected, the controller controls the flow control valve to increase the coolant flow rate; when the temperature decreases, the flow rate is reduced accordingly, achieving intelligent temperature control and optimizing energy utilization.

[0030] Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the utility model involved in this application is not limited to the technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-mentioned technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-mentioned technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the inventive concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above-mentioned features with technical features disclosed in this application (but not limited to) that have similar functions.

Claims

1. A liquid-cooled heat-dissipating robot joint module, characterized in that, include: The motor assembly includes a stator (1) and an outer rotor (2) sleeved outside the stator (1), and also includes a housing (4); The input end of the reducer (3) is connected to the output end of the outer rotor (2) in a transmission connection; The liquid cooling system includes a first liquid cooling channel (5) integrated within the housing (4), the first liquid cooling channel (5) being arranged at least partially around the stator (1) and having a first liquid inlet (6) and a first liquid outlet (7), wherein the coolant can carry away the heat generated by the stator (1).

2. The liquid-cooled heat-dissipating robotic joint module according to claim 1, wherein, The first liquid cooling channel (5) extends further and makes thermal contact with the reducer (3) to dissipate heat from the reducer (3).

3. The liquid-cooled heat-dissipating robotic joint module according to claim 1, wherein, The liquid cooling system also includes a second liquid cooling channel (8), which is located at the winding end of the stator (1) and is used to provide targeted heat dissipation for the motor windings; The second liquid cooling channel (8) is provided with a second liquid inlet (9) and a second liquid outlet (10).

4. The liquid-cooled heat-dissipating robotic joint module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flow channel shape of the first liquid cooling channel (5) and / or the second liquid cooling channel (8) is one of annular, serpentine or spiral.

5. The liquid-cooled heat-dissipating robotic joint module according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, The first liquid cooling channel (5) and / or the second liquid cooling channel (8) are provided with a Tesla valve (11) structure to enhance the turbulence of the coolant and strengthen heat transfer.

6. The liquid-cooled heat-dissipating robotic joint module according to claim 3, wherein, The first liquid cooling channel (5) and the second liquid cooling channel (8) are independent of each other and form a parallel liquid cooling circuit; Alternatively, the first outlet (7) of the first liquid cooling channel (5) and the second inlet (9) of the second liquid cooling channel (8) are connected by a pipeline to form a series cooling circuit.

7. The liquid-cooled thermal management robotic joint module of claim 1, wherein, The reducer (3) is one of a harmonic reducer, a cycloidal pinwheel reducer or a planetary gear reducer.

8. The liquid-cooled thermal management robotic joint module of claim 1, wherein, Also includes: A temperature sensor is located near the motor assembly and / or reducer (3); The controller is connected to the temperature sensor and adjusts the flow rate of the coolant according to the temperature signal detected by the temperature sensor.

9. A robot, characterized in that Includes the liquid-cooled heat dissipation robot joint module as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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