Additively Manufactured Stator Cooling Channels for Low Flow Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stator cooling methods for electric machines are inefficient due to indirect cooling, high flow resistance, increased complexity, and reduced installation space, leading to decreased motor performance and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The stator features additive manufacturing to create cooling channels directly in or near electrical conductors, allowing for parallel or series connections of these channels to reduce flow resistance and enhance cooling efficiency, while maintaining a high fill factor and compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional indirect cooling with heat conducting bodies is used, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the cooling efficiency is low and sluggish
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the heat conducting body from the cooling system and replaces it with cooling channels formed directly in the stator core. This eliminates the intermediate thermal resistance of the heat conducting body while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through integrated channel formation in the stator core.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling channels are nested directly within the stator core structure, with channels formed inside the stator core material itself. This nesting approach eliminates the need for separate heat conducting bodies while improving thermal contact with the electrical conductors.
2Reliability
If cooling channels are formed directly in waveguide coils, then cooling efficiency is improved, but flow resistance increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling channels distributed across different electrical conductors. These segments are connected in parallel to reduce overall flow resistance while maintaining direct cooling contact with heat-generating conductors.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple cooling channels from different electrical conductors are merged into a unified parallel cooling system. The parallel connection of multiple channels reduces the overall flow resistance compared to a single long channel, while maintaining direct cooling efficiency.
3Reliability
If cooling channels are provided along the entire length of winding conductors, then direct cooling is achieved, but installation space is reduced and fill factor decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Cooling channels are provided locally in specific electrical conductors rather than uniformly in all conductors. This local approach provides direct cooling where most needed while preserving installation space and maintaining high fill factor in regions where cooling channels are not required.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing cooling channels in all electrical conductors along their entire length, the invention applies partial cooling action to selected conductors. This partial approach achieves sufficient cooling effectiveness while minimizing space consumption and maintaining high fill factor.
4Reliability
If high pressure is applied to overcome flow resistance, then coolant flow is maintained, but system complexity and pressurization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cooling channels are merged into a parallel configuration, which reduces the overall flow resistance of the cooling system. This reduction in resistance allows coolant flow to be maintained at lower pressures, simplifying the pressurization system requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple parallel channels, distributing the flow resistance across several paths. This segmentation reduces the pressure requirement for each individual channel compared to a single long channel, simplifying the overall pressurization system.
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 approach provides direct and effective cooling of electrical conductors, reducing flow resistance and increasing cooling power where heat is generated, thus improving the performance and efficiency of electric machines while maintaining a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
the waste heat generated in the electrical conductors can be conducted away from the stator
Implementation Method 2
cooling jackets are also provided around the heat conducting body, which can be designed as heat exchangers with coolant flowing through them
Data Source
AI summary
Stator for an electrical machine, which has a stator core with at least one stator groove in which at least two electrical conductors are arranged, wherein at least part of the stator is produced by additive manufacturing, wherein for a predetermined number of the electrical conductors in each case at least one cooling channel which can be supplied with a cooling fluid is formed, wherein at least a first and a further cooling channel group, in each of which the cooling channels of several electrical conductors can be supplied with cooling fluid in parallel with one another, are fluidically connected in series and/or in parallel to form separate circuits or one circuit.