System for thermal management in electrical machines

• US 10,277,096 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bodla, Karthik Kumar, Kim, Joo Han, Utturkar, Yogen Vishwas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, John K
• Application Number:
  US15/070,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20170141654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 310 52- 64, 310215, 31015612
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/225 Heat pipes

Abstract

A component for an electrical machine is disclosed. The component is a stator and/or a rotor. The component includes a core, a magnetic field-generating component, and an oscillating heat pipe assembly. The core includes a plurality of slots and the magnetic field-generating component is disposed in at least one slot of the plurality of slots. The oscillating heat pipe assembly is disposed in the core and the at least one slot of the plurality of slots. The oscillating heat pipe assembly is in contact with the core and the magnetic field-generating component. The oscillating heat pipe assembly includes a dielectric material, and where the oscillating heat pipe assembly has an in-plane thermal conductivity higher than a through-plane thermal conductivity.

Claims

1. A component of an electrical machine, the component comprising:

a core comprising a plurality of slots;

a magnetic field-generating component disposed in at least one slot of the plurality of slots; and

an oscillating heat pipe assembly disposed in the core and the at least one slot of the plurality of slots, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is in contact with the core and the magnetic field-generating component, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly comprises a dielectric material,

wherein the magnetic field-generating component comprises a permanent magnet, wherein the permanent magnet comprises a plurality of thin sheets, and wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is inter-disposed between a pair of thin sheets of the plurality of thin sheets.

2. The component of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material comprises at least one of a polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a polyimide, and a PEEK coated on a polymer.

3. The component of claim 1, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly comprises a casing, a plurality of heat exchange sections interconnected to one another and disposed in the casing, and a working fluid filled in at least a portion of the plurality of heat exchange sections.

4. The component of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a plurality of lamination sheets disposed adjacent one another, and wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is inter-disposed between a pair of lamination sheets of the plurality of lamination sheets.

5. The component of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a plurality of lamination sheets disposed adjacent one another, wherein the core further comprises an outer surface and an inner surface, and wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly comprises a first portion inter-disposed between a pair of lamination sheets of the plurality of lamination sheets and a second portion extending along the outer surface of the core.

6. The component of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the core further comprises teeth defining the plurality of slots, wherein each slot of the plurality of slots is defined between corresponding pair of adjacent teeth, and wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly comprises a first portion coupled to at least one tooth and a second portion extending along the inner surface of the core.

7. The component of claim 1, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is disposed in a form of a slot liner in at least one slot of the plurality of slots.

8. The component of claim 1, wherein at least one slot of the plurality of slots comprises an insulating slot liner, and wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is disposed within the insulating slot liner.

9. The component of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field-generating component further comprises a conduction winding, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is disposed within the conduction winding.

10. The component of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field-generating component further comprises a conduction winding, wherein the conduction winding comprises an end winding protruding outwardly from at least one slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is coupled to the end winding and the core.

11. The component of claim 1, wherein the component is a rotor.

12. The component of claim 1, wherein the component is a stator.

13. A component of an electrical machine, the component comprising:

a core comprising a plurality of slots;

a magnetic field-generating component disposed in at least one slot of the plurality of slots, wherein the magnetic field-generating component comprises a conduction winding, wherein the conduction winding comprises an end winding protruding outwardly from at least one slot of the plurality of slots, wherein the end winding comprises an insulating winding liner;

an oscillating heat pipe assembly disposed in the core and the at least one slot of the plurality of slots, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is in contact with the core and the magnetic field-generating component, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly comprises a dielectric material, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is disposed within the insulating winding liner; and

a sprayer disposed proximate to the end winding and configured to provide a dielectric coolant over the insulating winding liner.

14. The component of claim 13, wherein the dielectric material comprises at least one of a polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a polyimide, and a PEEK coated on a polymer.

15. The component of claim 13, wherein the component is a rotor.

16. The component of claim 13, wherein the component is a stator.

17. An electrical machine comprising:

a stator, wherein the stator comprises a stator core comprising a plurality of stator slots and a conduction winding disposed in at least one slot of the plurality of stator slots;

a rotor, wherein the rotor comprises a rotor core comprising a plurality of rotor slots and a permanent magnet disposed in at least one slot of the plurality of rotor slots;

an oscillating heat pipe assembly disposed in the stator core, the at least one slot of the plurality of stator slots, the rotor core, and the at least one slot of the plurality of rotor slots, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is in contact with the stator core, the rotor core, the conduction winding, and the permanent magnet, wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly comprises a dielectric material,

wherein the conduction winding comprises an end winding protruding outwardly from at least one slot of the of the plurality of stator slots, wherein the end winding comprises an insulating winding liner, and wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is disposed within the insulating winding liner; and

a sprayer disposed proximate to the end winding and configured to provide a dielectric coolant over the insulating winding liner.

18. The electrical machine of claim 17, wherein the permanent magnet comprises a plurality of thin sheets, and wherein the oscillating heat pipe assembly is inter-disposed between a pair of thin sheets of the plurality of thin sheets.