Electric machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11569706-B2
Application number	US-202016950672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2020
Priority date	Nov 18, 2019
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

An electric machine comprising at least one housing in which a rotor having coolant guide vanes provided at an end face is accommodated, and an annular cooling fin structure through which coolant conveyed by the coolant guide vanes is passed and having cooling fins which are axially covered by an annular cover section in such a way that there is an inlet area for the coolant supplied by the coolant guide vanes and an outlet area, wherein the cooling fin structure is formed on a side of an axial end wall of the housing facing the interior of the housing, on which an annular disk-shaped cover forming the cover section is attached.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric machine, comprising:
at least one housing;
a rotor accommodated within the housing, the rotor having an end face and coolant guide vanes provided at the end face; and
an annular cooling fin structure through which coolant conveyed by the coolant guide vanes is passed, the annular cooling fin structure having cooling fins which are axially covered by an annular cover section in such a way that there is an inlet area for the coolant conveyed by coolant guide vanes and an outlet area,
wherein the cooling fin structure is formed on a side of an axial end wall of the housing facing an interior of the housing, on which an annular disk-shaped cover forming the cover section is attached.

2. The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cover is bolted to the end wall.

3. The electric machine according to claim 2 , wherein boreholes are provided on the cover and the end wall through which screws engage, which screws are supported on the cover with their screw head and are bolted by a nut on the end wall, or vice versa.

4. The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the cover covers the fin structure over at least one third and up to two thirds of a fin length seen radially.

5. The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein two housings are provided, wherein the two housings are arranged like mirror-images, wherein a respective rotor, a respective cooling fin structure, and a respective cover are provided in each of the two housings, wherein a common distribution device for distributing coolant serving to cool the rotors and the end walls at least in the area of the fin structures is provided between the two housings.

6. The electric machine according to claim 5 , wherein the distribution device has two ring-shaped and disk-shaped distribution elements between which a sealing element is arranged and which delimit one inlet channel and one outlet channel for the coolant.

7. The electric machine according to claim 6 , wherein the inlet and outlet channels run radially and are offset from one another by 180°.

8. The electric machine according to claim 5 , wherein the outlet channel opens into two ring channels, each ring channel formed between the respective end wall and the adjacent distribution element and opens into one or both of the housing-side outlets.

9. The electric machine according to claim 8 , wherein each distribution element has an outlet opening, the two outlet openings being axially opposite one another and wherein the outlet channel is connected to one ring channel by each of the two outlet openings.

10. The electric machine according to claim 8 , wherein each distribution element has an opening, wherein the openings are arranged adjacent to one another in a circumferential direction, and wherein the ring channels are connected to one or both housing-side outlets via the openings.

11. The electric machine according to claim 6 , wherein an inlet opening is provided on each distribution element, both of which inlet openings open into the common inlet channel, or the two distribution elements delimit a common inlet opening which opens into the common inlet channel.

12. The electric machine according to claim 6 , wherein a tube extending into a hollow rotor arm is connected to each distribution element, each distribution element having an outlet opening via which the inlet channel is connected to both tubes, and wherein each distribution element has an inlet opening via which coolant flowing back from the rotor arm flows into the outlet channel.

13. The electric machine according to claim 6 , wherein both distribution elements are identical, but are arranged mirror-inverted to one another.

14. A motor vehicle, comprising at least one electric machine, the at least one electric machine comprising:
at least one housing;
a rotor accommodated within the housing, the rotor having an end face and coolant guide vanes provided at the end face; and
an annular cooling fin structure through which coolant conveyed by the coolant guide vanes is passed, the annular cooling fin structure having cooling fins which are axially covered by an annular cover section in such a way that there is an inlet area for the coolant conveyed by coolant guide vanes and an outlet area,
wherein the cooling fin structure is formed on a side of an axial end wall of the housing facing an interior of the housing, on which an annular disk-shaped cover forming the cover section is attached.

15. The motor vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein the electric machine is part of a rear axle of the motor vehicle.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Cox Jason
• Bárány Zsolt

Classifications

• H02K7/006

  Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle · CPC title

• H02K5/18 Primary

  with ribs or fins for improving heat transfer · CPC title

• B60K1/00

  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) · CPC title

• H02K5/20

  with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium · CPC title

• H02K9/06

  with fans or impellers driven by the machine shaft · CPC title