Blower

Abstract

The invention relates to a blower (10) comprising: a housing (12) on which an intake opening (1232) and an outlet opening (1212) are formed and which forms a conveying chamber (14), a motor chamber (18) and an electronics chamber (22), the housing (12) being designed such that a fluid can be conveyed from the intake opening (1232) through the motor chamber (18) and the conveying chamber (14) to the outlet opening (1212); an impeller (16) which is arranged in the conveying chamber (14), the conveying chamber (14) and the impeller (16) being designed such that a fluid is conveyed through the conveying chamber (14) when the impeller (16) rotates; an electric motor (20) which is arranged in the motor chamber (18) and which is designed to drive the impeller (16) in rotation; and a motor electronics unit (24) which is arranged in the electronics chamber (22) and which is designed to control the electric motor (20) in order to drive the impeller (16), the housing (12) having a pressure equalization opening (1235) via which the electronics chamber (22) is fluidically connected to the motor chamber (18), a pressure equalization element (32) being arranged at the pressure equalization opening (1235) and being designed to allow gas to be exchanged between the electronics chamber (22) and the motor chamber (18) via the pressure equalization opening (1235) and to prevent liquid from infiltrating into the electronics chamber (22) via the pressure equalization opening (1235).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] fan

[0003] The present invention relates to a blower, in particular a blower for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a housing on which an intake opening and an outlet opening are formed and which forms a delivery chamber, a motor chamber and an electronics chamber, wherein the housing is designed such that a fluid can be conveyed from the intake opening through the motor chamber and the delivery chamber to the outlet opening, an impeller which is arranged in the delivery chamber, wherein the delivery chamber and the impeller are designed such that upon rotation of the impeller a fluid is conveyed through the delivery chamber, an electric motor which is arranged in the motor chamber and is designed to drive the impeller in rotation, and motor electronics which is arranged in the electronics chamber and is designed to control the electric motor to drive the impeller.

[0004] Unless otherwise defined, in the following an axial direction is parallel to an axis of rotation of the impeller, a radial direction is perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the impeller, and a transverse plane is transverse to the axis of rotation of the impeller.

[0005] A blower of this type is known from US 2016 / 0238031 A1. The fact that a pumped fluid flows around the electric motor located in the motor chamber during operation of the blower ensures efficient cooling of the electric motor. This allows the blower to remain switched on for a relatively long period of time. However, contaminants and / or liquids introduced into the electronics chamber via the sucked-in fluid flow can cause damage to the motor electronics, which can impair the functionality of the blower and even lead to total fan failure.

[0006] Against this background, the task is to create a reliable fan that allows relatively long operating times.

[0007] This object is achieved by a blower having the features of the main claim 1.

[0008] The blower according to the invention comprises a housing on which an intake opening and an outlet opening are formed and which forms a delivery chamber, a motor chamber, and an electronics chamber. The housing is designed such that a fluid can be conveyed from the intake opening through the motor chamber and the delivery chamber to the outlet opening. Specifically, during operation of the blower, a fluid is conveyed into the housing via the intake opening, then through the motor chamber and the delivery chamber, and finally out of the housing via the outlet opening. The motor chamber can in principle be arranged both upstream and downstream of the delivery chamber. Typically, the housing comprises several housing parts, which are preferably attached axially to one another to enable relatively simple assembly of the blower.Typically, an intake port is formed on the housing, which forms the intake opening, and an outlet port is formed, which forms the outlet opening.

[0009] The blower according to the invention comprises an impeller arranged in the conveying chamber. The impeller can, for example, be a side-channel pump impeller or a radial pump impeller. In any case, however, the conveying chamber and the impeller are designed such that, upon rotation of the impeller, a fluid is conveyed through the conveying chamber. Typically, the conveying chamber and the impeller are specifically designed such that, upon rotation of the impeller, a fluid is sucked into the conveying chamber, conveyed through the conveying chamber, and expelled from the conveying chamber. The fluid can either be sucked from the motor chamber into the conveying chamber or expelled from the conveying chamber into the motor chamber. To enable simple assembly of the impeller in the conveying chamber, the conveying chamber is preferably formed by two axially adjacent housing parts.

[0010] The fan according to the invention comprises an electric motor arranged in the motor chamber and designed to drive the impeller in rotation. The electric motor comprises a motor stator and a motor rotor, which interact in a known manner to drive the motor rotor in rotation. Preferably, the motor stator comprises at least one electromagnetic stator winding, and the motor rotor is permanently magnetized. Typically, the electric motor is designed as an internal rotor, with the motor stator radially surrounding the motor rotor, and the electric motor is electronically commutated. In principle, however, it is also conceivable for the electric motor to be designed as an external rotor, with the motor rotor radially surrounding the motor stator and / or being commutated via a mechanical commutator. In general, the impeller is designed to rotate with the motor rotor. Typically, the impeller is connected to the motor rotor via a rotor shaft.However, it is also conceivable that the impeller is formed in one piece with the motor rotor.

