Thermal management assembly for an electrified vehicle

• US 10,038,351 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• 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): Andrews, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/072,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20170271951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 310 52- 65
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/20 with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/12 Impregnating, heating or drying of windings, stators, rotors or machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/24 with channels or ducts for cooling medium between the conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/12 specially adapted for operating in liquid or gas combined with cooling arrangements H02K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/00 Arrangements for cooling or ventilating channels or ducts in parts of the magnetic circuit H02K1/20, H02K1/32; channels or ducts in or between conductors H02K3/22, H02K3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/19 for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil

Abstract

An electric machine for an electrified vehicle is provided. The electric machine may include a stator, a ring plate, an encasement, and a fastener. The stator defines a cavity, a stator recess about a portion of the cavity, and a stator aperture. The stator may include windings disposed within and partially protruding out of the cavity. The ring plate may be sized for disposal within the stator recess, and may define a tab and a plate aperture for alignment with the stator aperture. The encasement may define a key sized for engagement with the tab to secure the encasement to the ring plate, and a closed coolant channel. The fastener may be sized for insertion within the apertures to secure the plate to the stator. The stator, ring plate, and encasement may be arranged with one another such that the partially protruding windings are disposed within the closed coolant channel.

Claims

1. An electric machine for an electrified vehicle comprising:

a stator defining a cavity and a stator aperture, and including windings disposed within and partially protruding out of the cavity;

an encasement defining a key and a recess in a radial outer surface of the encasement;

a ring plate disposed within the recess, defining a tab for engagement with the key to secure the encasement to the ring plate, and including a plate aperture for alignment with the stator aperture; and

a fastener sized for insertion within the apertures to secure the plate to the stator at an axial end of the stator when the apertures are aligned with one another,

wherein the stator, ring plate, and encasement are arranged with one another such that the partially protruding windings are disposed within a closed coolant channel.

2. The electric machine of claim 1, wherein the ring plate further defines a plate slot, and wherein the encasement further defines an encasement extension sized for disposal within the plate slot.

3. The electric machine of claim 2, wherein the plate slot is located on the ring plate such that ring plate aperture aligns with the stator aperture when the encasement extension is disposed within the plate slot.

4. The electric machine of claim 1, wherein the tab further defines a receiving cavity sized to receive the key.

5. The electric machine of claim 1, wherein the encasement further defines an inlet and outlet for coolant.

6. The electric machine of claim 1, wherein the key is located adjacent the plate aperture.

7. The electric machine of claim 1 further comprising a sealant disposed between one of the stator and ring plate, or the ring plate and encasement.

8. An electric machine for an electrified vehicle comprising:

a stator defining a cavity and a stator aperture, and including windings disposed within and protruding out of the cavity;

an encasement defining a key, a recess in a radial outer surface, and a closed coolant channel arranged with the stator for disposal of the protruding windings therein;

a plate disposed within the recess and defining a plate aperture and a tab for engagement with the key to secure the encasement to the plate; and

a fastener sized for insertion within the apertures to secure the plate to an axial end of the stator when the apertures are aligned with one another.

9. The electric machine of claim 8, wherein the plate further defines a slot and wherein the encasement further defines an extension sized for disposal within the slot such that the stator aperture and the plate aperture are aligned when the extension is disposed within the slot.

10. The electric machine of claim 8, wherein the encasement is molded.

11. The electric machine of claim 8, wherein the encasement further defines an inlet and an outlet open to the closed coolant channel.

12. The electric machine of claim 8, further comprising a sealant positioned between the stator and the encasement to seal the coolant channel.

13. An electrified vehicle electric machine comprising:

a stator defining a cavity and a stator aperture, and including windings disposed within and protruding out of the cavity;

an encasement defining a recess in a radial outer surface, a tab, and a coolant channel to receive the protruding windings; and

a ring plate defining a slot to receive the tab, and disposed within the recess and defining a plate aperture for alignment with the stator aperture.

14. The electric machine of claim 13, wherein the coolant channel is a closed coolant channel defining an inlet and an outlet.

15. The electric machine of claim 13, wherein a portion of the slot is sized relative to the tab for interference therewith.

16. The electric machine of claim 13, wherein the slot is oriented proximate the plate aperture.

17. The electric machine of claim 13, further comprising a sealant disposed between one of the stator and ring plate, or the ring plate and encasement.

18. The electric machine of claim 13, wherein the encasement defines an encasement through-hole sized for a rotor to at least partially extend therein.