Modular smart electric motor

Abstract

The invention relates to a smart motor (10) including an electromechanical converter (12), electrical filtering means (14), an electronic control unit (16), two independent housings (18, 20) having a hollow cylindrical shape and being separated in an axial direction DA and a cooling device (24), a first housing (18) comprising a first end (180) and enclosing the electromechanical converter and a second housing (20) comprising a first end (200) and enclosing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit and the cooling device surrounding the first and second housings, the motor further comprising a first cover (182) enclosing a second end of the first housing (18) and a second cover (202) enclosing a second end of the second housing (20), the first and second covers facing each other and having ready-to-use connectors (40, 50), at least one of the first and second covers being made of a thermally insulating material.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Title of the invention: MODULAR INTELLIGENT ELECTRIC MOTOR

[0003] Technical Field

[0004] The present invention relates to the field of electric motors with integrated controllers and so-called intelligent mutual cooling, in particular for aircraft, and it relates more particularly to a modular intelligent electric motor allowing thermal segregation.

[0005] Prior art

[0006] These intelligent electric motors are now well known. For example, we can cite application FR3089715A1 filed in the name of the applicant and which illustrates an axial configuration motor provided with a mutual air cooling device, the power connection, for high voltage signals, being conventionally made by screw contacts via a large terminal, or a particularly bulky power connector.

[0007] Although this engine is generally satisfactory, it still has two major drawbacks. The first is that it cannot be assembled blindly due to the aforementioned connections, and the second is its lack of modularity, which prevents the manufacturing and repair of the engine part on the one hand and the manufacturing and repair of the electronic part on the other hand without touching the entire engine. It is also not possible to reuse the same electronics with several versions of engine, more or less powerful, to reduce maintenance costs and development costs.

[0008] In such engines, the search for modularity is complex because it is necessary to combine several issues, namely the thermal segregation of the engine area from the electronics area, the operating temperatures of the engines being much higher than those that integrated control electronics can withstand, and the optimization of the shaft line to allow a gain in mass and lifespan.

[0009] Statement of the invention

[0010] The main aim of the present invention is therefore to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks with an intelligent motor whose modularity increases its capacity for reuse within a family of products. Another aim is to distribute as well as possible the forces on the shaft and the bearings which ensure the rotation of the motor.

[0011] These aims are achieved by an intelligent motor comprising an electromechanical converter provided with a rotating part defining an axial direction DA and a radial direction DR, electrical filtering means, an electronic control unit, two independent housings having a hollow cylindrical shape and being separated in the axial direction and a cooling device, a first housing comprising a first end and enclosing the electromechanical converter and a second housing comprising a first end and enclosing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit and the cooling device surrounding the first and second housings, intelligent motor characterized in that it further comprises a first cover closing a second end of the first housing, opposite the first end, and a second cover closing a second end of the second housing, opposite the first end,the first and second covers facing each other and carrying ready-to-use connectors, at least one of the first and second covers being made of a thermally insulating material.,

[0012] Thus, the ready-to-use connectors allow "blind" assembly in a single operation and the thermal barrier formed by the two covers ensures perfect insulation between the two boxes, one containing the motor and the other its command and control electronics.

[0013] Preferably, the ready-to-use connectors comprise at least one low-current signal connector mounted on a movable plate supported by one of the first and second covers, and cooperating with associated contacts present on the other of the first and second covers.

[0014] Advantageously, the mobile plate comprises at least two centering guides ensuring automatic mutual alignment between the connector comprising at least two centering pins and its contacts.

[0015] Preferably, the ready-to-use connectors comprise at least one power signal connector using lamellar contacts fixed on a plate mounted on one of the first and second covers, and cooperating with associated contacts present on the other of the first and second covers.

[0016] According to the embodiment variant envisaged, the first housing containing the electromechanical converter is mounted upstream of the second housing containing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit, a transmission shaft passing through the first and second housings or the second housing containing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit is mounted upstream of the first housing containing the electromechanical converter, a transmission shaft passing through the first and second housings. The transmission shaft is then supported by a first bearing mounted on the first housing and a second bearing mounted on the second housing.

[0017] According to another embodiment variant, the second housing containing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit is mounted upstream of the first housing containing the electromechanical converter and vice versa, a transmission shaft passing through only the first housing. Then, the transmission shaft is supported by a first bearing mounted on the first housing and a second bearing mounted on the first cover.

