Modular Fan Segments for Electrical Machine Cooling Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for electrical machines are limited to specific sizes due to the integral design of fans, making them unsuitable for machines of different sizes.
Innovation Solution
The use of modular fan segments with air guide channels and overlapping air guide walls allows for an offset arrangement on each end face of the rotor, enabling efficient airflow direction and size adaptability by covering a specific diameter range without the need for additional mechanical machining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If integral fans are used for cooling, then the cooling system is simple in structure, but the fans can be used only for electrical machines of one specific size
Solution Approach 1:
The fan is divided into multiple fan segments that can be arranged in different configurations. Each fan segment can be independently positioned on the rotor end face, allowing the same set of segments to adapt to different rotor diameters by changing their arrangement pattern, thus resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and size adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan segments are designed to be movable or repositionable on the rotor end face rather than being fixed in a static configuration. This dynamic arrangement allows the cooling system to adapt to different machine sizes by adjusting the position and number of active fan segments, maintaining versatility while preserving structural simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fan variants are designed for different machine sizes, then size adaptability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of designing completely different fans for different machine sizes, the system uses a standardized set of fan segments that can be combined in various ways. This segmentation reduces the number of fan variants needed while maintaining size adaptability through flexible arrangement of the same basic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The fan segments are designed as universal components that can serve multiple machine sizes through different configurations. The same fan segment design can be used across various electrical machine sizes by adjusting the number of segments and their positioning, eliminating the need for multiple specialized fan variants.
3Adaptability or versatility
If air guide walls are made separate and overlapping, then adaptability to different sizes is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air guide walls are segmented and designed to overlap with adjacent segments. This segmentation allows each wall to be manufactured independently with standard tolerances, and the overlapping design compensates for cumulative errors, reducing the overall manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining size adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The overlapping design of air guide walls inherently compensates for manufacturing tolerances and alignment variations. By providing an overlap region, the system cushioning against potential misalignment issues before they affect performance, thus reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements.
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 solution allows for uniform cooling across various electrical machine sizes, reducing the number of fan variants and enabling easy replacement of fan segments, thus providing flexible and cost-effective cooling solutions.
Implementation Method 1
an internal fan is arranged on the rotor shaft on each of the two end faces of its rotor and rotor cooling channels, which extend over the entire axial length of the rotor laminated core, are provided in the rotor laminated core. Flow passes through the rotor cooling channels either from the drive end to the non-drive end or vice versa
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an electrical machine (1) having a stator (4) and a rotor (3), with the rotor (3) having a plurality of axially arranged cooling channels (8) and a first (5a) and a second (5b) end face, and a fan unit (6) being arranged adjacent to each end face and comprising at least two 10 fan segments (7), with one fan segment (7) in each case being associated with one cooling channel (8) and being arranged alternately adjacent to the first (5a) and the second (5b) end face, and with the fan segment (7) having at least one air guide channel (7a) and at least one air guide wall (7b).