Internal Stator Cooling Assembly Using Turbulent Fluid Passage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cooling internal stators in electric machines is challenging due to the lack of effective convection cooling when the stator is surrounded by a rotor, necessitating alternative heat extraction methods.
Innovation Solution
A cooling assembly with a tubular body and a biasing assembly is inserted inside the internal stator, featuring a cooling channel with an inlet and outlet, and a cover that creates a fluid passage, utilizing turbulence to enhance heat transfer by converting laminar flow to turbulent flow within the channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If convection cooling is used for external stators, then heat extraction is effective, but internal stators surrounded by rotors cannot utilize convection cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the natural convection cooling mechanism (which relies on air flow and buoyancy) with a forced liquid cooling system. A coolant fluid is pumped through channels in direct contact with the stator, substituting the passive mechanical convection process with an active fluid circulation system that can effectively cool internal stators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a coolant fluid as an intermediary substance to transfer heat from the stator. The fluid acts as a heat transfer medium that absorbs heat from the stator through direct contact and transports it away, enabling effective cooling where convection is not feasible.
2Temperature
If cooling channels are added to the stator, then heat extraction improves, but the stator structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into separate functional components: cooling channels are integrated into the stator structure, while the coolant circulation system (pump, reservoir, heat exchanger) is separated as an independent external system. This allows the stator to have simplified internal geometry while maintaining effective cooling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling assembly design allows the same stator structure to be used in both external and internal stator configurations. The cooling channels are designed to work with the stator's mechanical structure, and the system can be adapted to different stator types without requiring completely different cooling approaches.
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 cooling assembly effectively extracts heat from the internal stator by utilizing turbulence in the fluid passage, improving heat transfer and maintaining efficient operation of the electric machine.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling assembly to be inserted in the internal stator of an electric machine... a fluid passage between the inlet and the outlet is defined by the cooling channel
Implementation Method 2
a biasing assembly so mounted to the body in the vicinity of the gap as to selectively biais the external surface of the body against the internal surface of the stator
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling assembly including a generally cylindrical body to be inserted inside the generally cylindrical internal stator of an electric machine is described herein. The body includes a cylindrical external contact surface configured and sized to contact the internal surface of the stator. The bottom surface of the body is machine with a channel that is partially closed by a cover to yield a peripheral fluid passage inside the body. An inlet and an outlet aperture are provided.