Methods and systems for cooling transmissions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11466768-B2
Application number	US-201916730392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A transmission includes a housing, a plurality of components, and a cooling system. The housing has a plurality of walls that cooperate to define an interior space and a sump configured to store lubricating fluid in use of the transmission. The plurality of components are arranged in the interior space and configured to cooperatively transmit rotational power between an input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission to reduce a rotational speed of the output shaft relative to a rotational speed of the input shaft in use of the transmission. At least one of the plurality of components is supplied with lubricating fluid stored by the sump in use of the transmission. The cooling system is supported by the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transmission comprising:
a housing that defines a sump configured to store lubricating fluid in use of the transmission;
an input shaft extending outside of the housing that is configured to receive rotational power from a rotational power source;
a plurality of components arranged in the housing that are configured to cooperatively transmit rotational power between the input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission to reduce a rotational speed of the output shaft relative to a rotational speed of the input shaft in use of the transmission, at least one of the plurality of components being integrally formed with the input shaft and supplied with the lubricating fluid stored by the sump in use of the transmission; and
a cooling system supported by the input shaft, the cooling system including a plurality of heat pipes extending through the input shaft that are configured to dissipate heat generated by the plurality of components during operation thereof,
wherein each heat pipe comprises a closed tube that contains a working fluid.

2. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heat pipes cools the lubricating fluid stored by the sump in use of the transmission.

3. The transmission of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of heat pipes include eight heat pipes.

4. The transmission of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of components is a gear that is at least partially immersed in the lubricating fluid stored by the sump.

5. The transmission of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one of the plurality of components defines a first end of the input shaft that is arranged opposite a second end of the input shaft coupled to the rotational power source;
the input shaft extends about a central axis between the first end and the second end; and
each of the plurality of heat pipes extends through the input shaft at an angle to the central axis.

6. The transmission of claim 5 , wherein the cooling system includes a plurality of feed ports each fluidly coupled to one of the plurality of heat pipes to supply the working fluid thereto in use of the transmission, and wherein the plurality of feed ports are located closer to the second end of the input shaft than the first end of the input shaft.

7. The transmission of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of feed ports extends through the input shaft toward the central axis in a radial direction to open into one of the plurality of heat pipes.

8. The transmission of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of heat pipes includes a first end located adjacent the first end of the input shaft and a second end opposite the first end that is located adjacent the second end of the input shaft, and wherein the first end of each of the plurality of heat pipes is arranged radially outward of the second end of each of the plurality of heat pipes relative to the central axis.

9. The transmission of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of heat pipes are circumferentially spaced around the central axis in a symmetric fashion.

10. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing further includes a plurality of walls that cooperate to define an interior space; and
the cooling system further supported by the housing, the cooling system further including a plurality of heat pipes arranged in the plurality of walls of the housing that are configured to dissipate heat generated by the plurality of components during operation thereof to cool the lubricating fluid stored by the sump in use of the transmission.

11. The transmission of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of walls include a bottom wall arranged to contact a support surface and the plurality of heat pipes include a first set of heat pipes arranged in the bottom wall and a second set of heat pipes arranged in the bottom wall perpendicular to the first set of heat pipes.

12. The transmission of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of walls include a top wall arranged opposite the bottom wall and the plurality of heat pipes include a first set of heat pipes arranged in the top wall and a second set of heat pipes arranged in the top wall perpendicular to the first set of heat pipes.

13. The transmission of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of walls include a front wall arranged perpendicular to the bottom wall and the plurality of heat pipes include a first set of heat pipes arranged in the front wall.

14. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein each heat pipe further comprises an internal wall that is tapered such that each heat pipe comprises a non-constant cross-sectional area.

15. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein each heat pipe is formed from at list one member of a group consisting of copper, aluminum, stainless steel, cesium, potassium, and sodium and the working fluid comprises at least one member of a group consisting of helium, mercury, sodium, indium, alcohol, ethanol, refrigerant, R134a, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, hydrogen, and lithium.

16. A transmission comprising:
a housing that defines a sump configured to store lubricating fluid in use of the transmission;
an input shaft extending outside of the housing that is configured to receive rotational power from a rotational power source;
a plurality of components arranged in the housing that are configured to cooperatively transmit rotational power between the input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission to reduce a rotational speed of the output shaft relative to a rotational speed of the input shaft in use of the transmission, at least one of the plurality of components being coupled to the input shaft and supplied with the lubricating fluid stored by the sump in use of the transmission;
a cooling system supported by the input shaft, the cooling system including a plurality of heat pipes extending through the input shaft that are configured to dissipate heat generated by the plurality of components during operation thereof to cool the lubricating fluid stored by the sump in use of the transmission; and
a heat exchanger configured to dissipate heat generated by the plurality of components during operation thereof to cool the lubricating fluid stored by the sump in cooperation with the cooling system in use of the transmission,
wherein the heat exchanger includes a central hub, a plurality of blades extending outwardly from the central hub, and a plurality of heat pipes extending through the central hub.

17. The transmission of claim 16 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of feed passages each fluidly coupled to one of the plurality of heat pipes of the heat exchanger to supply a working fluid thereto in use of the transmission, and wherein each of the plurality of feed passages extends through the central hub in a radial direction to open into one of the plurality of heat pipes of the heat exchanger.

18. The transmission of claim 17 , wherein the central hub is configured for rotation about a hub axis in use of the transmission such that the heat exchanger moves air toward the housing to facilitate dissipation of heat generated by the plurality of components during operation thereof.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Liou Joe J
• Rakuff Stefan

Classifications

• F16H57/0456

  Lubrication by injection; Injection nozzles or tubes therefor (oil mist or spray lubrication F16H57/0458) · CPC title

• F16H57/02

  Gearboxes; Mounting gearing therein · CPC title

• F16H57/0426

  Means for guiding lubricant into an axial channel of a shaft · CPC title

• F16H57/043

  within rotary parts, e.g. axial channels or radial openings in shafts · CPC title

• F16H57/0457

  Splash lubrication · CPC title