Electric Water Pump Stator Cooling via Partitioned Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor-driven fluid pumps with integrated controllers face issues of overheating due to complex and costly designs, leading to robustness concerns and unwieldy packaging, necessitating a simplified, low-cost, and low-weight solution.
Innovation Solution
An integrated motor, pump, and controller assembly with a partitioned housing and radially extending ribs defining a coolant flow path between inner and outer housings, where the electric motor and controller are in heat transfer relation, utilizing the pumped fluid to cool the controller and motor components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the controller is positioned within the same or adjacent housing as the motor and pump, then integration and packaging are improved, but overheating of electronic components occurs leading to robustness issues
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into an outer housing and an inner housing that are separable, allowing the controller to be positioned in the outer housing while the motor and pump are in the inner housing. This segmentation enables thermal management while maintaining integration benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
A coolant flow path is introduced as an intermediary medium between the motor/pump assembly and the controller. The coolant absorbs heat from the motor and pump and transfers it to the controller housing, enabling thermal management in the integrated design.
2Reliability
If remote switches or electronics are positioned away from the motor and pump, then overheating is reduced, but packaging becomes unwieldy and wire routing is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is merged with the motor and pump assembly within the same housing structure, eliminating the need for separate packaging and reducing wire routing complexity. The integrated design allows all components to be mounted on a common platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant flow path serves as a thermal intermediary that enables close positioning of the controller near the motor and pump without direct thermal contact, achieving both integration and overheating prevention.
3Device complexity
If known designs with integrated controllers are implemented, then integration is achieved, but the designs become large, costly and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The inner housing containing the motor and pump is nested within the outer housing containing the controller. This nested configuration maximizes space utilization and reduces the overall size of the integrated assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The design utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement with the inner housing positioned coaxially within the outer housing, optimizing the use of available space and reducing the overall footprint of the integrated system.
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 design effectively addresses overheating issues by transferring heat from the motor and controller to the pumped fluid, enhancing robust operation while reducing size, weight, and cost, resulting in a more efficient and simplified fluid pumping system.
Implementation Method 1
An area between the sleeve and the rotor forms a portion of the coolant path and interconnects a volume between the inner and outer housings with a low pressure zone of the impeller cavity containing the pump member
Implementation Method 2
One of the inner and outer housings includes radially extending ribs positioned adjacent to the other of the inner and outer housing to define a coolant flow path between the inner and outer housings
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric pump comprises an outer housing including a motor cavity and a controller cavity separated by a partition wall. An inner housing is positioned within the motor cavity of the outer housing. One of the inner and outer housings includes radially extending ribs positioned adjacent to the other of the inner and outer housings to define a coolant flow path between the inner housing and the outer housing. The flow path is partially defined by the partition wall. An electric motor is positioned within the inner housing and includes a hollow rotor shaft driving a pump member. The hollow rotor shaft forms a portion of the coolant path and interconnects a volume between the inner and outer housings with a low pressure cavity containing the pump member. A controller is positioned within the controller cavity in heat transfer relation with the partition wall.