[0011] The fan according to the invention comprises motor electronics arranged in the electronics chamber and designed to control the electric motor in a known manner to drive the impeller. Generally, the motor electronics comprises a plurality of electronic components and at least one circuit board on which the electronic components are arranged. Preferably, the motor electronics comprises a plurality of power semiconductor switches for electronically commutation of a drive current supplied to the electric motor.

[0012] According to the invention, the housing has a pressure equalization opening via which the electronics chamber is fluidically connected to the motor chamber. A pressure equalization element is arranged at the pressure equalization opening and is designed to enable gas exchange between the electronics chamber and the motor chamber via the pressure equalization opening and to prevent liquid from the motor chamber from entering the electronics chamber via the pressure equalization opening. Typically, the pressure equalization element comprises a membrane that is permeable to gases but impermeable to liquids and solids. The membrane is arranged such that fluid exchange between the electronics chamber and the motor chamber via the pressure equalization opening can take place exclusively through the membrane.

[0013] Because gas exchange between the electronics chamber and the motor chamber is possible via the pressure equalization opening according to the invention, the formation of overpressure in the electronics chamber that could be potentially harmful to the motor electronics can be reliably prevented even when the fan is switched on for relatively long periods, despite the resulting heating of the motor electronics. The pressure equalization element according to the invention reliably prevents liquids and / or contaminants that could be potentially harmful to the motor electronics from penetrating the electronics chamber. Because the pressure equalization element is arranged inside the housing according to the invention, the generally relatively sensitive pressure equalization element is reliably protected from environmental influences, such as splash water or stone chips. This creates a fan that operates reliably even when the fan is switched on for relatively long periods.

[0014] Preferably, the motor chamber is fluidically arranged between the intake opening and the delivery chamber, so that the delivered fluid has a particularly low temperature as it flows through the motor chamber. This enables efficient cooling of the electric motor arranged in the motor chamber.

[0015] Preferably, a fluid inlet of the motor chamber and a fluid outlet of the motor chamber are arranged at different axial heights, so that the pumped fluid flows axially through the motor chamber. Particularly preferably, the fluid inlet of the motor chamber and the fluid outlet of the motor chamber are arranged on opposite axial sides of the electric motor, so that the pumped fluid flows completely around the electric motor. This enables efficient cooling of the electric motor.

[0016] Preferably, a housing part forming a housing wall separating the electronics chamber from the motor chamber is made of a material with relatively high thermal conductivity, particularly preferably a metal. This enables efficient cooling of the motor electronics arranged in the electronics chamber.

[0017] Preferably, the electronics chamber at least partially radially surrounds the motor chamber. This creates a particularly large shared housing wall area between the electronics chamber and the motor chamber, allowing a particularly large amount of heat to be dissipated from the electronics chamber into the motor chamber via the housing wall separating the electronics chamber from the motor chamber. This enables efficient cooling of the motor electronics located in the electronics chamber.

[0018] Preferably, on a side of a housing wall separating the electronics chamber from the motor chamber, said side facing the electronics chamber, there is formed at least one cooling dome which projects in the direction of the motor electronics and is in thermal contact with an electronic component and / or a circuit board of the motor electronics. The thermal contact can be realized either through direct physical contact or via a heat transfer medium arranged between the cooling dome and the electronic component or circuit board, such as a thermally conductive pad or thermally conductive paste, wherein the heat transfer medium is in direct physical contact with both the cooling dome and the electronic component or circuit board. Typically, the at least one cooling dome is formed on a housing wall section extending substantially in a transverse plane and protrudes axially from the housing wall.Preferably, several cooling domes designed in this way are present, which are in thermal contact with different electronic components and / or circuit board sections of the engine electronics. A particularly large amount of waste heat is typically generated by power semiconductor components in the engine electronics, which is why at least one cooling dome is preferably in thermal contact with a power semiconductor component in the engine electronics or with a region of the circuit board on which a power semiconductor component is arranged. The at least one cooling dome creates a material and thus particularly good heat-conducting connection between individual components of the engine electronics and the housing wall separating the electronics chamber from the motor chamber, and around which the pumped fluid flows on the motor chamber side. This enables particularly efficient cooling, in particular of components of the engine electronics that heat up considerably during operation.

[0019] Preferably, the housing forms an intake duct surrounding the intake opening, such that the intake duct and the electronics chamber have a common housing wall section. Fluid at a particularly low temperature flows around this common housing wall section on the intake duct side, thereby enabling efficient cooling of the engine electronics arranged in the electronics chamber.