[0018] Brief description of the drawings

[0019] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description given below, with reference to the appended drawings which illustrate an exemplary embodiment thereof without any limiting character and in which: [Fig. 1] Figure 1 illustrates a first exemplary embodiment of a modular intelligent electric motor in accordance with the invention,

[0020] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 shows a detail of the low power signal connections of the motor of Figure 1,

[0021] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 shows a detail of the high power signal connections of the motor of Figure 1,

[0022] [Fig. 4] Figure 4 illustrates a second exemplary embodiment of a modular intelligent electric motor according to the invention, and

[0023] [Fig. 5] Figure 5 illustrates a third example embodiment of a modular intelligent electric motor according to the invention.

[0024] Description of the embodiments

[0025] The principle of the invention is based on the construction of the motor in two independent blocks thermally insulated from each other and able to be mounted separately and then assembled together blindly. This means that the electrical connections between the motor and its electronic control part cannot be seen and cannot be visually checked when it is closed.

[0026] Figure 1 illustrates in a sectional view a first embodiment of a modular intelligent electric motor according to the invention. If this motor was designed for the aeronautical field, it is understood that the architecture described above is not limited to this field alone but will also find application in the automotive, railway or maritime fields for example and concerns all electrical machines associating a rotating part with command and control electronics such as a fan, a pump or an exchanger.

[0027] This intelligent motor, said to be of axial configuration, comprises an electrical machine 12 acting as an electromechanical converter and provided with a rotating part defining in the section plane an axial direction DA and a radial direction DR. The intelligent motor further comprises electrical filtering means 14, an electronic control unit 16, and two independent blocks, or housings or casings 18, 20, separated in the axial direction and inside which are housed respectively on the one hand the driving part comprising the electrical machine 12 and on the other hand the electronic control unit 16 and the filtering means 14.

[0028] The first and second housings 18, 20 have a hollow cylindrical shape, with, in the illustrated embodiment, a circular section, and each of the first and second housings comprises a cooling device 22, 24 mounted on an outer radial surface of these housings (the terms "internal" and "external", and "inner" and "outer" being used herein with reference to the radial direction DR in the smart engine) and comprising a set of fins extending radially outwardly so as to form a radiator allowing heat exchange between the fins and an air flow passing through the fins 22, 24 of the cooling device. The cooling air flow is conventionally generated externally by the rotor of the aircraft but internal generation by means of a bladed wheel as is known is of course also possible, as is liquid cooling as a substitute for or in addition to air cooling.

[0029] The common axis of revolution of these housings is merged with the axis of rotation DA of the electrical machine 12 which is merged with the axis of rotation of its transmission shaft 26 passing through both the first and second housings and supported at a first end in the first housing 18 by a first bearing 28 and at a second end, opposite the first in the axial direction DA, in the second housing 20 by a second bearing 30. By passing completely through the two blocks, the transmission shaft benefits from a wide span between the bearings and thus minimizes the forces on the shaft, on the housings 18, 20 and on these bearings.

[0030] The first bearing 28 is mounted on a first end 180 of the first housing 18 extending in a radial plane comprising the radial direction DR and orthogonal to the axial direction DA and closing the first housing 18 and the second bearing 30 is mounted on a first end 200 of the second housing 20 also extending in a radial plane comprising the radial direction DR and orthogonal to the axial direction DA and closing the second housing 20. The first end 180 of the first housing 18 advantageously constitutes the first end of the modular intelligent motor 10 and the first end 200 of the second housing 20 advantageously constitutes the second end of the motor 10.

[0031] It will be noted that, in an alternative embodiment, these ends can be separated from the housings and form two independent covers for these housings.

[0032] Each of the first and second housings 18, 20 further comprises a second end opposite the first end, so that in the axial direction DA the two housings 18, 20 are also closed respectively by a first cover 182 and by a second cover 202 facing each other, these two covers being mechanically coupled by screwing the engine block onto the electronic block by means of screws 32 distributed regularly around the two housings.

[0033] Thus, in accordance with the invention, two independent blocks are formed which are physically separable from one another and a thermal barrier is created by inserting these two covers, advantageously each made of a thermally insulating material, between the engine block 12 and the electronic control block 14, 16, each block thus comprising its own thermal barrier (however, depending on the operating conditions, a single thermal barrier may be sufficient, advantageously on the engine cover. This makes the two blocks independent and reinforces the thermal insulation and, moreover, this closure allows them to be protected during the transport and assembly phases.These walls, in addition to this thermal segregation function, also have the function of accommodating ready-to-use electrical connectors (in English "plug and play"), i.e. mutually pluggable and which must be tolerant to allow the desired blind assembly involving low assembly precision.

[0034] To do this, and as shown in Figure 2, a connector 40 for the low-current signals comprising centering pins 40A, 40B is mounted on a movable plate 42 which is capable of self-aligning itself between the wall forming a cover 202 present on the electronic unit side and advantageously supporting this plate and that 182 on the engine unit side (however, support of the plate by the cover 182 is also possible). This automatic alignment is achieved thanks to at least two centering guides 44A, 44B of the plate which connect the connector with its associated contacts before the connector's own centering guides 40A, 40B come into action.

