Liquid Cooled Electric Machine Housing With Segmented Ribs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric machine housing structures for cooling are costly to manufacture and require improvements in heat removal efficiency, particularly for stator windings, which generate significant heat during operation.
Innovation Solution
A housing assembly with inner and outer axially extending members and radially extending ribs that define axially extending fluid path segments, allowing for efficient coolant circulation and heat transfer, featuring a serpentine path for coolant flow and secure end caps with threaded fasteners for cost-effective manufacturing and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a water jacket housing with liquid coolant passages is used to cool the stator core, then heat removal efficiency is improved, but manufacturing cost and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into an inner housing member and an outer housing member with distinct functions. The inner housing member provides thermal coupling with the stator core, while the outer housing member contains the coolant passages. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner housing member acts as an intermediary thermal conduit between the stator core and the coolant passages in the outer housing member. This intermediary structure enables heat transfer from the stator core to the coolant without requiring direct integration of complex cooling channels into the stator housing, thereby simplifying manufacturing while preserving heat removal efficiency.
2Temperature
If a water jacket housing with liquid coolant passages is used to cool the stator core, then heat removal efficiency is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the housing into separate inner and outer members allows each to be manufactured using simpler, more cost-effective processes. The inner housing member can be produced as a simple thermal conduit, while the outer housing member with coolant passages can be manufactured separately using standard casting or extrusion techniques, reducing overall manufacturing cost compared to integrating complex cooling channels directly into a single housing piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner and outer housing members are merged through thermal and structural coupling to create an integrated cooling system. This merging allows the benefits of complex cooling (heat removal efficiency) to be achieved while maintaining the manufacturing simplicity of separate, standardized components that can be produced using conventional, cost-effective processes.
3Temperature
If multiple housing members with ribs are used to define fluid path segments, then cooling efficiency is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid cooling paths are segmented into multiple axial segments defined by ribs on the housing members. This segmentation allows coolant to flow through distinct, well-defined channels, improving cooling efficiency by ensuring uniform heat distribution. The modular segmented design actually simplifies assembly compared to attempting to create complex three-dimensional coolant channels, as each segmented path can be independently formed and then assembled together.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant passages are arranged in the axial dimension rather than requiring complex radial or circumferential three-dimensional routing. By extending the fluid path segments axially and using ribs to define these paths, the design simplifies manufacturing and assembly while maintaining effective cooling coverage across the stator core.
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 enables effective heat removal from stator windings and other components, enhancing the cooling efficiency of electric machines while reducing manufacturing costs through a cost-efficient and scalable design.
Implementation Method 1
The stator core is disposed within and thermally coupled with the inner axially extending housing member
Implementation Method 2
a liquid coolant enters the inlet, flows along a fluid path including the plurality of axially extending fluid path segments and is discharged through the outlet
Data Source
AI summary
An electric machine having a stator, a rotor and a housing assembly with two end caps and inner and outer axially extending members. The outer housing member is disposed about the inner member. Ribs extend from one housing member and engage the other housing member in an interstitial space. The other housing member may be a tubular sleeve. The ribs define axially extending fluid path segments within the interstitial space and the end caps close the opposite axial ends of the interstitial space and define an inlet and an outlet for a liquid coolant. The liquid coolant path may be serpentine. The housing member with ribs may include a sleeve portion with at least some ribs having a width greater than the radial thickness of the sleeve portion. Threaded fasteners can attach the end caps to the enlarged width ribs. The inner and outer housings are advantageously extrudable.