[0020] To achieve particularly high flow rates, the delivery chamber and the impeller are preferably designed to form a side-channel delivery unit. The delivery chamber comprises at least one side channel. The delivery chamber preferably comprises two axially opposite side channels, between which the impeller is arranged. The two side channels are preferably formed by two different housing parts.

[0021] Because the pumped fluid flows through the motor chamber according to the invention and thus the electric motor arranged therein is efficiently cooled, the blower can be equipped with a particularly powerful electric motor, wherein a motor stator of the electric motor comprises at least one stator winding, preferably at least six stator windings.

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying figures. Figure 1 shows a side view of a blower according to the invention in a sectional view, and

[0023] Figure 2 is a top view of a conveying chamber of the blower in a sectional view.

[0024] The figures show a blower 10 according to the invention with a housing 12 consisting of a first housing part 121, a second housing part 122, a third housing part 123, and a fourth housing part 124, which are arranged axially one above the other and each made of a metal. The first housing part 121 and the second housing part 122 form a conveying chamber 14 in which an impeller 16 is arranged. The second housing part 122 and the third housing part 123 form a substantially cylindrical motor chamber 18 in which an electric motor 20 is arranged. The third housing part 123 and the fourth housing part 124 form an electronics chamber 22 in which motor electronics 24 are arranged and which comprises a substantially annular chamber region 221 that radially surrounds a first axial end region of the motor chamber 18.

[0025] An intake port 1231 is formed on the third housing part 123, which forms an intake channel 1239 with an intake opening 1232. The intake channel 1239 opens into the first axial end region of the motor chamber 18 facing the electronics chamber 22. The third housing part 123 is designed such that the intake channel 1239 and the electronics chamber 22 have a common housing wall section 1233.

[0026] An outlet nozzle 1211 is formed on the first housing part 121, which forms an outlet channel 1213 with an outlet opening 1212. The outlet channel 1213 is connected to the delivery chamber 14. A passage 1221 is formed in the second housing part 122, which fluidically connects the delivery chamber 14 to the motor chamber 18, so that a fluid can be conveyed from the intake opening 1232 through the intake channel 1239, the motor chamber 18, the delivery chamber 14, and the outlet channel 1213 to the outlet opening 1212. A fluidic inlet 181 of the motor chamber 18 formed by the intake channel 1239 and a fluidic outlet 182 of the motor chamber 18 formed by the passage 1221 are consequently arranged at opposite axial end regions of the motor chamber 18, so that the motor chamber 18 is essentially completely flowed through axially by a pumped fluid.

[0027] In the third housing part 123, specifically in a housing wall 1234 of the third housing part 123 separating the electronics chamber 22 from the motor chamber 18, a pressure equalization opening 1235 is formed, which fluidically connects the electronics chamber 22 to the motor chamber 18. A pressure equalization element 32 is arranged at the pressure equalization opening 1235 and is designed to enable gas exchange between the electronics chamber 22 and the motor chamber 18 via the pressure equalization opening 1235, but to prevent fluid from the motor chamber 18 from entering the electronics chamber 22 via the pressure equalization opening 1235.In the present exemplary embodiment, the pressure compensation element 32 is a gas-permeable and liquid-impermeable membrane that is arranged directly at the pressure compensation opening 1235 and completely covers it, so that fluid exchange between the electronics chamber 22 and the motor chamber 18 via the pressure compensation opening 1235 can take place exclusively through the membrane. On the third housing part 123, specifically on a side of the housing wall 1234 separating the electronics chamber 22 from the motor chamber 18 facing the electronics chamber 22, a plurality of cooling domes 1236 are formed, projecting axially in the direction of the motor electronics 24 arranged in the electronics chamber 22. Furthermore, a cooling dome 1237 is also formed on the common housing wall section 1233 between the intake channel 1239 and the electronics chamber 22.

[0028] In the present exemplary embodiment, the impeller 16 and the conveying chamber 14 are designed such that they form a side-channel conveying unit 26, which is configured in a known manner to convey a fluid through the conveying chamber 14 upon rotation of the impeller 16. The impeller 16 comprises a plurality of impeller blades 161 distributed along its circumference. The conveying chamber 14 comprises a first side channel 141, which is arranged on a first axial side of the impeller 16 facing away from the electric motor 20 and is formed by the first housing part 121, and a second side channel 142, which is arranged on a second axial side of the impeller 16 facing the electric motor 20 and is formed by the second housing part 122. The impeller 16 is fastened to a drive shaft 28 rotatably mounted in the housing 12.

[0029] The electric motor 20 comprises a motor stator 201, which is mounted in the housing 12, and a motor rotor 202, which is mounted on the drive shaft 28. The motor stator 201 comprises a laminated stator body 2011, on which, in the present embodiment, six stator windings 2012 are arranged. The motor rotor 202 is permanently magnetic. The motor stator 201 and the motor rotor 202 interact in a known manner to drive the motor rotor 202 and thus the drive shaft 28 by appropriately controlling the stator winding 2012. Winding ends 2013 of the stator windings 2012 extend in the axial direction through openings 1238 formed in the third housing part 123 into the electronics chamber 22, wherein a gap between the winding ends 2013 and the third housing part 123 is sealed by a sealing means 30.