[0035] For the connector 50 of the power signals and as shown in Figure 3, lamellar contacts are used, of the Multilam® type or equivalent, fixed on a plate 52 mounted on one of the two walls forming a cover, preferably that 182 of the electronic unit (but a support by the wall 202 is also possible), and which come to rest on a wide contact pad present on the other wall (not illustrated). The tolerances and the spring function of these contacts ensure the desired operating range.

[0036] The architecture thus constituted and described previously allows the mounting of the motor on its power electronics "blindly" in a single operation, to obtain the finished product and thanks to the mechanical coupling devices by screwing the motor block onto the electronic block, the thermal barrier is sandwiched between these two blocks. The electrical power connections come to bear on each other with the lamellar contact system which naturally compensates for assembly clearances and centering. The low power electrical connections made by traditional connectors (SubD or other) come to align thanks to the centering guides and the mobility of the plate and therefore of the connectors and their associated contacts.The cooling carried out by air thanks to the fins located all around the perimeter of the housings is shared and allows the cooling air to pass over the fins of the engine block and then serve the fins of the electronic block, also using the same cooling flow.

[0037] It will be noted that if in the aforementioned architecture, the electronic unit is positioned upstream of the engine unit relative to the direction of air circulation, thus benefiting from the coolest cooling air, it is also possible to opt for an inverse architecture illustrated in figure 4 with the engine unit 18 positioned upstream of the electronic unit 20 in the case where the aircraft installation is made so that the air circulates first through the electronic part and then goes towards the engine part.

[0038] Similarly, and as shown in Figure 5, it is possible to install the first 28 and second 30 bearings only in the engine block. This is typically the case when the engine is separated from its electronics. In this configuration, the transmission shaft 26 is limited to only passing through the engine block 12, the first bearing 28 being mounted on the first end 180 of the first housing 18 (forming a cover or not) and the second bearing 30 on the first cover 182. Both arrangements of the housings are then possible with a first housing upstream of the second housing or vice versa (first downstream of the second).

Claims

Claims

1. Smart motor (10) comprising an electromechanical converter (12) provided with a rotating part defining an axial direction DA and a radial direction DR, electrical filtering means (14), an electronic control unit (16), two independent housings (18, 20) having a hollow cylindrical shape and being separated in the axial direction and a cooling device (24), a first housing (18) having a first end (180) and enclosing the electromechanical converter and a second housing (20) having a second end (200) and enclosing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit, and the cooling device surrounding the first and second housings, smart motor characterized in that it further comprises a first cover (182) closing a second end of the first housing (18), opposite the first end of the first housing,and a second cover (202) closing a second end of the second housing (20), opposite the first end of the second housing, the first and second covers facing each other and carrying ready-to-use connectors (40, 50), at least one of the first and second covers being made of a thermally insulating material.,

2. An intelligent motor according to claim 1, wherein the ready-to-use connectors comprise at least one connector (40) for the low current signals mounted on a movable plate (42) supported by one of the first and second covers (182, 202), and cooperating with associated contacts present on the other of the first and second covers (202, 182).

3. Intelligent motor according to claim 2, in which the movable plate comprises at least two centering guides (44A, 44B) ensuring automatic mutual alignment between the connector comprising at least two centering pins (40A, 40B) and its contacts.

4. An intelligent motor according to claim 1, wherein the ready-to-use connectors comprise at least one connector (50) for the power signals using lamellar contacts (52) fixed on a plate (52) mounted on one of the first and second covers (182, 202), and cooperating with associated contacts present on the other of the first and second covers (202, 182).

5. Intelligent motor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the first housing (18) containing the electromechanical converter is mounted upstream of the second housing (20) containing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit, a transmission shaft (26) passing through the first and second housings.

6. Intelligent motor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the second housing (20) containing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit is mounted upstream of the first housing (18) containing the electromechanical converter, a transmission shaft (26) passing through the first and second housings.

7. A smart motor according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the drive shaft (26) is supported by a first bearing (28) mounted on the first housing (18) and a second bearing (30) mounted on the second housing (20).

8. Intelligent motor according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the second housing (20) containing the electrical filtering means and the electronic control unit is mounted upstream of the first housing (18) containing the electromechanical converter and vice versa, a transmission shaft (26) passing through the first housing alone.

9. A smart motor according to claim 8, wherein the transmission shaft (26) is supported by a first bearing (28) mounted on the first housing (18) and a second bearing (30) mounted on the first cover (182).

10. A propulsion system for an aircraft comprising at least one intelligent engine according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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