Electric machine having rotor with integrated fan

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12407204-B2
Application number	US-202318162848-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2023
Priority date	Feb 1, 2023
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

Aircraft may include electric motors. The aircraft electric motors may include a rotor assembly comprises an outer diameter portion, and inner diameter portion, and an end portion, arranged to define a stator cavity, and a rotor hub configured to connect to a shaft of the aircraft electric machine, a stator assembly arranged within the stator cavity, and at least one fan assembly arranged in the rotor assembly and configured to induce a cooling flow through the stator cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft electric motor comprising:
a rotor assembly comprises an outer diameter portion, and inner diameter portion, and an end portion, arranged to define a stator cavity, and a rotor hub configured to connect to a shaft of the aircraft electric machine;
a stator assembly arranged within the stator cavity; and
at least one fan assembly defined in the end portion and configured to induce a cooling flow through the stator cavity,

wherein the end portion includes an end portion support structure that houses end portion magnets and the rotor assembly further comprises: an outer diameter extension extending radially outward from the end portion support structure; an inner diameter extension extending radially inward from the end portion support structure; and the at least one fan assembly comprises: a first fan assembly arranged at an outer diameter end of the end portion and between the end portion support structure and the outer diameter extension; and a second fan assembly arranged at an inner diameter end of the end portion and between the end portion support structure and the inner diameter extension.

2. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fan assembly is arranged at an outer diameter end of the end portion.

3. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fan assembly is arranged at an inner diameter end of the end portion.

4. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fan assembly comprises a first fan assembly arranged at an outer diameter end of the end portion and a second fan assembly arranged at an inner diameter end of the end portion.

5. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fan assembly comprises a plurality of fan blades, wherein the plurality of fan blades provide structural support and load transfer within the rotor assembly between the inner diameter portion and the outer diameter portion through the end portion.

6. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter end of the end portion, the inner diameter portion, and the rotor hub are coupled together at a hub junction.

7. The aircraft electric motor of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of fasteners extending through and joining the end portion, the inner diameter portion, and the rotor hub together.

8. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter portion is coupled to the end portion by a plurality of fasteners.

9. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein:
the outer diameter portion comprises a set of outer diameter magnets,
the inner diameter portion comprises a set of inner diameter magnets, and
the end portion comprises a set of end portion magnets.

10. The aircraft electric motor of claim 9 , wherein the outer diameter magnets, the inner diameter magnets, and the end portion magnets are arranged in a substantially U-shaped configuration defining the stator cavity.

11. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter portion comprises a flow control feature extending from an axial end of the outer diameter portion opposite the end portion of the rotor assembly, wherein the flow control feature is configured to direct a cooling flow into the stator cavity.

12. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the inner diameter portion comprises a flow control feature extending from an axial end of the inner diameter portion opposite the end portion of the rotor assembly, wherein the flow control feature is configured to direct a cooling flow into the stator cavity.

13. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter portion comprises a first flow control feature extending from an axial end of the outer diameter portion opposite the end portion of the rotor assembly and the inner diameter portion comprises a second flow control feature extending from an axial end of the inner diameter portion opposite the end portion of the rotor assembly, wherein each of the first flow control feature and the second flow control features is configured to direct a cooling flow into the stator cavity.

14. The aircraft electric motor of claim 1 , wherein the stator assembly comprises a plurality of windings arranged within the stator cavity.

15. An aircraft comprising: at least one aircraft electric machine; at least one electrical device; and a power distribution system configured to distribute power from the at least one electric machine to the at least one electrical device, wherein the at least one aircraft electric machine comprises:
a rotor assembly comprises an outer diameter portion, and inner diameter portion, and an end portion, arranged to define a stator cavity, and a rotor hub configured to connect to a shaft of the aircraft electric machine;
a stator assembly arranged within the stator cavity; and
at least one fan assembly defined in the end portion and configured to induce a cooling flow through the stator cavity,
wherein the end portion end portion includes an end portion support structure that houses end portion magnets and the rotor assembly further comprises: an outer diameter extension extending radially outward from the end portion support structure; an inner diameter extension extending radially inward from the end portion support structure; and the at least one fan assembly comprises: a first fan assembly arranged at an outer diameter end of the end portion and between the end portion support structure and the outer diameter extension; and a second fan assembly arranged at an inner diameter end of the end portion and between the end portion support structure and the inner diameter extension.

16. The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the stator assembly comprises a plurality of windings arranged within the stator cavity.

17. The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the at least one fan assembly comprises at least one of a fan assembly arranged at an outer diameter end of the end portion and a fan assembly arranged at an inner diameter end of the end portion.

18. The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein the at least one fan assembly comprises a plurality of fan blades, wherein the plurality of fan blades provide structural support and load transfer within the rotor assembly.

19. The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein:
the outer diameter portion comprises a set of outer diameter magnets,
the inner diameter portion comprises a set of inner diameter magnets, and
the end portion comprises a set of end portion magnets.

20. The aircraft of claim 15 , wherein, at least one of:
the outer diameter portion comprises a first flow control feature extending from an axial end of the outer diameter portion opposite the end portion of the rotor assembly and configured to direct a cooling flow into the stator cavity along an outer diameter surface of the stator assembly, and
the inner diameter portion comprises a second flow control feature extending from an axial end of the inner diameter portion opposite the end portion of the rotor assembly and configured to direct a cooling flow into the stator cavity along an inner diameter surface of the stator assembly.

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Tangudu Jagadeesh K
• Kuczek Andrzej E
• Turney Joseph E
• Alahyari Abbas A
• Saviers Kimberly R
• Voytovych Dmytro M

Classifications

• H02K9/06 Primary

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

• H02K1/32

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

• H02K1/16

  Stator cores with slots for windings · CPC title

• B64D27/30

  Aircraft characterised by electric power plants · CPC title

• H02K1/27

  Rotor cores with permanent magnets · CPC title