Thermal management assembly for an electrified vehicle

• US 10,086,538 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• 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., Jih, Edward Chan-Jiun, Lei, Guangyin, Leonardi, Franco
• Primary Examiner(s): Horn, Robert W
• Application Number:
  US15/072,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20170271940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/14 Dipping a core B29C41/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/20 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. moulding inserts or for coating articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/40 Cores
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/42 Removing articles from moulds, cores or other substrates B29C33/444 and B29C37/0017 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2063/00 Use of EP, i.e. epoxy resins or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3481 Housings or casings incorporating or embedding electric or electronic elements
• 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: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/05 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2410/10 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/24 with channels or ducts for cooling medium between the conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/197 in which the rotor or stator space is fluid-tight, e.g. to provide for different cooling media for rotor and stator
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator

Abstract

A cover for a housing of an electric machine is provided. The cover may include an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall. The outer sidewall may be spaced apart from the inner sidewall to define a coolant channel therebetween. The inner sidewall and outer sidewall may be defined by an interior surface of the cover such that the coolant channel receives end windings of a stator of the electric machine when the cover is secured to the housing. The interior surface of the cover may define features between the sidewalls to promote turbulence of coolant flowing through the coolant channel. The interior surface of the cover may define a meandering trough between the sidewalls to form a predetermined coolant path relative to a location of the end windings when the cover is secured to the housing.

Claims

1. An electric machine housing cover comprising:

an inner sidewall; and

an outer sidewall spaced from the inner sidewall to define a coolant channel therebetween,

wherein the sidewalls are defined by an interior cover surface, wherein the coolant channel receives stator end windings when the cover is secured to the housing, and wherein the interior cover surface defines a meandering trough between the sidewalls to form a predetermined coolant path relative to end winding locations.

2. The cover of claim 1, wherein the interior cover surface defines features between the sidewalls to promote turbulence of coolant flowing through the coolant channel, and wherein the features are one of a plurality of individual extrusions scattered about the coolant channel, concentric circular extrusions about a hub of the coolant channel, or post extrusions spaced apart from one another along the inner sidewall or outer sidewall.

3. The cover of claim 1, wherein the cover defines an inlet and an outlet open to the coolant channel.

4. The cover of claim 1 further comprising a stator, wherein the stator and the outer sidewall are sized such that the coolant channel is sealed when the cover is secured to the electric machine housing.

5. The cover of claim 1, wherein the cover further defines one or more fins on an exterior surface proximate the coolant channel to operate as a heat sink.

6. A housing of an electrified vehicle electric machine comprising:

a cover defining an interior surface and an exterior surface;

an inner sidewall defined by the interior surface and having a circular shape; and

an outer sidewall defined by the interior surface and spaced apart from the inner sidewall to define a coolant channel therebetween,

wherein the interior surface is arranged with the housing such that the coolant channel receives end windings of a stator of the electric machine when the cover is secured to the housing, and wherein the outer sidewall is spaced from an edge of the cover such that a rotor of the electric machine at least partially extends in between the sidewalls.

7. The housing of claim 6, wherein the interior surface further defines a meandering trough between the inner sidewall and outer sidewall for coolant to flow therethrough.

8. The housing of claim 6, wherein the outer sidewall further defines an inlet and an outlet open to the coolant channel.

9. The housing of claim 6, wherein the inner sidewall defines a cavity sized for a rotor of the electric machine to at least partially extend therethrough.

10. The housing of claim 6 further comprising a sealant disposed between the sidewalls and the stator.

11. The housing of claim 6, wherein the stator further defines a bracket extending from a face of the stator sized to receive a key defined by the outer sidewall to secure the outer sidewall to the stator.

12. The housing of claim 6, wherein the stator defines a slot sized to receive a tab defined by the outer sidewall to secure the outer sidewall to the stator.

13. The housing of claim 6 further comprising an O-ring plate sized for disposal between the sidewalls and the stator.

14. The housing of claim 6, further comprising one or more fins extending from an exterior cover surface and located proximate the coolant channel.

15. The housing of claim 14, wherein the one or more fins are adjacent one of an inlet or outlet defined by the outer sidewall.

16. A method to form an encasement about end windings of an electric machine comprising:

immersing the end windings in a mold material bath and then removing the end windings for the mold material to solidify and define a base mold upon the end windings;

positioning inlet and outlet placeholders extending in and out of the base mold;

immersing the base mold in an epoxy bath and then removing the base mold for the epoxy to solidify and define an over mold; and

dissolving the base mold via a liquid applied to the base mold such that a cavity is defined between the end windings and the over mold.