Reactor Coil Cooling Structure With Variable Gap Filler Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reactors with heat-dissipating materials inserted between coil turns face issues of material peeling off and inefficient use of cooling material, leading to suboptimal cooling performance and material waste.
Innovation Solution
A reactor design with a core inserted through a coil and a heat-dissipating material that is thinner outside the coil axis, wider between turns, and surrounded by a resin cover, ensuring minimal peeling and efficient cooling performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat-dissipating material is inserted between adjacent turns of coil winding to cool the coil, then cooling performance is improved, but the amount of heat-dissipating material increases and material is wasted outside the coil where it contributes little to cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-dissipating material is designed with variable thickness along the axial direction of the coil. The thickness is greater at the ends of the coil where heat generation is highest and cooling is most needed, and gradually decreases toward the middle section. This local quality variation ensures that material is concentrated where it provides maximum cooling benefit while reducing waste in areas where cooling demand is lower.
2Temperature
If heat-dissipating material is inserted between adjacent turns of coil winding, then cooling performance is improved, but the material tends to peel off from the winding
Solution Approach 1:
The heat-dissipating material features an asymmetric cross-sectional shape with a convex surface facing the coil winding and a concave surface facing outward. This asymmetric geometry allows the convex surface to conform to the curved surface of the coil winding, creating mechanical interlocking that prevents peeling while maintaining effective thermal contact between the material and the winding.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform thickness heat-dissipating material is used throughout the coil, then manufacturing is simplified, but material is wasted in regions where cooling contribution is minimal
Solution Approach 1:
The thickness parameter of the heat-dissipating material is varied continuously along the axial direction of the coil. The material transitions from a greater thickness at the coil ends to a smaller thickness in the middle section, optimizing the balance between cooling performance and material efficiency. This parameter change is achieved through extrusion molding that creates a tapered or contoured profile.
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 design reduces material usage while maintaining cooling efficiency by minimizing peeling and optimizing heat-dissipating material distribution, enhancing the reactor's thermal management.
Implementation Method 1
The heat-dissipating material absorbs heat of the coil. In other words, the heat-dissipating material cools the coil.
Data Source
AI summary
A reactor includes a coil having gaps between adjacent turns of a winding, a core inserted through the coil, and a heat-dissipating material that is in contact with a side face of the coil. The heat-dissipating material is inserted between the adjacent turns of the winding of the coil, and the thickness of the heat-dissipating material outside the coil in a direction of an axis of the coil is smaller than the thickness of the heat-dissipating material between the adjacent turns of the winding. By reducing the thickness of the heat-dissipating material outside the coil where contribution to coil cooling is small, the amount of the heat-dissipating material can be reduced without lowering the cooling performance to the coil.