Spring-Loaded Winding Temperature Sensor Mount for Easy Servicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature sensors in electric machines, particularly those with dense or compact windings, face challenges in accurate temperature measurement due to their tight assembly, making it difficult to insert sensors between wires and resulting in lower measured maximum temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A sensor fastening means with a metal retaining plate and a spring element that presses a temperature sensor against the radially inner edge of the winding, allowing for axial insertion and removal from the outside, ensuring accurate thermal contact and measurement of maximum temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature sensors are installed inside the stator for monitoring winding temperature, then temperature measurement capability is improved, but accessibility for maintenance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor fastening means with a retaining body and retaining plate serves as an intermediary mechanism, enabling the temperature sensor to be mounted on the outer periphery of the stator while maintaining thermal contact with the winding through a heat-conductive path, thus preserving measurement capability while ensuring accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor positioning is moved from the internal radial direction to the external circumferential direction, allowing the sensor to contact the winding from the outer periphery of the stator rather than from inside, thereby maintaining measurement accuracy while enabling easy access for maintenance
2Measurement precision
If temperature sensors are pressed against the winding with spring force, then thermal contact and measurement accuracy are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring constant and preload force of the spring element are optimized to provide sufficient contact pressure for thermal conduction while remaining within the elastic deformation range, ensuring reliable thermal contact without excessive structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining body made of heat-conductive material serves as a thermal intermediary between the spring-loaded sensor and the winding, distributing the contact force and maintaining thermal contact through its inherent conductivity rather than requiring complex direct contact mechanisms
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
Enables easy maintenance and accurate measurement of maximum temperatures in electric machine windings by ensuring the temperature sensor is pressed against the radially inner edge, where highest temperatures occur, through a spring element that provides axial prestressing and thermal conduction.
Implementation Method 1
having a spring element, which is supported on the retaining body and is intended for providing spring prestressing in the axial direction for the purpose of pressing the temperature sensor against a radially inner edge of a winding
Implementation Method 2
a heat transfer, which is essentially dominated only by thermal conduction, occurs and which can either be taken into account by calculation in the temperature measurement
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor-fastening means is disclosed for measuring temperature in an electric machine for the drive of a motor vehicle, having a retaining body for accommodating a temperature sensor, having a metal retaining plate, which is fastened to the retaining body and is intended for fastening to the electric machine in a defined installation position relative to the electric machine. In the installation position, the temperature sensor is oriented substantially in the radial direction of the electric machine, and has a spring element, which is supported on the retaining body and is intended for providing spring prestressing in the axial direction for the purpose of pressing the temperature sensor against a radially inner edge of a winding. The sensor-fastening means, which can be displaced in the radial direction and can be moved axially past the winding, makes it possible for the temperature sensor to be positioned on the radially inner edge of the winding from the radially outward direction and to be thermally coupled thereto with the aid of the spring element, therefore allowing easy-to-maintain and accurate measurement of a maximum temperature in a winding of an electric machine for a motor vehicle.