Motor-driven centrifugal air compressor with internal cooling airflow
First Claim
1. A motor-driven compressor, comprising:
- an electric motor having a stator and a rotor and a rotating shaft driven thereby;
a centrifugal compressor wheel driven by said rotating shaft;
a housing having a first portion enclosing the electric motor and carrying a bearing system for the motor-driven rotating shaft, and a second portion forming a pressurized enclosure for the centrifugal compressor wheel; and
intercepting means comprising an interior surface protruding into the flow of compressed air at the periphery of the centrifugal compressor wheel for providing a flow of cooling air from the pressurized compressor housing portion through the motor-enclosing housing portion and around the motor stator and rotor.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A motor-driven compressor comprises a motor that is carried by a motor-enclosing housing portion, a compressor wheel that is driven by the motor within a second housing portion forming a pressurized enclosure, and means for providing a flow of cooling air for the motor from the pressurized compressor housing portion to the motor-enclosing housing portion. In this motor-driven compressor a small portion of the air flowing through the compressor is directed to the motor housing as cooling air for the motor windings and then is either exhausted to atmosphere or recirculated to the compressor air inlet. As a result, a portion of the internal heat generated in the windings is carried away, permitting a higher level of power to be produced reliably by the motor on a continuous basis and, in turn, allowing the compressor to deliver more compressed air at higher pressure to the receiving entity.
173 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A motor-driven compressor, comprising:
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an electric motor having a stator and a rotor and a rotating shaft driven thereby; a centrifugal compressor wheel driven by said rotating shaft; a housing having a first portion enclosing the electric motor and carrying a bearing system for the motor-driven rotating shaft, and a second portion forming a pressurized enclosure for the centrifugal compressor wheel; and intercepting means comprising an interior surface protruding into the flow of compressed air at the periphery of the centrifugal compressor wheel for providing a flow of cooling air from the pressurized compressor housing portion through the motor-enclosing housing portion and around the motor stator and rotor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A motor-driven compressor, comprising:
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an electric motor and a rotating shaft driven thereby; a centrifugal compressor wheel driven by said rotating shaft; a housing having a first portion enclosing the electric motor and carrying a bearing system for the motor-driven rotating shaft, and a second portion forming a pressurized enclosure for the centrifugal compressor wheel; and an air flow pathway comprising a pipe from the periphery of the pressurized enclosure to the motor-enclosing housing portion for providing a flow of cooling air from the pressurized enclosure to the motor-enclosing housing portion.
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5. A motor-driven compressor, comprising
an electric motor and a rotating shaft driven thereby; -
a centrifugal compressor wheel driven by said rotating shaft; a housing having a first portion enclosing the electric motor and carrying a bearing system for the motor-driven rotating shaft, and a second portion forming compressor wheel air inlet and a pressurized enclosure for the centrifugal compressor wheel; means for providing a flow of cooling air from the pressurized compressor housing portion to the motor-enclosing housing portion; and a conduit means for connecting the interior of the motor-enclosing housing portion with the compressor wheel air inlet.
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6. A motor-driven compressor, comprising:
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an electric motor and a rotating shaft driven thereby; a centrifugal compressor wheel driven by said rotating shaft; a housing having a first portion enclosing the electric motor and carrying a bearing system for the motor-driven rotating shaft, and a second portion forming compressor wheel air inlet and a pressurized enclosure for the centrifugal compressor wheel; and means for providing a flow of cooling air from the pressurized compressor housing portion to the motor-enclosing housing portion, wherein the motor-enclosing housing portion substantially encloses the electric motor and includes an exhaust outlet for the flow of cooling air and a non return valve for said inlet.
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7. A motor-driven air compressor, comprising a centrifugal air compressor wheel, an electric motor for driving the centrifugal air compressor wheel, and a rotatable shaft carrying the centrifugal air compressor wheel and an electric motor rotor;
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a motor housing forming a motor enclosure for the electric motor, said motor housing having a cylindrical portion carrying stator windings for said electric motor and a planar wall portion extending radially from the cylindrical portion between the centrifugal compressor wheel and the electric motor, said motor housing carrying a pair of shaft bearings and the rotatable shaft and electric motor rotor; a compressor housing forming an enclosure for the compressor wheel, a central air inlet to the compressor wheel and a peripheral compressed air collector; and means for providing a flow of cooling air from the compressor enclosure through the cylindrical portion of the motor enclosure carrying the stator windings, wherein the flow of cooling air is supplied through an external conduit leading from the peripheral compressed air collector into the motor housing.
