Automotive Liquid Pump Bearing Structure for Motor Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical automotive liquid pumps generate significant heat due to brushless electric motors and power electronic components, requiring effective heat dissipation which is not adequately addressed by conventional designs.
Innovation Solution
A turbine-type shaped bearing seat structure with integral blades separates the motor rotor and stator, guiding cooling flow for enhanced convective heat transfer, using a Teflon-based plastic material for the separating tube and bearing shell to support the drive shaft, optimizing flow direction for improved heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a separating tube is used to fluidically separate the motor rotor and motor stator for cooling, then heat dissipation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing seat structure is merged with the separating tube to form an integral bearing seat structure. The bearing seat is provided directly on the separating tube, eliminating the need for separate bearing components and reducing assembly complexity while maintaining the fluidic separation function for heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The separating tube serves multiple functions: it provides fluidic separation between the wet zone and dry zone for heat dissipation, supports the drive shaft through the integrated bearing seat, and guides the cooling flow through its structural design. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed in the pump system.
2Temperature
If the motor rotor is designed as a wet running motor rotor rotating within liquid, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the reliability decreases due to potential liquid contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The separating tube acts as an intermediary barrier between the wet zone (where the motor rotor rotates) and the dry zone (where the motor stator and power electronic components are located). This intermediary structure allows the motor rotor to benefit from direct liquid cooling while preventing liquid contamination of the electrical components, thereby maintaining both cooling efficiency and reliability.
3Ease of operation
If power electronic components are used for electronic commutation of the brushless electric motor, then the ease of operation is improved, but the heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power electronic components are extracted from the wet zone and placed in the dry zone separated by the separating tube. This extraction allows the use of efficient electronic commutation components while protecting them from direct liquid contact and heat, enabling ease of operation without excessive heat generation affecting the electrical components.
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 design achieves uniform cooling flow profiles and increased convective heat transfer, effectively dissipating heat generated by the motor and electronic components, reducing the overall size and maintaining efficient pump operation.
Implementation Method 1
The blades are arranged at a pitch angle with respect to a rotor axis so that a turbine-type shape is defined for the bearing seat structure. The bearing seat is provided with an integral plain bearing shell which directly supports the drive shaft.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical automotive liquid pump includes a pump housing, a drive shaft which is co-rotatably connected to a pump wheel, an electrical drive motor having a motor rotor and a motor stator, and a separating tube which fluidically separates the motor rotor and the motor stator to define a wet zone and a dry zone within the pump housing. The motor rotor is co-rotatably connected to the drive shaft. The separating tube has an integral bearing seat structure which includes a bearing seat and a supporting structure. The supporting structure is defined by blades which connect the bearing seat with the separating tube. Each of the blades are arranged at a pitch angle with respect to a rotor axis so that a turbine-type shape is defined for the integral bearing seat structure. The bearing seat is provided with an integral plain bearing shell which directly supports the drive shaft.