Stator Sealing Sleeve for Serpentine Coolant Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing sealing sleeves for electric machine stators suffer from leaks at sealing locations due to manufacturing tolerances, leading to reduced cooling performance as the sealing rings do not perfectly match the coil surfaces, causing coolant to bypass the intended meandering path.
Innovation Solution
A sealing sleeve with two-component sealing rings, comprising a hard, mechanically retaining component and a soft, elastically deformable component, is designed to fit the stator's geometry precisely, with seal sections arranged at specific angular spacings to ensure optimal contact and prevent coolant leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional single-component sealing ring is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the sealing effectiveness is reduced due to manufacturing tolerances and inability to perfectly match coil surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing ring is constructed as a composite of two different materials: a hard, wear-resistant material for the outer structural component and a soft, elastically deformable material for the inner sealing component. This composite structure allows the sealing ring to simultaneously provide mechanical strength and adaptive sealing contact with the coil surfaces, overcoming the limitations of single-material sealing rings.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the sealing ring are made from materials with different properties tailored to their specific functions. The outer region uses hard material for structural integrity and wear resistance, while the inner sealing region uses soft material that can deform elastically to conform to the coil surface irregularities caused by manufacturing tolerances, thereby achieving effective sealing at critical locations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the sealing ring is made hard for mechanical retention, then the structural stability is improved, but the adaptability to coil surface variations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The dual-material construction allows the sealing ring to combine the stabilizing properties of hard materials with the adaptive properties of soft materials. The hard outer component provides mechanical retention and structural stability, while the soft inner component provides adaptability to surface variations through elastic deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing ring employs spatially differentiated material properties where the hard material is positioned for structural functions and the soft material is positioned for sealing functions. This local quality differentiation enables simultaneous achievement of mechanical stability and surface adaptability in different regions of the same component.
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 enhances the sealing effectiveness at the stator's sealing locations, maintaining the desired meandering coolant path and improving cooling performance by ensuring a fluid-tight seal around the coils.
Implementation Method 1
a soft, elastically deformable component, is designed to fit the stator's geometry precisely
Data Source
AI summary
A sealing sleeve for a stator of an electrical machine is disclosed. The sealing sleeve is configured to provide that a coolant flowing around the stator coils follows a predefined, serpentine coolant path. The sleeve has two sealing rings arranged on the stator with the coils of the stator lying between them. Each sealing ring includes a hard component and a soft component. The sleeve is arranged on the stator such that sealing sections of the soft component bear against the surfaces of the stator coils and adapt to the coil surfaces. As such, no coolant may pass between the coils and the sealing rings at these sealing locations thus formed, and therefore the desired coolant flow is guaranteed. Furthermore, the sealing rings are configured such that alternately for each coil only one of the sealing rings has a sealing section so that ultimately the serpentine coolant flow is achieved.