Compressor Motor Stator Cooling Slots for Direct Coolant Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric compressor motors experience overheating and uneven thermal wear due to insufficient cooling, particularly at the center of the stator, as existing cooling methods may not adequately address heat generation in the stator portion.
Innovation Solution
An active stator cooling configuration is implemented, featuring a stator ring with coolant slots that allow direct contact between coolant and stator windings, a housing with axial cavities for coolant drainage, and a coolant plenum connected to the stator ring through holes, ensuring efficient coolant distribution and expulsion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If coolant is sprayed on the end caps of the motor stators, then the internal portions of the stator windings and rotor windings can be cooled, but insufficient coolant results in overheating at the center of the stator and uneven thermal wear
Solution Approach 1:
The stator is divided into multiple cooling zones with coolant slots positioned at different locations (end caps and center). This segmentation allows coolant to reach different thermal zones independently, ensuring uniform cooling across the entire stator structure and preventing localized overheating.
Solution Approach 2:
Coolant slots are strategically positioned to provide localized cooling where heat generation is highest. The cooling configuration adapts to the local thermal characteristics of different stator regions, with enhanced cooling at the center where insufficient coolant previously caused overheating.
2Temperature
If more coolant is used to cool the center of the stator, then overheating at the center is prevented, but coolant distribution becomes uneven and thermal wear remains non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple coolant slots distributed throughout the stator structure. This allows balanced coolant distribution to multiple zones simultaneously, preventing the uneven distribution that occurs when coolant is concentrated in one area.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant slot configuration creates equipotential cooling zones where coolant flow and heat removal are balanced across different stator regions. This ensures uniform thermal conditions and consistent thermal wear across the stator surface.
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
This configuration effectively prevents overheating and ensures uniform cooling of the stator windings, reducing thermal stress and extending the motor's operational lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling slots are configured to allow coolant to directly contact at least one stator winding in the corresponding at least one stator winding slot
Implementation Method 2
a coolant injection port configured to provide a coolant to a coolant plenum, the coolant plenum being configured to disperse the coolant to the plurality of cooling slots
Data Source
AI summary
An electric compressor motor includes a stator ring having a plurality of stator winding slots and a plurality of stator windings. Each of said stator windings is received in a stator winding slot of the plurality of stator winding slots. The stator ring also includes a plurality of cooling slots. Each cooling slot in the plurality of coolant slots is defined along an axial length of at least one corresponding stator winding slot of the plurality of stator winding slots such that a shared opening between each stator winding slot and at least one corresponding coolant slot is defined. The cooling slots are configured to allow coolant to directly contact at least one stator winding in the corresponding at least one stator winding slot.