Motor drive unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11777380-B2
Application number	US-202117444902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2021
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A motor assembly for driving a pump or rotary device features a power plane with a circular geometry to be mounted inside a space envelope having a similar circular geometry formed on an end-plate between an inner hub portion and a peripheral portion that extends circumferentially around the space envelope of the end-plate. The power plane is a multi-layer circuit board or assembly having: a power layer with higher temperature power modules for providing power to a motor, a control layer with lower temperature control electronics modules for controlling the power provided to the motor, and a thermal barrier and printed circuit board layer between the power layer and the control layer that provides electrical connection paths between the power modules of the power plane and the control electronics modules of the control layer, and also provides insulation between the power layer and the control layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor assembly, comprising:
a motor housing;
an electrical motor at least partially disposed in the motor housing;
a mid-plate disposed in-line with and proximate at least a portion of the motor housing, the mid-plate having a peripheral wall and a base wall that together define a first cavity, the mid-plate comprising a plurality of internal heat sink fins on the base wall that extend radially between a center of the mid-plate and the peripheral wall of the mid-plate and are configured to direct heat to the peripheral wall of the mid-plate;
a fan coupled to a rotor of the electrical motor;
an end-plate disposed in-line with and proximate at least a portion of the mid-plate such that the mid-plate is between the motor housing and the end-plate, the end-plate having a second cavity, wherein the end-plate is further disposed between the fan and the mid-plate, wherein the end-plate comprises heat sink fins disposed on an end wall of the end-plate and facing the fan, and wherein the fan is rotatable by the rotor to flow air over at least a portion of the heat sink fins of the end-plate to dissipate heat from the end-plate; and
a variable frequency drive electronics unit disposed within the second cavity and configured to provide power to the electrical motor.

2. The motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the variable frequency drive electronics unit comprises a circuit board, a plurality of power switching components and a plurality of power control components.

3. The motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the variable frequency drive electronics unit implements a matrix converter that converts an AC input signal to a converted AC output signal.

4. The motor assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of power control components comprises a plurality of power quality filter components mounted to the circuit board about the center of the circuit board.

5. The motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink fins are configured to dissipate heat from the end-plate.

6. The motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mid-plate further comprises external heat sink fins on and about a peripheral portion of the mid-plate that are configured to dissipate heat from the mid-plate.

7. The motor assembly of claim 6 wherein the mid-plate has an opening configured to receive at least partially therethrough the rotor of the electrical motor, the rotor extending through a bearing assembly coupled to the mid-plate, the plurality of internal heat sink fins configured to direct heat from the rotor to a periphery of the mid-plate.

8. A motor assembly, comprising:
a motor housing;
an electrical motor at least partially disposed in the motor housing and having a rotor;
a mid-plate disposed in-line with and proximate at least a portion of the motor housing, the mid-plate having a peripheral wall and a base wall that together define a first cavity, the mid-plate having an opening configured to receive at least partially therethrough the rotor, the rotor extending through a bearing assembly coupled to the mid-plate, the mid-plate comprising a plurality of internal heat sink fins on the base wall that extend radially between a center of the mid-plate and the peripheral wall of the mid-plate and are configured to direct heat from the rotor to the peripheral wall of the mid-plate;
an end-plate disposed in-line with and proximate at least a portion of the mid-plate such that the mid-plate is between the motor housing and the end-plate, the end-plate having a second cavity and a plurality of heat sink fins configured to dissipate heat from the end-plate;
a fan mounted in-line with the end-plate and coupled to the rotor, wherein the fan is rotatable to flow air over at least a portion of the plurality of heat sink fins of the end-plate to dissipate heat from the end-plate, wherein the end-plate is further disposed between the fan and the mid-plate, wherein the plurality of heat sink fins are disposed on an end wall of the end-plate and facing the fan; and
a variable frequency drive electronics unit disposed within the second cavity and configured to provide power to the electrical motor.

9. The motor assembly of claim 8 , wherein the variable frequency drive electronics unit comprises a circuit board, a plurality of power switching components and a plurality of power control components.

10. The motor assembly of claim 8 , wherein the variable frequency drive electronics unit implements a matrix converter that converts an AC input signal to a converted AC output signal.

11. The motor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of power control components comprises a plurality of power quality filter components mounted to the circuit board about the center of the circuit board.

12. The motor assembly of claim 8 , wherein the mid-plate further comprises external heat sink fins on a peripheral portion of the mid-plate that are configured to dissipate heat from the mid-plate.

13. The motor assembly of claim 12 wherein the plurality of internal heat sink fins are configured to direct heat from the rotor to a periphery of the mid-plate.

14. An assembly, comprising:
a mid-plate configured to be disposed in-line with and proximate at least a portion of a motor housing, the mid-plate having a peripheral wall and a base wall that together define a first cavity, the mid-plate comprising a plurality of internal heat sink fins on the base wall that extend radially between a center of the mid-plate and the peripheral wall of the mid-plate and are configured to direct heat to the peripheral wall of the mid-plate;
a fan coupled to a rotor of an electrical motor;
an end-plate configured to be disposed in-line with and proximate at least a portion of the mid-plate such that the mid-plate is disposed between the motor housing and the end-plate, the end-plate having a second cavity and a plurality of heat sink fins on a surface of the end-plate configured to dissipate heat from the end-plate, wherein the end-plate is further disposed between the fan and the mid-plate, wherein the plurality of heat sink fins are disposed facing the fan, and wherein the fan is rotatable by the rotor to flow air over at least a portion of the plurality of heat sink fins of the end-plate to dissipate the heat from the end-plate; and
a variable frequency drive electronics unit disposed within the second cavity and configured to provide power to the electrical motor.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the variable frequency drive electronics unit comprises a circuit board, a plurality of power switching components and a plurality of power control components.

16. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the variable frequency drive electronics unit implements a matrix converter that converts an AC input signal to a converted AC output signal.

17. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of power control components comprises a plurality of power quality filter components mounted to the circuit board about the center of the circuit board.

18. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the mid-plate further comprises external heat sink fins on and about a peripheral portion of the mid-plate that are configured to dissipate heat from the mid-plate.

19. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the mid-plate has an opening configured to receive at least partially therethrough the rotor, the rotor extending through a bearing assembly coupled to the mid-plate, the plurality of internal heat sink fins configured to direct heat from the rotor to a periphery of the mid-plate.

Assignees

• Itt Mfg Enterprises Llc

Inventors

• Williams Dean P
• Playford Mark A
• Kernan Daniel J
• Empringham Lee
• De Lillo Liliana V
• Tighe Christopher J F

Classifications

• H02K9/06

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

• H02K5/18 Primary

  with ribs or fins for improving heat transfer · CPC title

• H02K11/33 Primary

  Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K5/15

  Mounting arrangements for bearing-shields or end plates · CPC title

• H02K5/225

  Terminal boxes or connection arrangements (specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132) · CPC title