Electric machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022231551-A1
Application number	US-202117154121-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 21, 2021
Priority date	Jan 21, 2021
Publication date	Jul 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electric machine is provided herein that includes a stator assembly. The stator assembly includes a stator core having one or more lamination packages. The stator core can define an outer ring and a plurality of teeth extending from the outer ring. A cooling plate may be positioned adjacent to at least one of the one or more lamination packages. The cooling plate can define one or more channels therethrough. One or more windings can be arranged around one or more of the plurality of teeth of the stator core. A rotor can be operably coupled with the stator assembly. A cooling system can be fluidly coupled with the one or more channels of the cooling plate. The cooling system provides a cryogenic fluid through the one or more channels to cool the electric machine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electric machine comprising:
a stator assembly, the stator assembly comprising:
a stator core including one or more lamination packages, the stator core defining an outer ring and a plurality of teeth extending from the outer ring;
a cooling plate positioned adjacent to at least one of the plurality of lamination packages, wherein the cooling plate defines one or more channels therethrough; and
one or more windings arranged around one or more teeth of the stator core;
a rotor operably coupled with the stator assembly; and a cooling system fluidly coupled with the one or more channels of the cooling plate, wherein the cooling system provides a cryogenic fluid through the one or more channels.

2 . The electric machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more lamination packages includes at least one lamination and at least one foil, and wherein the foil is at least partially formed from a rare earth metal in the lanthanide series.

3 . The electric machine of claim 2 , wherein the foil is at least partially formed from dysprosium, and wherein the cooling system is configured to cool the dysprosium to a temperature of negative 150 degrees Celsius (° C.) or less.

4 . The electric machine of claim 1 , wherein the cooling plate of the stator assembly is formed through an additive manufacturing process, and wherein one or more exterior surfaces of the cooling plate are treated to increase thermal contact conductance and decrease electrical contact conductance.

5 . The electric machine of claim 1 , wherein the stator assembly is incorporated into an aeronautical engine or an aeroderivative engine.

6 . The electric machine of claim 5 , wherein the electric machine is configured as a scramjet that is configured to propel an aircraft at speeds in excess of Mach 0.8.

7 . The electric machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more channels defines at least one dimple.

8 . The electric machine of claim 7 , wherein the at least one dimple is configured as a first dimple extending from a first portion of at least one of the one or more channels and a second dimple extending from a second portion of the at least one of the one or more channels on an opposing side of a fluid axis from the first dimple.

9 . The electric machine of claim 7 , wherein the at least one dimple is configured to increase or decrease a cross-sectional volume of at least one of the one or more channels.

10 . The electric machine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the one or more channels defines a first channel and a second channel, and wherein a flow rate of the first channel is altered relative to the second channel.

11 . The electric machine of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of one of the one or more channels defines a cross-section with an offset orientation angle.

12 . The electric machine of claim 7 , wherein the at least one dimple includes a first dimple, a second dimple, and a third dimple, and wherein a distance between the first dimple and the second dimple is varied from a distance between the second dimple and the third dimple.

13 . The electric machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more lamination packages includes one or more laminations and one or more foils, and wherein at least one surface of the one or more laminations or at least one surface of the one or more foils is treated with a coating thereon.

14 . An electric machine for an engine, the electric machine comprising:
a stator assembly, the stator assembly comprising:
a stator core including one or more lamination packages, one or more teeth, and an externally-overcoated cooling plate defining one or more internal cooling flow channels, wherein each lamination package includes at least one lamination and at least one foil, wherein the cooling plate separates a first lamination package and a second lamination package of the one or more lamination packages; and
one or more windings arranged around the one or more teeth of the stator core;
a rotor operably coupled with the stator assembly; and a cooling system fluidly coupled with the one or more channels of the cooling plate and providing a fluid along a flow axis of the one or more channels, wherein the one or more channels defines at least one dimple extending outwardly from the flow axis.

15 . The electric machine of claim 14 , wherein the cooling system provides a cryogenic fluid through the one or more channels.

16 . A method of manufacturing an electric machine for an engine, the electric machine comprising a rotor, a stator assembly, and a cooling system, the method comprising:
receiving a lamination package that includes at least one lamination and at least one foil, the foil at least partially containing dysprosium; receiving an externally-overcoated cooling plate having one or more internal cooling flow channels; aligning the lamination package and the cooling plate along a common axis; and fluidly coupling the cooling system to the one or more channels of the cooling plate.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the cooling plate and the lamination package each define at least one tooth and the at least one tooth of the cooling plate and the at least one tooth of the lamination package are aligned.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
operably coupling a sensor with the cooling system.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the electric machine, and a computing system actuates a compressor when the electric machine exceeds a predefined threshold temperature.

20 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
wrapping one or more windings about a tooth of the lamination package and a tooth of the cooling plate.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kupiszewski Thomas
• Tolpadi Anil Kumar

Classifications

• H02K9/19

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

• B64D33/08

  of power plant cooling systems · CPC title

• B64D35/023

  of series-parallel type · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• H02K1/20 Primary

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