Reject heat driven absorption cooling cycle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electric machine system comprising:
- an electric motor;
a primary cooling fluid in thermal communication with the electric motor;
an absorption cooling system driven by heat generated by the electric motor and configured to cool the primary cooling fluid that removes the heat from the electric motor to a temperature below an ambient temperature of a heat sink that receives heat from the absorption cooling system, the absorption cooling system having a refrigerant that is separate from and not mixing with the primary cooling fluid;
wherein the absorption cooling system is configured to receive the primary cooling fluid to heat the refrigerant to drive the absorption cooling system; and
wherein the absorption cooling system comprises an absorption chiller and a heat exchanger, wherein (i) the primary cooling fluid flows through the absorption chiller to heat the refrigerant in order to chill a secondary cooling fluid that is separate from and not mixing with the primary cooling fluid using an absorption cooling cycle and (ii) the primary cooling fluid after exiting the absorption chiller flows through the heat exchanger where the primary cooling fluid is cooled by the chilled secondary cooling fluid.
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Abstract
An electric machine system includes: an electric motor; and an absorption cooling system driven by heat generated by the electric motor and configured to cool a primary cooling fluid that removes the heat from the electric motor to a temperature below an ambient temperature of an ultimate heat sink. A method for operating the electric machine system is also disclosed.
10 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An electric machine system comprising:
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an electric motor; a primary cooling fluid in thermal communication with the electric motor; an absorption cooling system driven by heat generated by the electric motor and configured to cool the primary cooling fluid that removes the heat from the electric motor to a temperature below an ambient temperature of a heat sink that receives heat from the absorption cooling system, the absorption cooling system having a refrigerant that is separate from and not mixing with the primary cooling fluid; wherein the absorption cooling system is configured to receive the primary cooling fluid to heat the refrigerant to drive the absorption cooling system; and wherein the absorption cooling system comprises an absorption chiller and a heat exchanger, wherein (i) the primary cooling fluid flows through the absorption chiller to heat the refrigerant in order to chill a secondary cooling fluid that is separate from and not mixing with the primary cooling fluid using an absorption cooling cycle and (ii) the primary cooling fluid after exiting the absorption chiller flows through the heat exchanger where the primary cooling fluid is cooled by the chilled secondary cooling fluid. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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2. An electric machine system comprising:
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an electric motor; an inverter configured to operate the electric motor; a primary cooling fluid in thermal communication with the electric motor; an absorption cooling system driven by heat generated by the electric motor or the inverter and configured to cool the primary cooling fluid that removes the heat from the electric motor or the inverter to a temperature below an ambient temperature of a heat sink that receives heat from the absorption cooling system, the absorption cooling system having a refrigerant that is separate from and not mixing with the primary cooling fluid; wherein the absorption cooling system is configured to receive the primary cooling fluid to heat the refrigerant to drive the absorption cooling system; and wherein the absorption cooling system comprises an absorption chiller and a heat exchanger, wherein (i) the primary cooling fluid flows through the absorption chiller to heat the refrigerant in order to chill a secondary cooling fluid that is separate from and not mixing with the primary cooling fluid using an absorption cooling cycle and (ii) the primary cooling fluid after exiting the absorption chiller flows through the heat exchanger where the primary cooling fluid is cooled by the chilled secondary cooling fluid.
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3. A method of operating an electric machine system comprising an electric motor, the method comprising:
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removing heat from the electric motor using a primary cooling fluid in thermal communication with the electric motor; heating a working fluid that is separate from and not mixing with the primary cooling fluid in an absorption cooling system with the removed heat to drive the absorption cooling system; cooling the primary cooling fluid using the absorption cooling system to below a temperature of a heat sink that receives heat from the absorption cooling system; and cooling the electric motor using the cooled primary cooling fluid wherein the absorption cooling system comprises an absorption chiller and a heat exchanger, wherein (i) the primary cooling fluid flows through the absorption chiller to heat the working fluid in order to chill a secondary cooling fluid that is separate from and not mixing with the primary cooling fluid using an absorption cooling cycle and (ii) the primary cooling fluid after exiting the absorption chiller flows through the heat exchanger where the primary cooling fluid is cooled by the chilled secondary cooling fluid. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification