Modular Rotor Shaft Cooling Channels for Simpler Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotor shafts for electrical machines face challenges such as high manufacturing costs, complex designs, and short product lifespan due to intricate construction and material wear, which can lead to inefficient heat management and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
A modular rotor shaft design featuring a casing tube with longitudinal grooves and an inner tube that forms cooling channels, allowing for a simplified construction and production process with dual functions in torque transmission and cooling, eliminating the need for additional elements and reducing material and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional rotor shaft cooling structures are used, then cooling function is provided, but manufacturing complexity and labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor shaft is divided into modular components: a shaft body with circumferential grooves and separate cooling fins that can be assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently with simpler processes, then combined to form the complete cooling structure, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while maintaining effective cooling functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling fins are designed to be nested within the circumferential grooves of the shaft body, with the fins fitting into the grooves like nested dolls. This nesting arrangement integrates the cooling function into the existing shaft structure without requiring separate complex cooling systems, thereby providing effective cooling while minimizing structural complexity
2Temperature
If complex cooling structures are implemented, then cooling performance improves, but material wear and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cooling structure into the shaft body with grooves and separate cooling fins, each part can be manufactured using simpler, less wear-intensive processes. The fins can be produced independently and then attached to the shaft body, avoiding the need for complex integrated cooling channel machining that would cause significant material wear and require specialized manufacturing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The circumferential grooves in the shaft body serve dual purposes: they provide structural features for mounting the cooling fins and simultaneously define the cooling channels when the fins are assembled. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate complex cooling channel structures, reducing manufacturing steps and material wear while maintaining effective heat dissipation performance
3Temperature
If multiple separate components are used for cooling, then cooling function is achieved, but assembly complexity and potential failure points increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling fins are nested within the circumferential grooves of the shaft body, creating an integrated assembly where the fins and shaft body work together as a unified cooling structure. This nesting design reduces the number of separate external components and connection points, thereby reducing potential failure points and improving overall product reliability and lifespan while maintaining effective cooling capability
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling fins are combined with the shaft body through the groove-fin interface, merging the structural support function and the heat dissipation function into a single integrated assembly. This merging reduces the number of separate components that need to be assembled and maintained, thereby improving reliability by reducing potential failure points while achieving effective cooling
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 design enhances cooling efficiency, reduces production complexity and costs, and extends product lifespan by ensuring even cooling medium distribution and high torque transmission capabilities, thereby improving the overall performance and efficiency of electrical machines.
Implementation Method 1
the inner profile of the casing tube and the outer side of the inner tube define a plurality of cooling channels through which a cooling medium can flow along the casing tube
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
The present application relates to a modular rotor shaft for an electric machine rotor with integrated cooling channels. The rotor shaft comprises a outer tube with an inner profile having a plurality of longitudinal grooves, an inner tube arranged inside the outer tube, and a first and a second end plug, each of which is positively and frictionally connected or positively and materially connected at one end of the outer tube by engaging in a portion of the plurality of longitudinal grooves. The inner profile of the outer tube and the outer surface of the inner tube define a plurality of cooling channels through which a cooling medium can flow along the outer tube.