[0030] The motor electronics 24 comprises a circuit board 241 on which a plurality of electronic components (not shown) are arranged. The motor electronics 24 is electrically connected to the winding ends 2013 of the stator windings 2012 and is configured to control the winding ends 2013 in a known manner to drive the motor rotor 202 and thus the impeller 16. The motor electronics 24 is arranged in the electronics chamber 22 such that the circuit board 241 and / or electronic components arranged thereon are in direct thermal contact with the cooling domes 1236, 1237. Advantageously, power semiconductor components of the motor electronics are arranged on those areas of the circuit board 241 that are in direct thermal contact with the cooling domes 1236, 1237, and / or the power semiconductor components are arranged in direct thermal contact with a cooling dome 1236, 1237.

[0031] List of reference symbols

[0032] 10 blowers

[0033] 12 housings

[0034] 121 first housing part

[0035] 1211 Outlet nozzle

[0036] 1212 outlet opening

[0037] 1213 exhaust duct

[0038] 122 second housing part

[0039] 1221 Passage

[0040] 123 third housing part

[0041] 1231 intake manifold

[0042] 1232 intake opening

[0043] 1233 common housing wall section

[0044] 1234 housing wall

[0045] 1235 Pressure equalization opening

[0046] 1236 cooling domes

[0047] 1237 Cooling Dome

[0048] 1238 Opening

[0049] 1239 intake duct

[0050] 124 fourth housing part

[0051] 14 Production chamber

[0052] 141 first side channel

[0053] 142 second side channel

[0054] 16 Wheel

[0055] 161 impeller blades

[0056] 18 Engine chamber

[0057] 181 fluidic inlet

[0058] 182 fluidic outlet

[0059] 20 electric motor

[0060] 201 Motor stator 2011 Stator body

[0061] 2012 Stator windings

[0062] 2013 winding ends

[0063] 202 Motor rotor 22 Electronics chamber

[0064] 221 annular chamber area

[0065] 24 Engine electronics

[0066] 241 board

[0067] 26 Side channel conveyor unit 28 Drive shaft

[0068] 30 sealants

[0069] 32 Pressure compensation element

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS Blower (10) comprising: - a housing (12) on which a suction opening (1232) and a outlet opening (1212) and the one a delivery chamber (14), a motor chamber (18) and an electronics chamber (22), wherein the housing (12) is designed such that a fluid can be delivered from the intake opening (1232) through the motor chamber (18) and the delivery chamber (14) to the outlet opening (1212), - an impeller (16) arranged in the conveying chamber (14), wherein the conveying chamber (14) and the impeller (16) are designed such that upon rotation of the impeller (16) a fluid is conveyed through the conveying chamber (14), - an electric motor (20) arranged in the motor chamber (18) and designed to drive the impeller (16) in rotation, and - motor electronics (24) which is arranged in the electronics chamber (22) and is designed to control the electric motor (20) for driving the impeller (16), characterized in that the housing (12) has a pressure equalization opening (1235) via which the electronics chamber (22) is fluidically connected to the motor chamber (18), wherein a pressure equalization element (32) is arranged at the pressure equalization opening (1235), which is designed to enable a gas exchange between the electronics chamber (22) and the motor chamber (18) via the pressure equalization opening (1235) and to prevent the entry of liquid into the electronics chamber (22) via the pressure equalization opening (1235). The blower (10) according to claim 1, wherein the motor chamber (18) is fluidically arranged between the intake opening (1232) and the delivery chamber (14). The blower (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a fluidic inlet (181) of the motor chamber (18) and a fluidic outlet (182) of the motor chamber (18) are arranged at different axial heights. The blower (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a housing part (123) forming a housing wall (1234) separating the electronics chamber (22) from the motor chamber (18) is made of a metal. The blower (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronics chamber (22) at least partially radially surrounds the motor chamber (18).Fan (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein on a side of a housing wall (1234) separating the electronics chamber (22) from the motor chamber (18) facing the electronics chamber (22), at least one cooling dome (1236) is formed, which projects in the direction of the motor electronics (24) and is in thermal contact with an electronic component and / or a circuit board (241) of the motor electronics (24). Fan (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (12) forms an intake duct (1239) comprising the intake opening (1232), such that the intake duct (1239) and the electronics chamber (22) form a common intake duct. Housing wall section (1233). Blower (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying chamber (14) and the impeller (16) are configured to form a side-channel conveying unit (26). Blower (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a motor stator (201) of the electric motor (20) comprises at least six stator windings (2012).

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