Thermally Conductive Plastic Mounting Frame for Gas Pump Stator Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automotive gas pumps with brushless electronically commutated motors face issues with heat dissipation, particularly in the motor stator, leading to increased ohmic resistance and reduced electrical efficiency, despite cooling measures for power semi-conductors.
Innovation Solution
A thermally conductive plastic mounting frame with ceramic or mineral filler materials is used to embed the motor stator, increasing the contact surface area for heat transfer and dissipating heat directly to the pumped gas, thereby maintaining low ohmic resistance and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power semi-conductors are cooled to prevent destruction under full load, then reliability of power semi-conductors is improved, but thermal load on motor stator is not adequately addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent pathways: one for power semi-conductors using thermally conductive platelets, and another for motor stator using the thermally high-conductive mounting frame with filler material. This segmentation allows each component to be cooled according to its specific thermal requirements without interfering with the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting frame acts as an intermediary heat transfer medium between the motor stator and the surrounding environment. By incorporating thermally high-conductive filler material, the mounting frame efficiently conducts heat away from the motor stator to the pump housing and ultimately to the pumped fluid, preventing direct thermal coupling issues.
2Reliability
If motor stator temperature increases, then ohmic resistance of stator coils increases, but electrical efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The motor stator cooling system utilizes the pumped gas itself as the cooling medium. The gas flowing through the pump housing and motor can naturally absorbs heat from the stator through the thermally conductive mounting frame, eliminating the need for separate cooling systems and maintaining electrical efficiency through self-cooling.
3Temperature
If separate cooling systems are provided for power semi-conductors and motor stator, then thermal management is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling functions for power semi-conductors and motor stator are merged into a unified thermal management approach where both heat sinks ultimately dissipate heat to the pumped fluid through the pump housing. The mounting frame serves dual purposes as both structural support and thermal conduction path, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pump housing and pumped fluid serve multiple functions: they act as the working fluid for gas pumping and simultaneously as the cooling medium for both power semi-conductors and motor stator. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate cooling circuits and reduces 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 solution effectively reduces thermal load on the motor stator and power semi-conductors, maintaining low ohmic resistance and enhancing the electrical efficiency of the gas pump, even in high-temperature environments, while allowing for a compact and cost-effective design.
Implementation Method 1
The mounting frame is made of a plastic material comprising a thermally high-conductive filler material
Data Source
AI summary
An automotive electrical gas pump includes an electronically commutated motor which drives a motor rotor to rotate within a motor can. The motor has a motor stator which comprises at least one static electro-magnetic coil. An electronic circuit board drives the at least one electro-magnetic coil. A mounting frame includes a motor can and a stator bed. The stator bed embeds the motor stator at least in part. The mounting frame is made of a plastic material which includes a thermally high-conductive filler material.