Motor drive unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12113406-B2
Application number	US-202318512748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2023
Priority date	Mar 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

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 within the motor housing and having a rotor;
a plate mounted on a non-drive end of the electrical motor and positioned between a fan and the electrical motor, the plate having a peripheral wall and an end wall that together at least partially define a cavity; and
a variable frequency drive electronics unit disposed within the cavity and configured to provide power to the electrical motor, the variable frequency drive electronics unit comprising:
a circuit board;
a plurality of power switching components; and
a plurality of power control components, wherein the circuit board is disposed between the plurality of power switching components and the plurality of power control components, and wherein the plurality of power control components, the plurality of power switching components, or both the plurality of power control components and the plurality of power switching components are distributed about a center of the circuit board.

2. The motor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal insulator positioned at an entrance to the cavity and opposite to the end wall of the plate.

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

4. The motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of power control components comprises a plurality of power quality filters.

5. The motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein one of or both of the peripheral wall and the end wall comprise heat sink fins configured to dissipate heat generated by one or more of the plurality of power switching components or the plurality of power control components.

6. The motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the motor assembly drives a pump or a rotary device.

7. The motor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of power control components, the plurality of power switching components, or both the plurality of power control components and the plurality of power switching components are evenly distributed about the center of the circuit board.

8. The motor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing assembly positioned between the plate and the electrical motor.

9. A motor assembly comprising:
a motor housing;
an electrical motor within the motor housing and having a rotor;
a motor drive electronics housing mounted to the electrical motor, the motor drive electronics housing having a peripheral wall and an end wall that together at least partially define a cavity; and
variable frequency drive electronics disposed within the cavity and configured to provide power to the electrical motor, the variable frequency drive electronics comprising:
a laminated board;
a plurality of power switching components; and
a plurality of power control components, wherein the laminated board is disposed between the plurality of power switching components and the plurality of power control components, and wherein the plurality of power control components, the plurality of power switching components, or both the plurality of power control components and the plurality of power switching components are distributed circumferentially about a center of the laminated board.

10. The motor assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a thermal insulator positioned at an entrance to the cavity and opposite to the end wall of the motor drive electronics housing.

11. The motor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the variable frequency drive electronics implement a matrix converter that converts a first AC signal to a second AC signal.

12. The motor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of power control components comprises a plurality of power quality filters.

13. The motor assembly of claim 9 , further comprising heat sink fins configured to dissipate heat generated by one or more of the plurality of power switching components or the plurality of power control components, wherein the heat sink fins are located on one or more of the peripheral wall or the end wall.

14. The motor assembly of claim 9 , wherein the motor assembly drives a pump or a rotary device.

15. A variable frequency motor drive comprising:
a housing that is configured to mount to an electrical motor, the housing having a peripheral wall and an end wall that together at least partially define a cavity; and
variable frequency drive electronics disposed within the cavity and configured to provide power to the electrical motor, the variable frequency drive electronics comprising:
a board;
a plurality of power switching components; and
a plurality of filter capacitors, wherein the board is disposed between the plurality of power switching components and the plurality of filter capacitors, and wherein the plurality of filter capacitors, the plurality of power switching components, or both the plurality of filter capacitors and the plurality of power switching components are evenly distributed about a center of the board.

16. The variable frequency motor drive of claim 15 , further comprising a thermal insulator positioned at an entrance of the cavity.

17. The variable frequency motor drive of claim 15 , wherein the variable frequency drive electronics implement a matrix converter.

18. The variable frequency motor drive of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of filter capacitors are attached directly on the board, and wherein the board provides electrical connection paths between the plurality of power switching components and the plurality of filter capacitors.

19. The variable frequency motor drive of claim 15 , further comprising heat sink fins configured to dissipate heat generated by one or more of the plurality of power switching components or the plurality of filter capacitors, wherein the heat sink fins are located on the housing.

20. The variable frequency motor drive of claim 15 , further comprising a fan configured to direct air towards heat sink fins located on the housing.

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

• H02K7/14

  Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) · CPC title

• H02K5/225

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

• H02K11/27

  Devices for sensing current, or actuated thereby (overcurrent protection responsive to temperature of the machines or parts thereof, e.g. windings, H02K11/25) · CPC title