Integrated Turbomachine Cooling Channel for Compact Power Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbomachines, such as compressors and turbines, face challenges in achieving a compact design while efficiently cooling the power supply for the electric machine, which often require complex assemblies and significant installation space.
Innovation Solution
The turbomachine incorporates a cooling channel formed as a cavity within the housing, connected via inlet and outlet lines, with sections designed to overlap with the stator and electronics housing, allowing for heat dissipation through a common plane and circumferential arrangement, and uses a potting compound for stator fixation and sealing, reducing parts and assembly complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a separate electronics housing with cooling channels is used, then effective cooling of the power supply is achieved, but the number of parts increases and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing and electronics housing are merged into a single integrated component. The housing serves dual functions as both the structural enclosure for the turbine wheel and compressor wheel, and as the housing for receiving the power supply. The cooling channel is formed as a cavity within this integrated housing, eliminating the need for separate cooling channels in a separate electronics housing, thereby reducing part count while maintaining effective cooling capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are used for housing and electronics housing, then manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but the installation space occupied increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing and electronics housing are combined into a single integrated structure that receives both the compressor wheel and power supply. This integration significantly reduces the overall installation space occupied by the turbomachine while maintaining ease of manufacture through conventional casting or machining processes.
3Device complexity
If the cooling channel is formed as a cavity within the housing, then the number of parts is reduced and installation space is minimized, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A lost core is used during the casting process to pre-form the cavity shape within the housing material. The lost core is removed after casting, leaving a clean, precisely shaped cooling channel cavity. This preliminary action simplifies the overall manufacturing process by avoiding complex post-casting operations such as drilling, tapping, or machining of the cooling channel, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity despite the integrated design.
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 achieves efficient cooling of the power supply and stator while minimizing installation space and assembly costs, with improved heat transfer and reduced susceptibility to corrosion and vibration.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling channel which has an inlet line and an outlet line and which is designed to carry a cooling fluid, in particular a coolant
Implementation Method 2
the first cooling channel section is arranged between the stator and the electronics housing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a turbomachine, in particular a compressor or a turbine with a drive shaft (13) coupled to an electric machine (10) which directly or indirectly drives a flow wheel (14), wherein the electric machine (10) has a stator (12) which is received and mounted in a housing (20), wherein the stator (12) is connected or connectable via connecting lines (12.1) to a power supply (60) arranged outside the housing (20), wherein the power supply (60) is housed outside the housing (20) in a receiving area (54) of an electronics housing (50), and wherein a cooling channel (21) is provided which has an inlet line (28.1) and an outlet line (28.2) and which is designed to carry a cooling fluid, in particular a coolant.In order to operate such a turbomachine efficiently, wherein the turbomachine simultaneously has a compact design, it is provided according to the invention that the housing (20) and the electronics housing (50) are connected to each other, and that the cooling channel (21) has a first cooling channel area (21.3) which is arranged at least partially between the stator (12) and the electronics housing (50) and which is formed as a cavity in the housing (20).