Flat Plate Cooling Jacket for Rotary Electric Machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cooling jacket devices for rotary electric machines, which use metal pipes wrapped with plates, face difficulties in mounting and suffer from reduced cooling efficiency due to gaps between the metal pipe and plates, requiring complex fabrication processes.
Innovation Solution
A cooling jacket device composed of flat plate-shaped jacket bodies with channels and tubular members that allow refrigerant flow, eliminating the need for metal pipes and gaps, facilitating easy mounting and improved cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal pipes are used to form the cooling jacket channel, then the structural strength is improved, but the mounting difficulty increases and cooling efficiency decreases due to gaps between pipes and plates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the metal pipe component from the cooling jacket structure and replaces it with a plate-formed channel. The channel is directly formed by bending and joining plates, eliminating the need for separate metal pipe insertion and wrapping operations, thereby resolving the mounting difficulty while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the channel formation process with the plate joining process. The channel is formed as an integral part of the plate structure through bending and welding, combining what were previously separate operations (pipe installation + plate wrapping) into a unified manufacturing process
2Stability of the object's composition
If metal pipes wrapped with plates are used, then the structural integrity is improved, but gaps are formed between the metal pipe and plates reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The channel is formed as an integral part of the plate structure through bending and welding, creating a seamless flow path without gaps. The plate itself forms both the structural component and the cooling channel, eliminating the interface gaps that existed between separate pipe and plate components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses plate material that is both structurally sound and thermally conductive, creating a composite structure where the same material serves both mechanical support and heat transfer functions, ensuring both structural integrity and cooling efficiency
3Reliability
If metal pipes are used for the cooling jacket, then the cooling function is achieved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to pipe insertion and bending operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the metal pipe component entirely from the manufacturing process. The cooling channel is formed directly in the plate through bending operations, eliminating the complex multi-step process of pipe insertion, positioning, and wrapping that characterized the conventional approach
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameter from assembling pre-formed pipes to forming channels directly in plates. This parameter change transforms a complex assembly process into a simpler forming and joining process, reducing manufacturing steps while maintaining the cooling function
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 solution enhances cooling efficiency, simplifies the manufacturing process, and reduces costs by eliminating the need for complex metal pipe handling and fabrication, while providing effective heat exchange performance.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of jacket bodies 3 each of which is formed in a substantially flat plate shape and includes therein a channel 2 allowing a refrigerant to flow therethrough
Implementation Method 2
the channel 2 allowing a refrigerant to flow therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is intended to provide: a cooling jacket device 1 which offers excellent cooling performance, is easy to manufacture and enables cost reduction; and a rotary electric machine including the cooling jacket device. The cooling jacket device includes: a plurality of jacket bodies each of which is formed in a substantially flat plate shape and includes therein a channel communicating with a pair of inlet/outlet ports formed in an outer surface of the jacket body, and allowing a refrigerant to flow therethrough; a plurality of coupling members which couple and retain the plurality of jacket bodies in conformity with an outer peripheral shape of a heat generating portion of the rotary electric machine; and a plurality of tubular members which are connected to the inlet/outlet ports, through which the refrigerant discharged from the inlet/outlet port of one of the plurality of jacket bodies is sent to the inlet/outlet port of another one of the plurality of jacket bodies so that the refrigerant flows through the channels of the plurality of jacket bodies.