Winding Cooling Channels for Compact High-Current Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Concentrated winding machines face challenges in efficiently cooling their windings due to limited exposed surface area for coolant flow, leading to excessive temperatures and potential thermal runaway, which affects current carrying capacity and insulation life.
Innovation Solution
Creating channels between adjacent turns of the winding pattern to allow coolant flow, with a housing system that facilitates fluid flow through these channels, increasing the surface area exposed to the coolant and enhancing heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If concentrated winding pattern is used to reduce machine size and weight, then compact design and reduced end turn length are achieved, but cooling efficiency deteriorates due to limited exposed surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The winding structure is segmented by creating channels between adjacent turns, dividing the previously solid winding mass into sections that allow coolant flow. This segmentation increases the exposed surface area for heat dissipation while maintaining the compact concentrated winding configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
Cooling channels are introduced in the radial dimension between adjacent turns of the winding, adding a new dimension for heat transfer. This allows coolant to flow through the winding structure from the radial direction, significantly increasing the effective cooling surface area without increasing the overall machine volume.
2Volume of moving object
If concentrated winding pattern is used to reduce machine size and weight, then compact design is achieved, but current carrying capacity deteriorates due to excessive temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the winding structure with cooling channels between turns, heat is removed more effectively from high-current regions. This allows the winding to sustain higher current densities without exceeding temperature limits, thereby increasing current carrying capacity while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
A hydraulic cooling system is implemented with coolant flowing through channels formed between winding turns. The forced convection of coolant through these channels provides efficient heat removal, enabling higher current operation without thermal runaway and improving overall system reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional winding structure is used without cooling channels, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but insulation life deteriorates due to thermal runaway
Solution Approach 1:
The winding structure is segmented with cooling channels that can be formed by simple modifications to the turn spacing. This segmentation approach allows coolant flow paths to be created without complex manufacturing processes, maintaining ease of manufacture while dramatically improving heat dissipation and insulation life.
Solution Approach 2:
The winding structure itself serves the dual function of electrical conduction and thermal management. The channels between turns are formed as part of the winding construction, allowing the winding to cool itself without requiring separate cooling components, thereby extending insulation life while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
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 solution effectively increases the current carrying capacity of the windings, reduces thermal runaway, and extends the insulation life by improving cooling efficiency, allowing the machines to operate at higher current densities with reduced weight and size.
Implementation Method 1
a housing for housing the set of windings, the housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet each in fluid communication with the at least one channel, the housing facilitating coolant fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, via the at least one channel in direct contact with exposed surfaces of the set of windings
Implementation Method 2
coolant fluid to flow therethrough... in direct contact with exposed surfaces of the set of windings
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a winding system for use in an electrical, electronic or electromagnetic device or component including: one or more set of windings, each set of windings including an electrically-conductive element arranged in a winding pattern with multiple turns, at least one pair of adjacent turns of the multiple turns being spaced apart to provide at least one channel therebetween for coolant fluid to flow therethrough; and a housing for housing the set of windings, the housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet each in fluid communication with the at least one channel, the housing facilitating coolant fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, via the at least one channel in direct contact with exposed surfaces of the set of windings, the exposed surfaces at least partially defining the at least one channel.