Thermal management for generator/ motor stators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11909262-B2
Application number	US-202117306455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2021
Priority date	May 8, 2020
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

An electrical machine assembly includes a stator. The stator includes a core, windings assembled into the core, and a back iron heat exchanger mounted to the core. A first end plate is mounted at a first end of the core and back iron heat exchanger. A second end plate is mounted at a second end of the core and back iron heat exchanger opposite the first end plate. A coolant circuit passes from a coolant inlet in the back iron heat exchanger, through the back iron heat exchanger, into the first end plate, out of the first end plate, through the core, into the second end plate, and out of the second end plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical machine assembly comprising:
a stator including:
a core;
windings assembled into the core;
a back iron heat exchanger mounted to the core;
a first end plate mounted at a first end of the core and back iron heat exchanger in thermal communication with the first end of the core; and
a second end plate mounted at a second end of the core and back iron heat exchanger opposite the first end plate in thermal communication with the second end of the core,

wherein a first coolant circuit passes from a coolant inlet in the back iron heat exchanger, through the back iron heat exchanger, into the first end plate, out of the first end plate, through the core, into the second end plate, and out of the second end plate,
wherein a second coolant circuit passes from the coolant inlet in the back iron heat exchanger, through the back iron heat exchanger, into the second end plate, out of the second end plate, through the core, into the first end plate, and out of the first end plate, wherein the first and second coolant circuits have no other inlet into the back iron heat exchanger besides the coolant inlet.

2. The electrical machine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the back iron heat exchanger includes a coolant outlet with a back iron heat exchanger cooling channel providing fluid communication from the coolant inlet of the back iron heat exchanger to the coolant outlet of the back iron heat exchanger.

3. The electrical machine as recited in claim 2 , wherein the coolant outlet of the back iron heat exchanger is connected in fluid communication with a coolant-in port of the first end plate.

4. The electrical machine as recited in claim 3 , wherein the coolant-in port of the first end plate is connected in fluid communication with a coolant-out port in the first end plate.

5. The electrical machine as recited in claim 4 , wherein the coolant-out port of the first end plate is connected in fluid communication with a cooling channel through the core, which outlets into a coolant-in port of the second end plate.

6. The electrical machine as recited in claim 5 , wherein the second end plate has a coolant-out port for returning coolant from the stator after circulation through the stator.

7. The electrical machine as recited in claim 2 , wherein the coolant outlet of the back iron heat exchanger is a first coolant outlet of the back iron heat exchanger, wherein the back iron heat exchanger cooling channel is a first back iron heat exchanger cooling channel, and further comprising:
a second coolant outlet of the back iron heat exchanger with a second back iron heat exchanger cooling channel providing fluid communication from the coolant inlet of the back iron heat exchanger to the second coolant outlet.

8. The electrical machine as recited in claim 7 , wherein the second coolant outlet of the back iron heat exchanger is connected in fluid communication with a coolant-in port of the second end plate.

9. The electrical machine as recited in claim 5 , wherein the cooling channel through the core is a first cooling channel through the core, and further comprising a second cooling channel through the core, wherein the second end plate includes a coolant-out port in fluid communication with the second cooling channel through the core.

10. The electrical machine as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a spray outlet connected to the second end plate in fluid communication with the first coolant circuit, wherein the spray outlet is directed towards end windings of the windings for spraying coolant from the first coolant circuit onto the end windings.

11. The electrical machine as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a spray outlet connected to the first end plate in fluid communication with the second coolant circuit, wherein the spray outlet is directed towards end windings of the windings for spraying coolant from the second coolant circuit onto the end windings.

12. The electrical machine as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second end plates includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, circumferentially alternating coolant-in ports and coolant-out ports for fluid communication with a plurality of coolant channels in the back iron heat exchanger and core.

13. The electrical machine as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a rotor mounted within the stator for rotation relative to the stator, wherein the rotor includes rotor windings.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Joshi Ashutosh
• Pal Debabrata

Classifications

• H02K1/20 Primary

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

• H02K9/19 Primary

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

• H02K5/203

  specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets · CPC title

• H02K9/227

  Heat sinks · CPC title

• H02K9/197

  in which the rotor or stator space is fluid-tight, e.g. to provide for different cooling media for rotor and stator · CPC title