Pump Assembly Sealing for Motor Cooling and Stator Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing a compact pump assembly for automotive vehicles that effectively cools electric motors without causing corrosion, while minimizing manufacturing costs and component parts.
Innovation Solution
A pump assembly with a sealing assembly that includes a polymeric sealing part over-moulded onto a partition part, which separates the stator and rotor, allowing fluid to cool the motor without contacting the stator and using a metallic partition part as a heat sink, combined with a brushless DC motor and a pumping element to create a compact, efficient, and cost-effective design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a sealing assembly is designed to allow fluid to cool the motor, then motor cooling is improved, but fluid may contact the stator causing corrosion and performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing assembly is divided into two distinct parts: a partition part that provides structural separation between the pump chamber and motor, and a sealing part that provides the fluid barrier. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while working together to solve the contradiction between cooling and protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing assembly acts as an intermediary structure between the fluid environment and the stator. It selectively permits fluid flow for cooling purposes while blocking fluid contact with the stator, thus mediating between the competing requirements of heat dissipation and component protection.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are used for the sealing assembly, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but assembly complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The partition part and sealing part are combined into a single integrated sealing assembly component. This merging reduces the number of separate parts that need to be manufactured, stored, and assembled, thereby simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through the choice of materials and production methods.
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
The solution provides a compact, cost-effective pump assembly with a reliable fluid seal that minimizes corrosion risks and maintains motor performance, while efficiently cooling the motor and reducing assembly complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the sealing part is made from a polymeric material over-moulded onto the partition part
Implementation Method 2
the partition part may act as a sink for heat generated by the motor controller
Implementation Method 3
the castellations assist in preventing radial movement of the sealing part relative to the attachment portion and improving the seal between these two parts
Implementation Method 4
it is known to cool the motor using pumped fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A pump assembly including a pumping element mounted for rotation within a pump chamber, movement of the pumping element in the chamber causing pumping of fluid within the pump chamber, and a motor, the motor including a stator and a rotor which is connected to the pumping element such that activation of the motor causes movement of the pumping element and hence pumping of fluid within the pump chamber, there being a sealing assembly which permits fluid in the pumping chamber to flow around the rotor but which substantially prevents fluid from the pumping chamber from contacting the stator, the sealing assembly including a partition part which lies between the stator and the pumping chamber and a sealing part which lies between the stator and the rotor, wherein the sealing part is made from a polymeric material over-molded onto the partition part.