Electric Machine Integrated Airflow Inducer Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric machines face challenges in efficiently removing heat while increasing power, leading to increased complexity, capital costs, and reduced reliability due to the need for additional cooling components.
Innovation Solution
An integrated airflow inducer is used to enhance airflow across the machine by leveraging the high velocity and dynamic pressure of air exiting the fan cavity, creating a negative pressure at the inducer inlet and guiding air toward cooling fins, thus increasing heat rejection capabilities without requiring additional power or costly auxiliary cooling devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If additional cooling components are added to increase cooling capacity, then heat removal efficiency is improved, but device complexity and capital cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow inducer is integrated directly into the fan housing structure, merging the cooling fan and airflow induction functions into a single unified component. This eliminates the need for separate auxiliary cooling devices while maintaining effective heat removal capability through the combined structure of fan housing and cooling fins.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan housing serves multiple functions simultaneously: it houses the cooling fan, acts as an airflow inducer through its integrated skirt structure, provides structural support, and directs airflow through the cooling fins. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated cooling components.
2Loss of energy
If machine size and active materials are increased to reduce machine losses, then machine efficiency is improved, but capital cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated airflow inducer modifies airflow parameters by creating negative pressure at the inducer inlet and directing high-velocity air through the cooling fins. This enhances convective heat transfer coefficients, allowing more effective cooling without increasing machine size or material quantity.
3Temperature
If fan power is increased to increase airflow for additional cooling, then cooling capacity is improved, but machine losses decrease and capital cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated airflow inducer acts as an intermediary structure that amplifies the cooling effect by utilizing the existing fan-generated air pressure. The skirt-shaped inducer converts the fan's discharge pressure into negative pressure at the inlet, creating a suction effect that draws ambient air through the cooling fins without requiring additional fan power.
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 solution decreases machine size and active materials, increases efficiency, reduces capital costs, and operates the electric machine at a lower temperature, eliminating the need for auxiliary cooling devices.
Implementation Method 1
a fan to create air pressure to induce airflow within the electric machine
Implementation Method 2
utilizes the high velocity and dynamic pressure of air exiting the fan cavity to create a negative pressure at the inducer inlet
Implementation Method 3
create a negative pressure at the inducer inlet, causing air to be drawn into the integrated airflow inducer
Implementation Method 4
cool the heated parts of the electric machine with a circulating intermediary substance
Implementation Method 5
plurality of cooling fins along a length of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An electric machine comprises a frame, a cooling fan disposed in a fan housing and an integrated airflow inducer in a shape of a partial cone. The partial cone defines a skirt disposed as a differential sized ring with a larger entrance and a smaller exit around the frame of the electric machine at a boundary between the frame and the fan housing including a rotating fan to cool the electric machine. The integrated airflow inducer includes an inducer inlet and an inducer outlet. The integrated airflow inducer is configured to increase an airflow across the frame of the electric machine as the rotating fan develops a higher pressure at the inducer outlet than the inducer inlet of the integrated airflow inducer so that the integrated airflow inducer takes advantage of the high pressure to draw in air from a low pressure at the inducer inlet so that the electric machine operates at a lower temperature than without the integrated airflow inducer.