Segmented Inverter Cooling Jacket for Fault-Tolerant Electrical Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical machines face challenges in maintaining temperature control and redundancy in the event of inverter failure, leading to potential system shutdown and complex maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a cooling jacket with recess cavities for segmented inverters, each operating independently, along with a DC power connection ring and stator windings grouped into sub-groups connected to individual inverters, ensures temperature management and continuous operation even with inverter failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single inverter is used to control all stator windings, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases due to potential system shutdown upon inverter failure
Solution Approach 1:
The inverter is divided into multiple independent segmented inverters, each controlling a specific subset of stator windings. This segmentation allows the system to maintain partial operation even when one segment fails, thereby improving reliability without requiring a complete system shutdown.
Solution Approach 2:
Each segmented inverter is designed to control specific stator windings locally, creating independent operational zones. This local control architecture enables fault isolation where failures in one segment do not propagate to other segments, maintaining system reliability while managing complexity through modular design.
2Loss of energy
If inverters are closely integrated with stator windings, then the AC cable losses are reduced, but the temperature control becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling channels, each dedicated to cooling a specific segmented inverter. This segmentation allows for localized temperature management, ensuring that heat generated by each inverter is dissipated efficiently without affecting other segments, thus managing thermal control despite close integration with stator windings.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling jacket is introduced as an intermediary component between the segmented inverters and the external environment. This cooling jacket acts as a thermal mediator, facilitating heat transfer from the inverters to the cooling fluid while maintaining the close integration benefits for reducing AC cable losses.
3Productivity
If maintenance requires system shutdown, then the safety is improved, but the productivity decreases due to operational interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The modular segmented inverter design enables individual segments to be replaced or maintained independently without shutting down the entire system. Each segment is designed as a self-contained unit with standardized interfaces, facilitating quick replacement and maintenance while maintaining productivity through continuous operation of unaffected segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates redundant cooling channels and independent segmentation that cushion against maintenance interruptions. The modular architecture allows for hot-swapping of inverter segments, and the redundant cooling ensures thermal management continues even during maintenance activities on specific segments.
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 maintains temperature within predetermined limits and allows the electrical machine to function continuously despite inverter failures, reducing AC cable losses and facilitating easier maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling jacket defining a plurality of recess cavities, the cooling jacket configured to maintain the temperature of the electrical machine below a pre-determined threshold
Implementation Method 2
a cooling jacket defining a plurality of recess cavities, the cooling jacket configured to maintain the temperature of the electrical machine below a pre-determined threshold
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical machine includes a cooling jacket defining a plurality of recess cavities, the cooling jacket configured to maintain the temperature of the electrical machine below a pre-determined threshold. The electrical machine also includes a plurality of segmented inverters, each of the plurality of segmented inverters received within one of the plurality of recess cavities of the cooling jacket. The electrical machine also includes plurality of stator windings electrically coupling the plurality of the segmented inverters to an alternating current (AC) terminal. The electrical machine also includes a direct current (DC) power connection ring. The power connection ring includes a positive DC power connection electrically coupling the segmented inverter with a positive DC power source and a negative DC power connection electrically coupling the segmented inverter with a negative DC power source.