Electric machine for vehicle

• US 10,008,908 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hanumalagutti, Prasad Dev, Degner, Michael W., Leonardi, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Dang
• Application Number:
  US15/072,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20170271957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/006 the electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/20 with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/24 with channels or ducts for cooling medium between the conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/203 specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/19 for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil

Abstract

A vehicle electric machine includes a rotor, and a stator having a core with an end face and end windings adjacent to the end face. An annular cooling trough has an outer sidewall and a bottom. The trough is connected to the end face such that the bottom engages the core, and the sidewall, bottom and end face cooperate to define an open channel around the end windings configured to receive fluid therein.

Claims

1. A vehicle electric machine comprising:

a rotor;

a stator including a core having an end face, and end windings adjacent to the end face; and

an annular cooling trough including an outer sidewall and a bottom, and connected to the end face such that the bottom engages the core, and the sidewall, bottom and end face cooperate to define an open channel around the end windings configured to receive fluid therein, wherein the cooling trough further includes a mounting ear having a first portion attached to the outer sidewall and a second portion attached to the end face.

2. The vehicle electric machine of claim 1 wherein the cooling trough further includes an inner sidewall extending from the bottom and disposed against the end face.

3. The vehicle electric machine of claim 2 wherein the stator further includes windings extending through stator slots, and wherein the inner sidewall defines an opening aligned with the stator slots and configured to receive the windings therethrough.

4. The vehicle electric machine of claim 1 wherein the stator further includes a second end face, further comprising a second cooling trough including an outer sidewall and a bottom, and connected to the second end face such that the bottom engages the core, wherein the sidewall, bottom and second end face cooperate to define an open annular channel around a second set of end windings and configured to receive fluid therein.

5. A vehicle electric machine comprising:

a stator including a core having ends and slots extending therebetween;

windings disposed in the slots and including end windings; and

an arch-shaped trough mounted to one of the ends, and including an outer sidewall and a bottom defining an open cooling channel configured to receive one of the end windings and to extend around less than 270 degrees of the one of the ends.

6. The vehicle electric machine of claim 5 further comprising a second arch-shaped trough mounted to the other of the ends and including an outer sidewall and a bottom defining an open cooling channel configured to receive an other of the end windings and to extend around less than 270 degrees of the other of the ends.

7. The vehicle electric machine of claim 5 wherein the trough further includes an inner sidewall connected to the bottom and defining openings aligned with the slots, and wherein each of the openings is configured to receive a portion of the windings.

8. The vehicle electric machine of claim 5 wherein the outer sidewall defines a pair of concentric curved walls and a pair of linear walls each extending between the curved walls.

9. The vehicle electric machine of claim 5 wherein the bottom includes an end wall that is disposed against the one of the ends.

10. The vehicle electric machine of claim 5 further comprising a rotor disposed with a cavity of the stator.

11. A transmission comprising:

a housing defining an orifice and a passageway in fluid communication with a valve body; and

an electric machine disposed within the housing and including

a stator defining slots,

windings disposed in the slots and including end windings, and

a circular cooling trough defining an open channel configured to receive one of the end windings, wherein the orifice is arranged to direct oil into the open channel to cool the end windings.

12. The transmission of claim 11 wherein the cooling trough further includes an outer sidewall, an inner sidewall and a bottom extending therebetween, and wherein the sidewalls and bottom cooperate to define the open channel.

13. The transmission of claim 12 wherein the inner sidewall defines an opening aligned with the slots, and wherein each of the openings receives a portion of the windings therein.

14. The transmission of claim 11 wherein the electric machine further comprises a second cooling trough defining a second open channel configured to receive the other of the end windings, and wherein the housing further defines a second orifice arranged to direct oil into the second open channel to cool the end windings.

15. The transmission of claim 11 wherein the housing further includes an end cover, and wherein the orifice is defined by the end cover.

16. The transmission of claim 11 wherein the electric machine further comprises a rotor disposed within a cavity of the stator.