Electric Actuator Gearbox Alignment for Heat and Vibration Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric actuators lack robustness in vibration resistance and lifespan due to imperfect guidance and centering of mechanical gearbox components, and inadequate heat dissipation from electronic components, making them unsuitable for high-temperature and high-load applications.
Innovation Solution
An electric actuator design featuring a housing, intermediate plate, and cover with centering pins and seals, ensuring precise alignment and guidance, along with improved thermal management through thermal paste and conductive materials, and a mechanical reducer with optimized stator and rotor configurations for enhanced performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional housing designs are used, then the actuator can be manufactured simply, but the guidance and centering of mechanical gearbox components becomes imperfect, reducing vibration resistance and lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediate plate is introduced between the housing and the mechanical gearbox to provide precise guidance and centering for the shafts. This intermediary component resolves the contradiction by enabling reliable mechanical guidance without requiring complex integrated housing structures, thereby improving vibration resistance and lifespan while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure is segmented into distinct functional components: the main housing, the intermediate plate with guidance features, and the cover. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the intermediate plate can be precisely manufactured with centering holes and bearing surfaces, while the housing maintains its structural simplicity, thus improving reliability without overall complexity.
2Temperature
If electronic components are mounted on the printed circuit board without external thermal bridges, then the device structure remains simple, but heat dissipation becomes inadequate, causing overheating in high-temperature applications
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate plate serves as a thermal intermediary by providing a thermally conductive path between the printed circuit board and the housing. Heat generated by electronic components is conducted through the intermediate plate to the housing, which acts as a heat sink. This resolves the contradiction by enabling effective heat dissipation without requiring complex dedicated thermal management structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate plate is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: mechanical guidance of shafts, structural support, and thermal conduction. By making the intermediate plate thermally conductive, it becomes a multi-functional component that addresses heat dissipation needs without adding separate thermal management components, thus improving temperature management while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Reliability
If a double seal is used between the central casing and both engine casings, then sealing reliability is improved, but the number of sealing components and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged into a single seal positioned at the interface between the housing and the cover. This unified sealing approach maintains sealing reliability by creating one continuous seal barrier, while eliminating the need for multiple separate sealing components and their associated assembly steps, thus reducing overall sealing system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides robust vibration resistance, extended lifespan, and efficient heat dissipation, enabling operation in high-temperature environments and high-load conditions.
Implementation Method 1
improved thermal management through thermal paste and conductive materials
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an electric actuator comprising a housing (2), an electric motor comprising a wound stator and a rotor mounted on a shaft, a printed circuit for powering the stator, an intermediate plate (3), a mechanical reduction gear driven by said rotor and comprising toothed wheels mounted on axes, a cover (4) and two centring pins (8a, 8b). The motor is housed in a cavity of the housing (2) which guides one end of the shaft. The printed circuit is located above the stator. The intermediate plate (3) is located above the printed circuit. The cover (4) is located above the intermediate plate (3). The reduction gear is housed in a cavity of the cover (4) which guides one end of each axis. The intermediate plate (3) guides the other end of the shaft and of the axes. Three pairs of centring holes (7, 9, 12) receive the centring pins (8). The housing (2) comprises a single sealing gasket (6) positioned at the interface between the housing (2) and the cover (4)