Motor Assembly Oil Cooling via Segmented Flow Passages

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing motor assembly designs with complex flow passages for cooling and oil feeding result in high costs and structural complexity, particularly when trying to cool the motor efficiently using a single cooler in a combined flow passage.

Innovation Solution

A motor assembly with a housing that includes a vertically lower region for oil, featuring a first oil passage extending through the motor's interior and a second oil passage through its exterior, where one of the passages includes a cooler to cool the oil, allowing for efficient cooling without the need for complex structures by mixing cooled oil from the exterior passage with the interior passage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a combined flow passage with a cooler is provided to cool the motor, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the structure becomes complicated and cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotor cooling effectivenessVSAvoidflow passage structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flow passage is divided into two separate passages: a first flow passage extending through the interior of the shaft and a second flow passage extending through the exterior of the stator. The cooler is placed only in the second flow passage, segmenting the cooling function from the complex combined structure while maintaining effective cooling through the separate pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Temperature

If a combined flow passage with a cooler is provided to cool the motor, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemotor cooling effectivenessVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is segmented into two independent flow passages with the cooler located only in the second passage. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing by eliminating the need for complex combined flow passage structures, reducing production costs while maintaining effective motor cooling through the separate but coordinated cooling pathways.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 effectively cools the motor by using a single cooler in the exterior oil passage, indirectly cooling the interior passage, thus reducing costs and structural complexity while maintaining efficient heat dissipation through oil mixing and housing contact.

Implementation Method 1

One of the first oil passage and the second oil passage includes a cooler to cool the oil therein

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

allowing for efficient cooling without the need for complex structures by mixing cooled oil from the exterior passage with the interior passage

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS11515749B2Motor assembly

Publication Date: 2022.11.29 NIDEC CORP(JP)

AI summary

A motor assembly includes a motor, a housing including a housing space to house the motor, oil in a vertically lower region of the housing space, and an oil passage to lead the oil from the vertically lower region of the housing space through the motor to the vertically lower region of the housing space. The oil passage includes a first oil passage extending through an inside of the motor, and a second oil passage extending through an outside of the motor. One of the first oil passage and the second oil passage includes a cooler to cool the oil therein.