Drive module for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9614416-B2
Application number	US-201414540558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A drive module for a vehicle has a transmission ( 12 ) and an electric machine ( 11 ) that is coupled to an input shaft ( 16 ) of the transmission ( 12 ). An air-filled cavity ( 23 ) is formed between the electric machine ( 11 ) and the transmission ( 12 ). The electric machine ( 11 ) is an external-rotor motor with a rotor ( 24 ) that surrounds the stator ( 25 ). A fan impeller ( 31 ) rotates with the rotor ( 24 ) and draws air out of the air-filled cavity ( 23 ) in an axial direction, draws the air through windings ( 27 ) of the stator ( 25 ) for cooling, and subsequently conveys the air in the radial direction into a housing-side flow duct ( 34 ) in which heated air can be accumulated and via which the air can be returned toward the cavity ( 23 ). The heated air can be cooled in the region of the flow duct ( 34 ) and/or in the region of the cavity ( 23 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive module for a vehicle, comprising:
a transmission with an input shaft; and
an electric machine coupled to the input shaft of the transmission, with an air-filled cavity being formed between the electric machine and the transmission, the electric machine being in the form of an external-rotor motor having a rotor surrounding a stator of said external-rotor motor, at least in sections, a fan impeller rotating together with the rotor and being configured to draw air out of the air-filled cavity in an axial direction and to draw the air through windings of the stator for cooling purposes, and subsequently to convey the air in a radial direction and into a housing-side flow duct in which heated air can be accumulated and via which the air can be returned toward the cavity, wherein the heated air can be cooled in proximity to the flow duct and/or in proximity to the cavity.

2. The drive module of claim 1 , wherein the stator comprises a support delimiting the air-filled cavity adjacent to the electric machine in an axial direction, and a cover delimiting the cavity adjacent to the transmission in an axial direction.

3. The drive module of claim 2 , wherein the support of the stator is water-cooled for cooling air in proximity to the cavity.

4. The drive module of claim 2 , wherein the support of the stator has recesses for axial passage of cooled air out of the cavity and toward the windings of the stator.

5. The drive module of claim 1 , further comprising a water-cooled cooler for cooling air in proximity to the flow duct.

6. The drive module of claim 1 , wherein the flow duct has a first section that extends along a circumferential extent of the fan impeller with a radial spacing, so that heated air flows radially from the fan impeller into the flow duct along the circumferential extent of the fan impeller.

7. The drive module of claim 1 , wherein the flow duct has a flow cross section that increases in size in a circumferential direction.

8. The drive module of claim 7 , wherein the flow cross section of the first section of the flow duct increases in size as viewed in a throughflow direction thereof and in the direction of rotation of the fan impeller.

9. The drive module of claim 5 , wherein the flow duct has a second section that adjoins the first section of the flow duct and conducts the heated air axially from the first section of the flow duct toward the cavity.

10. The drive module of claim 9 , wherein the second section of the flow duct has a water-cooled cooler for cooling the heated air in proximity to the flow duct.

11. The drive module of claim 6 , wherein the fan impeller and the rotor, to which the fan impeller is connected, have circumferentially spaced recesses that permit a radial passage of heated air from the windings of the stator into the first section of the flow duct.

12. The drive module of claim 11 , wherein the recesses in the fan impeller and the recesses in the rotor of the electric machine are delimited by flow-enhancing rotor blade contours.

13. The drive module of claim 11 , wherein the fan impeller concentrically surrounds the rotor, in sections, so that the recesses of fan impeller and rotor are aligned at least partially in a radial direction.

14. The drive module of claim 1 , wherein the drive module is a hybrid module for a hybrid vehicle, the drive module having a separating clutch by means of which a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine can be coupled to the hybrid module.

15. The drive module of claim 1 , wherein the drive module is an electric module for an electric vehicle.

Assignees

• Porsche Ag

Inventors

• Schrage Henrik
• Wachter Sebastian

Classifications

• H02K5/20

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

• B60K2001/006

  the electric motors · CPC title

• B60K11/06

  with air cooling · CPC title

• H02K9/08 Primary

  by gaseous cooling medium circulating wholly within the machine casing (H02K9/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K7/006

  Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle · CPC title