Thermal bridge for an electric machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023387757-A1
Application number	US-202217866910-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2022
Priority date	May 27, 2022
Publication date	Nov 30, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electric machine includes a housing having an inner surface; and a stator including a stator core mounted in the housing. The stator core includes a plurality of stator windings, a thermal bridge extends between the stator core and the inner surface of the housing. The thermal bridge is formed from a non-magnetic material and includes a plurality of individual thermal bridge elements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electric machine comprising:
a housing having an inner surface; a stator including a stator core mounted in the housing, the stator core including a plurality of stator windings; and a thermal bridge extending between the stator core and the inner surface of the housing, the thermal bridge being formed from a non-magnetic material and including a plurality of individual thermal bridge elements.

2 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the stator core includes a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side, the thermal bridge including a first thermal bridge member extending between the first side and the inner surface and a second thermal bridge member extending between the second side and the inner surface.

3 . The electric machine according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of stator windings includes a plurality of coils, each of the plurality of coils being positioned between the first thermal bridge member and the second thermal bridge member.

4 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal bridge includes a base element extending along one of the stator core and the inner surface of the housing, the plurality of individual thermal bridge elements extending from the base element toward the other of the stator core and the inner surface of the housing.

5 . The electric machine according to claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of individual thermal bridge elements includes a first end connected with the base element and a second end connected to the other of the stator core and the inner surface of the housing, the second end including circumferential width that is greater than a circumferential width of the first end.

6 . The electric machine according to claim 5 , wherein the second end of each of the plurality of individual thermal bridge elements includes a triangular form.

7 . The electric machine according to claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of individual thermal bridge elements includes a first end connected with the base element and a second end extending toward the stator core, each of the plurality of thermal bridge elements having a uniform circumferential cross-section.

8 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal bridge includes a first base element extending along the stator core and a second base element extending along the inner surface of the housing, the plurality of individual thermal bridge elements extending between the first base element and the second base element.

9 . The electric machine according to claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of individual thermal bridge elements includes a uniform circumferential width.

10 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal bridge is formed from a material having a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/m-° C.

11 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal bridge includes a magnetic permeability of no more than one-tenth ( 1/10 th ) that of a material forming the housing.

12 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal bridge has an axial thickness of between about 1-mm and about 2-mm.

13 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the stator core is formed from a plurality of individual segments, each of the plurality of individual segments being connected to the inner surface of the housing by a corresponding thermal bridge member.

14 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotor mounted to a shaft in the housing spaced from the stator core by a gap, the shaft defining an axis of rotation of the rotor.

15 . The electric machine according to claim 14 , wherein the gap extends substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

16 . The electric machine according to claim 14 , wherein rotation of the rotor relative to the stator generates a magnetic flux having a direction that is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

17 . The electric machine according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a coolant jacket including a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet.

18 . A thermal bridge for an electric machine comprising:
a member formed from a non-magnetic material configured to be arranged between and in contact with a stator core and an inner surface of a machine housing, the member including a plurality of individual thermal bridge elements.

19 . The thermal bridge according to claim 18 , wherein the thermal bridge includes a base element, each of the plurality of individual thermal bridge elements includes a first end connected with the base element and a second end, the second end including circumferential width that is greater than a circumferential width of the first end.

20 . The thermal bridge according to claim 18 , wherein the thermal bridge includes a first base element and a second base element, the plurality of individual thermal bridge elements extending between the first base element and the second base element.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Yao Jian
• Duan Chengwu
• Keum Seunghwan
• Fan Denghao

Classifications

• H02K9/223 Primary

  Heat bridges · CPC title

• H02K5/203

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

• H02K9/19

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

• H02K21/24

  with magnets axially facing the armatures, e.g. hub-type cycle dynamos · CPC title