Helical conduit enabled for casting inside a housing

• US 7,965,002 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Savant, Satish D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung; Quyen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai; Naishadh N
• Application Number:
  US12/246,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 310 52- 59, 310/88, 310/89, 361/689
• US Class Current: 310/52
• 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 channel formed by casting within the housing between the outer and inner surfaces along the axis, the helical channel formed from a helical coil core made of compacted sand and having two or more laterally extending tabs which form the core print openings, the helical coil core being positioned between cope and drag molds prior to casting, the helical channel being formed by material forming the housing without any separate conduit material being used.

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 in 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 fluid-cooled housing for an electric device, comprising:

an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining 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 opening along the longitudinal axis; and

a helical channel formed with the housing between the outer and inner surfaces along the longitudinal axis, the helical channel being cast into the housing without any separate conduit or material being embedded in the housing to form and define the helical channel, the helical channel being cast into the housing without any mechanical machining or milling.

10. The fluid-cooled housing for an electric motor/generator of claim 9, wherein the helical channel is a conical helix having successive turns of decreasing diameter.