Electric Propulsion Motor Cooling Jacket Isolated From Seawater
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric propulsion devices suffer from corrosion of the cooling jacket due to seawater, which can lead to leakage and damage, as the cooling jacket has a smaller diameter and more complex route than seawater intake pipes, with thin walls susceptible to corrosion.
Innovation Solution
The device employs a dual cooling system, where seawater cools a refrigerant in a heat exchanger outside the motor, and the refrigerant then cools the motor using a motor cooling jacket, preventing seawater from directly contacting the motor cooling jacket.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If seawater is used to cool the motor through a metallic cooling jacket, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but corrosion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary component between the seawater cooling system and the motor cooling jacket. The heat exchanger transfers heat from the refrigerant to the seawater, allowing the motor to be cooled indirectly through the refrigerant circulation system rather than direct seawater contact, thus preventing corrosion of the cooling jacket
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct mechanical cooling system (seawater flowing through metallic cooling jacket) with a thermodynamic cooling system using refrigerant circulation and heat exchange. This substitution eliminates the need for direct seawater-motor contact while maintaining effective cooling through phase change and heat transfer mechanisms
2Temperature
If the cooling jacket flow paths have smaller diameter and more complex route, then cooling efficiency is improved, but susceptibility to corrosion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger serves as a mediator that allows complex, efficient cooling flow paths to be used in the refrigerant system without exposing them to corrosive seawater. The heat exchanger enables the cooling jacket to have optimized geometry for thermal efficiency while the seawater side handles the corrosion-resistant function
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 configuration prevents corrosion of the motor cooling jacket, enhances stability by lowering the center of gravity, and improves maintenance accessibility by positioning components for easier handling.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger that uses water from outside the electric propulsion device as cooling water and configured to cool refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a motor cooling jacket that is provided in the motor and configured to cool the motor with the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
An electric propulsion device includes a motor for rotating a propeller and a cooling device for cooling the motor. The cooling device includes a first cooling system and a second cooling system. The first cooling system includes a heat exchanger that uses water from outside the electric propulsion device as cooling water and cools refrigerant, and a supply passage that supplies the water from outside the electric propulsion device as the cooling water to the heat exchanger. The second cooling system includes a motor cooling jacket that is provided in the motor and cools the motor with the refrigerant, and a circulation passage that circulates the refrigerant between the heat exchanger and the motor cooling jacket.