Cooling arrangement for a motor of a vehicle

• US 9,975,415 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Jansen, Patrick Lee, Badders, Gregory Benton, Deahl, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cassidy, Brian L
• Application Number:
  US15/044,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20170232828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 180 656, 180242
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/04 characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of gearing electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/006 the electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/41 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/415 Wheel loaders
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/417 Articulated frame vehicles

Abstract

Various methods and systems are provided for an electric motor arrangement in a chassis of a battery electric vehicle. In one embodiment, a front chassis for a battery electric vehicle comprises a structural frame including two parallel sidewalls and a first portion of a vehicle articulation joint and an electric motor coupled between and in face-sharing contact with each of the two parallel sidewalls.

Claims

1. A chassis for a battery electric vehicle, comprising:

a structural frame including first and second parallel sidewalls and a first portion of a vehicle articulation joint;

an electric motor having a first side and a second side, where the first side is parallel to the second side, and the motor is coupled between the first and second parallel sidewalls of the structural frame; and

a thermal interface positioned between the first side of the electric motor and the first sidewall of the structural frame and between the second side of the electric motor and the second sidewall of the structural frame;

wherein an entirety of the first side of the electric motor is in face-sharing contact with the thermal interface positioned between the first side of the electric motor and the first sidewall of the structural frame and an entirety of the second side of the electric motor is in face-sharing contact with the thermal interface positioned between the second side of the electric motor and the second sidewall of the structural frame, and wherein each of the first sidewall and second sidewall of the structural frame includes a respective window cut-out and a plate removably coupled to the window cut-out.

2. The chassis of claim 1, wherein the thermal interface includes one or more of a metal shim, silicone foam, silicone rubber, thermal paste, thermal grease, thermal epoxy, or steel-silicone foam.

3. A chassis for a battery electric vehicle, comprising:

a structural frame including two parallel sidewalls and a first portion of a vehicle articulation joint;

an electric motor coupled between and in face-sharing contact with each of the two parallel sidewalls, wherein an entirety of a first side of the electric motor is contacting a first sidewall of the two parallel sidewalls and an entirety of a second side of the electric motor is contacting a second sidewall of the two parallel sidewalls, where the first side is parallel to the second side, and

wherein each of the first sidewall and second sidewall of the structural frame includes a respective window cut-out and a plate removably coupled to the window cut-out.

4. The chassis of claim 3, wherein the electric motor includes a third side and fourth side, each parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first side and second side, and further comprising at least one liquid-cooled chill plate coupled to and in face-sharing contact with one of the third side or fourth side.

5. The chassis of claim 3, wherein the electric motor includes a fifth side and sixth side, each parallel to one another and perpendicular to the first side and second side, wherein the fifth side includes an output shaft coupleable to a gear box arranged within the structural frame.

6. The chassis of claim 3, wherein a line normal to the first side and second side of the electric motor is perpendicular to a rotational axis of the electric motor.

7. The chassis of claim 3, wherein the chassis is a front chassis, wherein the first portion is a flanged portion of the vehicle articulation joint and is coupled to each of the two parallel sidewalls, and wherein the two parallel sidewalls each include a respective aperture forming at least a portion of a pivot point for a work member arm of the battery electric vehicle.

8. The chassis of claim 3, wherein the chassis is a rear chassis and the first portion is a connection point portion of the vehicle articulation joint.

9. The chassis of claim 3, further comprising a tire fender coupled to each of the two parallel sidewalls of the structural frame.

10. A front chassis for a battery electric vehicle, comprising:

a structural frame including a first parallel sidewall and a second parallel sidewall and a first portion of an articulation joint, where each of the first parallel sidewall and second parallel sidewall includes a respective opening and a plate removably coupled to the opening, wherein the first portion of the articulation joint is coupled to a first end of the structural frame and each of the first parallel sidewall and second parallel sidewall and wherein the structural frame further includes an angled, bottom surface arranged at a second end of the structural frame, opposite the first end, where the bottom surface is coupleable to an axle of the battery electric vehicle; and

an electric motor coupled between and contacting each of the first parallel sidewall and second parallel sidewall, where a third parallel sidewall and fourth parallel sidewall of the electric motor are each in face-sharing contact with the plate of one of the first parallel sidewall and second parallel sidewall of the structural frame.

11. The front chassis of claim 10, further comprising a thermal filler element positioned between each of the third parallel sidewall and fourth parallel sidewall of the electric motor and the plate of one of the first parallel sidewall and second parallel sidewall of the structural frame.

12. The front chassis of claim 10, wherein the plate includes an outer mounting flange wider than the opening and removably coupled to an exterior surface of one of the first parallel sidewall and second parallel sidewall and a stepped portion adapted to mate with an inner edge of the opening, around a perimeter of the opening.

13. The front chassis of claim 10, further comprising a gear box coupled to the electric motor via an output drive shaft of the electric motor and positioned within the structural frame.

14. A battery electric vehicle, comprising:

a front chassis including a structural frame, an electric traction motor coupled between and in face-sharing contact with two parallel sidewalls of the structural frame, and a first portion of an articulation joint;

a rear chassis including a second portion of the articulation joint, the rear chassis pivotally coupled to the front chassis via the first portion and second portion of the articulation joint, the articulation joint formed by the first portion and the second portion;

a battery tray coupled to the rear chassis, wherein the battery tray and the front chassis are coupled to opposing ends of the rear chassis; and

a work member coupled to the structural frame.

15. The battery electric vehicle of claim 14, further comprising a gear box coupled to the electric traction motor via an output shaft of the electric traction motor.

16. The battery electric vehicle of claim 15, further comprising an axle coupling wheels of the battery electric vehicle to the structural frame, where the axle is arranged perpendicular to the output shaft.

17. The battery electric vehicle of claim 16, wherein the wheels of the battery electric vehicle are configured to be driven by the electric traction motor alone.

18. The battery electric vehicle of claim 14, further comprising work member arms coupled to the structural frame, wherein the work member is attached to the work member arms and comprises a bucket.

19. The battery electric vehicle of claim 14, wherein the work member comprises one or more of a scoop, a platform lift, a fork lift, a drill, a hoe, or a shield hauler.