Electric motor assemblies including stator and/or rotor cooling
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electric motor assembly comprising:
- a rotor rotatable about an axis;
a stator including a stator core and windings around the stator core,the stator core including opposite first and second ends spaced along the axis,said stator core presenting an outer surface extending between the ends,said windings including end turns positioned at the first end of the stator core;
at least one orifice for directing coolant on the end turns for removing heat from the end turns during operation of the electric motor assembly; and
a housing having an inner surface enclosing at least a portion of the stator,wherein the housing inner surface has a recessed channel extending therein, such that a stator-cooling passage is defined by the outer surface of the stator and the recessed channel of the housing inner surface between the ends of the stator core,said stator-cooling passage having a substantially S-shaped configuration,said stator-cooling passage directing a coolant in the stator-cooling passage to remove heat from the stator core during operation of the electric motor assembly,wherein the housing includes a wall positioned between an end of the housing and the stator,wherein the wall includes the least one orifice,wherein the housing includes an end shield, andwherein the wall is positioned between the end shield and the stator,said assembly further comprising a fluid chamber between the end shield and the wall for supplying coolant to the at least one orifice,said stator-cooling passage permitting a coolant in the stator-cooling passage to contact one or more portions of the outer surface of the stator core,wherein the stator-cooling passage is connected in fluid communication with the fluid chamber between the end shield and the wall,said assembly further comprising;
a bearing;
a longitudinally extending shaft coupled to the bearing,said rotor coupled to the shaft; and
a bearing-supplying fluid passage connected in fluid communication with the fluid chamber for supplying the coolant to the bearing to remove heat from the bearing and lubricate the bearing,said assembly further comprising;
a bearing cap adjacent the bearing,the bearing cap including at least one bearing cap orifice,the bearing cap orifice in fluid communication with the fluid chamber for directing the coolant to the rotor for removing heat from the rotor during operation of the electric motor assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electric motor assembly including a stator having a stator core and windings around the stator core is disclosed. The stator core has opposing ends and an outer surface extending between the opposing ends. The electric motor assembly also includes a housing having an inner surface enclosing at least a portion of the stator, and at least one fluid passage between the outer surface of the stator core and the inner surface of the housing. The fluid passage permits a coolant in the fluid passage to contact one or more portions of the outer surface of the stator core to remove heat from the stator core during operation of the electric motor assembly. Additional motor assemblies including stator and/or rotor cooling features are disclosed.
23 Citations
40 Claims
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1. An electric motor assembly comprising:
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a rotor rotatable about an axis; a stator including a stator core and windings around the stator core, the stator core including opposite first and second ends spaced along the axis, said stator core presenting an outer surface extending between the ends, said windings including end turns positioned at the first end of the stator core; at least one orifice for directing coolant on the end turns for removing heat from the end turns during operation of the electric motor assembly; and a housing having an inner surface enclosing at least a portion of the stator, wherein the housing inner surface has a recessed channel extending therein, such that a stator-cooling passage is defined by the outer surface of the stator and the recessed channel of the housing inner surface between the ends of the stator core, said stator-cooling passage having a substantially S-shaped configuration, said stator-cooling passage directing a coolant in the stator-cooling passage to remove heat from the stator core during operation of the electric motor assembly, wherein the housing includes a wall positioned between an end of the housing and the stator, wherein the wall includes the least one orifice, wherein the housing includes an end shield, and wherein the wall is positioned between the end shield and the stator, said assembly further comprising a fluid chamber between the end shield and the wall for supplying coolant to the at least one orifice, said stator-cooling passage permitting a coolant in the stator-cooling passage to contact one or more portions of the outer surface of the stator core, wherein the stator-cooling passage is connected in fluid communication with the fluid chamber between the end shield and the wall, said assembly further comprising; a bearing; a longitudinally extending shaft coupled to the bearing, said rotor coupled to the shaft; and a bearing-supplying fluid passage connected in fluid communication with the fluid chamber for supplying the coolant to the bearing to remove heat from the bearing and lubricate the bearing, said assembly further comprising; a bearing cap adjacent the bearing, the bearing cap including at least one bearing cap orifice, the bearing cap orifice in fluid communication with the fluid chamber for directing the coolant to the rotor for removing heat from the rotor during operation of the electric motor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electric motor assembly comprising:
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a rotor rotatable about an axis; a stator including a stator core and windings around the stator core, the stator core including opposite first and second ends spaced along the axis, said stator core presenting an outer surface extending between the ends, said windings including end turns positioned at the first end of the stator core; at least one orifice for directing coolant on the end turns for removing heat from the end turns during operation of the electric motor assembly; and a housing having an inner surface enclosing at least a portion of the stator, wherein the housing inner surface has a recessed channel extending therein, such that a stator-cooling passage is defined by the outer surface of the stator and the recessed channel of the housing inner surface between the ends of the stator core, said stator-cooling passage having a substantially S-shaped configuration, said stator-cooling passage directing a coolant in the stator-cooling passage to remove heat from the stator core during operation of the electric motor assembly, wherein the housing includes a wall positioned between an end of the housing and the stator, wherein the wall includes the least one orifice, wherein the housing includes an end shield, and wherein the wall is positioned between the end shield and the stator, said assembly further comprising a fluid chamber between the end shield and the wall for supplying coolant to the at least one orifice, said stator-cooling passage permitting a coolant in the stator-cooling passage to contact one or more portions of the outer surface of the stator core, wherein the stator-cooling passage is connected in fluid communication with the fluid chamber between the end shield and the wall, said assembly further comprising; a bearing; a longitudinally extending shaft coupled to the bearing, said rotor coupled to the shaft; and a bearing-supplying fluid passage connected in fluid communication with the fluid chamber for supplying the coolant to the bearing to remove heat from the bearing and lubricate the bearing, said assembly further comprising; a rotor-supplying fluid passage in fluid communication with the bearing-supplying fluid passage for directing coolant to the rotor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An electric motor assembly comprising:
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a rotor rotatable about an axis; a stator including a stator core and windings around the stator core, the stator core including opposite first and second ends spaced along the axis, said stator core presenting an outer surface extending between the ends, said windings including end turns positioned at the first end of the stator core; at least one orifice for directing coolant on the end turns for removing heat from the end turns during operation of the electric motor assembly; and a housing having an inner surface enclosing at least a portion of the stator, wherein the housing inner surface has a recessed channel extending therein, such that a stator-cooling passage is defined by the outer surface of the stator and the recessed channel of the housing inner surface between the ends of the stator core, said stator-cooling passage having a substantially S-shaped configuration, said stator-cooling passage directing a coolant in the stator-cooling passage to remove heat from the stator core during operation of the electric motor assembly, wherein the housing includes a wall positioned between an end of the housing and the stator, wherein the wall includes the least one orifice, wherein the housing includes an end shield, and wherein the wall is positioned between the end shield and the stator, said assembly further comprising a fluid chamber between the end shield and the wall for supplying coolant to the at least one orifice, said stator-cooling passage permitting a coolant in the stator-cooling passage to contact one or more portions of the outer surface of the stator core, wherein the stator-cooling passage is connected in fluid communication with the fluid chamber between the end shield and the wall, said assembly further comprising; a bearing; a longitudinally extending shaft coupled to the bearing, said rotor coupled to the shaft; and a bearing-supplying fluid passage connected in fluid communication with the fluid chamber for supplying the coolant to the bearing to remove heat from the bearing and lubricate the bearing, wherein the rotor includes at least one internal rotor-cooling fluid passage extending longitudinally from a first end of the rotor to a second end of the rotor, the assembly further comprising an end plate coupled to the first end of the rotor, the end plate including at least one rotor fluid port in fluid communication with the at least one internal rotor-cooling fluid passage, and an impeller for drawing the coolant into the fluid port and through the at least one internal rotor-cooling fluid passage, wherein the shaft and the end plate are rotated during operation of the electric motor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An electric motor assembly comprising:
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a sealed, substantially air-filled motor chamber; a longitudinally extending rotatable shaft; a bearing coupled to the longitudinally extending shaft; a rotor fixed to the shaft, the rotor and the shaft being at least in part housed within the motor chamber, the rotor having at least one internal fluid passage extending longitudinally from a first end of the rotor to a second end of the rotor; an end plate located within the motor chamber and coupled to the first end of the rotor for rotational movement therewith, the end plate including at least one fluid port in fluid communication with the at least one internal fluid passage of the rotor, and an impeller for drawing coolant into the fluid port and through the at least one internal fluid passage of the rotor when the rotor, the shaft, and the end plate are rotated during operation of the electric motor assembly; stationary wall structure defining at least in part the motor chamber, with the impeller being spaced from the stationary wall structure, said stationary wall structure presenting at least one liquid orifice for directing liquid to the impeller for removing heat from the rotor during operation of the electric motor assembly; and a fluid chamber in fluid communication with the at least one liquid orifice and configured to supply liquid to the at least one liquid orifice and the bearing. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeNidec Motor Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
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Original AssigneeNidec Motor Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
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InventorsKirkley, Thomas E. Jr., Wittman, Lawrence J., Poag, Andrew F., Randall, Steven P.
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Primary Examiner(s)Nguyen, Tran
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Assistant Examiner(s)Truong, Thomas
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Application NumberUS13/194,588Publication NumberTime in Patent Office1,243 DaysField of Search310/52, 310/54, 310/62, 310/63, 310/260, 310/270, 310/90, 310/61US Class Current310/54CPC Class CodesH02K 1/2766 having a flux concentration...H02K 1/32 with channels or ducts for ...H02K 3/24 with channels or ducts for ...H02K 5/203 specially adapted for liqui...H02K 7/083 radially supporting the rot...H02K 9/19 for machines with closed ca...
