Integrated Motor Inverter Housing for Cooling and Switch Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inverter designs for electric motors lack efficient integration with the motor, leading to suboptimal cooling and reliability issues due to separate housing components and inadequate thermal management, especially at high voltage levels.
Innovation Solution
An integrated electric motor and inverter design where the inverter and motor share a housing with interconnected coolant channels for cooling, featuring a printed circuit board, power switches located outside the PCB, and a spring for thermal contact enhancement, along with high-voltage and signal terminals with shielding, and a fiducial mark system for rotational speed sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the inverter and motor are housed separately, then the design is simpler, but thermal management efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the inverter and motor into a single integrated housing structure, allowing the inverter to be positioned directly adjacent to the motor. This merging enables direct thermal coupling where the inverter can utilize the motor's thermal field or shared coolant channels, significantly improving thermal management efficiency while maintaining design simplicity through a unified structure.
2Device complexity
If power switches are located on the PCB, then the structure is more compact, but reliability deteriorates due to lead breakage risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power switches from the PCB and positions them on a separate mounting structure adjacent to the coolant channel. This separation eliminates the fragile lead connections between power switches and PCB, as the switches are directly mounted with robust electrical connections. The structural compactness is maintained through optimized spatial arrangement, while reliability is significantly improved by removing the lead breakage risk.
3Ease of manufacture
If the coolant channel is positioned away from power switches, then manufacturing is easier, but thermal management deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the coolant channel in close proximity to the power switches, creating a localized high-performance cooling zone. The coolant channel is specifically routed to flow directly over or adjacent to the power switch mounting area, providing intensive localized heat removal. This local quality approach ensures effective cooling of the high-heat-generating power switches while maintaining ease of manufacture through a straightforward coolant channel configuration.
4Device complexity
If high-voltage terminals are unshielded, then the structure is simpler, but safety and EMI performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces shielding structures as intermediary elements between the high-voltage terminals and the surrounding environment. The shielding acts as a mediator that blocks electromagnetic interference from affecting other components and prevents external EMI from coupling into the high-voltage circuit. This intermediary shielding layer maintains structural simplicity while significantly improving safety and EMI performance through effective electromagnetic isolation.
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 enhances thermal management, reliability, and safety by ensuring effective cooling and precise rotational speed monitoring, suitable for high-voltage applications up to 1500 VDC, while minimizing lead breakage risks and optimizing thermal dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
A spring may be affixed to the opposing face or a lid of the second part, and the spring may apply a force to the power switches in the direction of the coolant channel. The force may be configured to press the power switches against the opposing face.
Implementation Method 2
Coolant may enter a coolant channel of the second part of the housing and may be therefrom directed to the first part for cooling the electric motor.
Implementation Method 3
Between the PCB and the electric motor may be phase conductors located around the shaft. The phase conductors may induce a current on the shaft as a fiducial mark.
Implementation Method 4
The PCB may include a sensor thereon configured to sense the fiducial mark and produce a signal related to a rotational speed of the shaft. For example, the sensor may be an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, or a magnetic sensor.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An inverter may be integrated with an electric motor in a single housing. Coolant may enter a coolant channel of the housing and be directed to the electric motor. The inverter may include a printed circuit board (PCB) and power switches. The PCB may be located in the center of the housing. The power switches may be located outside of the PCB on an opposing face of the coolant channel. A spring may apply a force to the power switches to maintain thermal contact between the power switches and the coolant channel. Flexible leads may connect between the power switches and the PCB. The electric motor may include a shaft that is located adjacent to the PCB. The shaft may include a fiducial mark, and the PCB may include a sensor configured to detect the fiducial mark to determine a rotational speed of the shaft.