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8. A motor-driven air compressor, comprising a centrifugal air compressor wheel, an electric motor for driving the centrifugal air compressor wheel, and a rotatable shaft carrying the centrifugal air compressor wheel and an electric motor rotor;
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a motor housing forming a motor enclosure for the electric motor, said motor housing having a cylindrical portion carrying stator windings for said electric motor and a planar wall portion extending radially from the cylindrical portion between the centrifugal compressor wheel and the electric motor, said motor housing carrying a pair of shaft bearings and the rotatable shaft and electric motor rotor; a compressor housing forming an enclosure for the compressor wheel, a central air inlet to the compressor wheel and a peripheral compressed air collector; and means for providing a flow of cooling air from the compressor enclosure through the cylindrical portion of the motor enclosure carrying the stator windings, wherein the flow of cooling air is exhausted from the motor enclosure through a non-return valve carried by the motor housing.
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9. A motor-driven air compressor, comprising a centrifugal air compressor wheel, an electric motor for driving the centrifugal air compressor wheel, and a rotatable shaft carrying the centrifugal air compressor wheel and an electric motor rotor;
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a motor housing forming a motor enclosure for the electric motor, said motor housing having a cylindrical portion carrying stator windings for said electric motor and a planar wall portion extending radially from the cylindrical portion between the centrifugal compressor wheel and the electric motor, said motor housing carrying a pair of shaft bearings and a rotatable shaft and electric motor rotor; a compressor housing forming an enclosure for the compressor wheel, a central air inlet to the compressor wheel and a peripheral compressed air collector; and means for providing a flow of cooling air from the compressor enclosure through the cylindrical portion of the motor enclosure carrying the stator windings, wherein the flow of cooling air is recirculated from the motor housing to the air inlet of the compressor housing through an external conduit.
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- 10. In a supercharging system for an internal combustion engine, the improvement comprising a motor-driven air compressor for providing a flow of compressed charge air for the internal combustion engine, said motor-driven compressor comprising a temperature sensitive electric motor, including a motor rotor and stator windings, carried in a first motor enclosing housing portion and a charge air compressor wheel enclosed by a second housing portion including a pressurized portion, and integral means comprising an external conduit from the periphery of the pressurized compressor housing to the motor-enclosing portion for directing a flow of compressed air from the pressurized compressor housing portion through the motor-enclosing housing portion and around the motor rotor and stator windings for cooling the temperature sensitive motor.
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14. A motor-driven compressor, comprising a centrifugal compressor wheel, an electric motor for driving the compressor wheel and a rotatable shaft carrying the centrifugal compressor wheel and electric motor rotor;
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a motor housing forming a motor enclosure for the electric motor, said motor housing having a cylindrical portion carrying stator windings for said electric motor and a planar wall portion extending radially from the cylindrical portion between the centrifugal compressor wheel and the electric motor, said motor housing carrying a pair of shaft bearings and the rotatable shaft and the electric motor rotor; a compressor housing forming an enclosure for the compressor wheel, a central air inlet to the compressor wheel and a peripheral compressed air collector; a lip protruding into the flow of compressed air from the compressor in the compressor housing for providing a flow of cooling air for the motor enclosure, and means for delivering the flow of cooling air to the motor-enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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- 19. In a supercharging system for an internal combustion engine, the improvement comprising a motor-driven compressor for providing a flow of compressed charge air for the internal combustion engine, said motor-driven compressor comprising a temperature sensitive electric motor carried in a first motor-enclosing housing portion and a compressor wheel enclosed by a second housing portion including a pressurized portion, and integral means comprising an air scoop in said pressurized compressor housing portion for intercepting the flow of compressed air in the pressurized compressor housing portion, and means for directing the flow of compressed air into the motor-enclosing housing portion.
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22. A motor-driven compressor, comprising:
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an electric motor having a stator and a rotor and a rotating shaft driven thereby; a centrifugal compressor wheel carried by said rotating shaft; a motor housing including an axially extending portion for carrying the electric motor stator and a forward portion extending radially from said axially extending portion and forming at least one projecting boss portion; a compressed air collector surrounding said centrifugal compressor wheel and being carried by said radially extending portion of the motor housing and forming, with said radially extending portion of the motor housing, a pressurized enclosure; said at least one boss being provided with a compressed air passageway leading from the pressurized enclosure into the axially extending motor-carrying housing portion for providing a flow of cooling air from the pressurized enclosure for the electric motor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification