Cooling system for an electric machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10960751-B2
Application number	US-201816167886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2018
Priority date	Oct 23, 2018
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle includes an electric machine and a coolant tube. The electric machine is configured to propel the vehicle. The electric machine has a stator that includes an array of windings that are arranged in a radial configuration. The coolant tube forms a loop that is routed along an axial end of the stator and adjacent to the array. The tube defines an inlet orifice configured to receive coolant and a plurality of outlet orifices configured to direct the coolant onto the windings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an electric machine configured to propel the vehicle and having a stator that includes an array of windings arranged in a radial configuration; and
a coolant tube forming a loop that is routed along an axial end of the stator and adjacent to the array, the tube defining an inlet orifice configured to receive coolant and a plurality of outlet orifices configured to direct the coolant onto the windings, wherein a cross-sectional area of the inlet orifice is greater than a sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of outlet orifices.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a subset of the plurality of orifices are configured to direct coolant into spaces between adjacent windings.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the outlet orifices are configured to direct coolant onto the windings in a direction that is axial relative to the stator and substantially perpendicular relative to the loop.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a backing plate that is secured to the axial end of the stator, and wherein the coolant tube is secured to the backing plate.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 further comprising terminal wires configured to connect the windings to a power source, and wherein the terminal wires are secured to the backing plate.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the coolant tube is toroidal in shape.

7. An electric machine stator comprising:
a core defining an internal cavity;
an array of windings disposed within the cavity in a radial configuration;
a toroidal-shaped coolant tube disposed along an axial end of the stator and adjacent to the array, the tube defining an inlet orifice configured to receive coolant and a plurality of outlet orifices configured to direct the coolant onto the windings;
a backing plate that is secured to the axial end of the stator, wherein the coolant tube is secured to the backing plate; and
terminal wires configured to connect the windings to a power source, wherein the terminal wires are secured to the backing plate.

8. The stator of claim 7 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the inlet orifice is greater than a sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of outlet orifices.

9. The stator of claim 7 , wherein a subset of the plurality of orifices are configured to direct coolant into spaces between adjacent windings.

10. The stator of claim 7 , wherein the outlet orifices are configured to direct coolant onto the windings in a direction that is axial relative to the stator and substantially perpendicular relative to the tube.

11. A cooling system for an electric machine comprising:
a coolant tube routed along an axial end of an electric machine stator and forming a loop adjacent to an array of radially configured stator windings, the tube defining an inlet orifice configured to receive coolant and a plurality of outlet orifices configured to direct the coolant out of the coolant tube and directly onto the windings, wherein a cross-sectional area of the inlet orifice is greater than a sum of the cross-sectional areas of the plurality of outlet orifices.

12. The cooling system of claim 11 , wherein a subset of the plurality of orifices are configured to direct coolant into spaces between adjacent windings.

13. The cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the outlet orifices are configured to direct coolant onto the windings in a direction that is axial relative to the stator and substantially perpendicular relative to the loop.

14. The cooling system of claim 11 further comprising a backing plate that is secured to the axial end of the stator, and wherein the coolant tube is secured to the backing plate.

15. The cooling system of claim 14 further comprising terminal wires configured to connect the windings to a power source, and wherein the terminal wires are secured to the backing plate.

16. The cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the coolant tube is toroidal in shape.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Collins Patrick Gordon

Classifications

• H02K9/19 Primary

  for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil · CPC title

• H02K9/00

  Arrangements for cooling or ventilating (channels or ducts in parts of the magnetic circuit H02K1/20, H02K1/32; channels or ducts in or between conductors H02K3/22, H02K3/24) · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• H02K3/24 Primary

  with channels or ducts for cooling medium between the conductors · CPC title

• B60K11/02 Primary

  with liquid cooling · CPC title