HELICAL CONDUIT ENABLED FOR CASTING INSIDE A HOUSING

• US 20100085706A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Savant, Satish D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/689
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/06 Cast metal casings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/203 specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a fluid-cooled housing for an electric device having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining, at least in part, a housing cavity having a longitudinal axis, an end wall continuous with the inner surface. The inner surface having a plurality of core print openings along the longitudinal axis, and a helical conduit integrated within the housing between the outer and inner surfaces along the axis formed from a helical coil core having two or more laterally extending tabs which form the core print in two or more planes.

Claims

1. A fluid-cooled housing for an electric device, comprising:

an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining, at least in part, a housing cavity having a longitudinal axis;

an end wall continuous with the inner surface, thereby substantially enclosing the housing cavity at a first end thereof;

the inner surface having a plurality of core print openings along the longitudinal axis; and

a helical conduit integrated within the housing between the outer and inner surfaces along the axis, formed from a helical coil core having two or more laterally extending tabs which form the core print in two or more planes.

2. The housing of claim 1, wherein the helical conduit has a rectangular cross-section.

3. The housing of claim 2, wherein the rectangular cross-section is defined by a first elongated dimension disposed substantially parallel to the axis.

4. The housing of claim 1, wherein the helical conduit has two or more core print holes per turn of the spiral, opening to the inside.

5. The housing of claim 1, wherein the helical conduit has two or more core print holes per turn of the spiral, opening to the outside.

6. The housing of claim 3, wherein the conduit further comprises an outer surface and a first end, a tube fluidly connected to the conduit in the proximity of the conduit end and extending substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the conduit and is the inlet for the coolant.

7. The housing of claim 6, wherein the tube extends beyond the outer surface of the housing and is the outlet for the coolant.

8. The housing of claim 1, wherein the conduit has a first end and a second end that extends outward from the outer surface of the housing with the coolant entering one end, passing through the spiral and exiting through the other end.

9. A casting configuration for a helical conduit cast for a fluid cooled housing in an electric device comprising:

a cope and drag mold, having a spiral core embedded within the contours of the mold, said core held rigidly within the mold with tabs that serve as core prints.

10. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein the spiral core is created by laser sintering.

11. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein the spiral core is split in two or more pieces.

12. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein the helix angle at the two ends of each spiral of the helical conduit core are reduced for ease of extraction of core halves from a core box.

13. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein core edges have fillet radii for ease of extraction of the core halves from a core box.

14. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein said helical conduit core is formed of compacted sand.

15. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein said helical conduit core has a rectangular cross section.

16. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein said helical conduit core has two or more inwardly facing core prints per spiral connected to form a singular planar tab.

17. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein the helical conduit has two or more outwardly facing core prints per spiral connected to form a singular planar tab.

18. The casting configuration of claim 9, wherein the core print tab extends axially out into the cope and drag of the mold.