CN109698584B

CN109698584B - Cooling assembly and motor

Info

Publication number: CN109698584B
Application number: CN201710992226.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 汤亚男
Original assignee: NIO Anhui Holding Co Ltd
Current assignee: NIO Holding Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-10-23
Filing date: 2017-10-23
Publication date: 2023-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 2037-10-23
Also published as: CN109698584A

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling assembly and an electric machine, wherein the cooling assembly comprises: a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet disposed on the end cap; a copper bar opening provided on a side surface of the end cap; a copper bar having one end extending through the copper bar opening and attached to a sidewall of the copper bar opening by a spacer, and the other end forming an electrical connection with the terminal; a first cooling passage disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and a second cooling passage connected in series in the first cooling passage and disposed within the end cap; wherein a portion of the end cap separates the second cooling passage from the gasket, and wherein the gasket is configured to be both insulating and thermally conductive. The cooling assembly and the motor have the advantages of simple structure, easiness in manufacturing, convenience in installation and the like, and can effectively cool the copper bar, so that the stability of the temperature of the copper bar and the performance of the motor are improved.

Description

Cooling assembly and motor

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of engine cooling, and more particularly to a cooling assembly, and an electric machine incorporating the cooling assembly.

Background

As is known, one or more copper bars are typically provided on the motor. The copper bars pass through the housing of the motor and connect the motor stator with the motor controller. The motor controller receives direct current from the battery and converts the direct current into alternating current, which is then fed into the motor stator via the copper bars.

However, copper bar connections are generally not provided with any cooling means. When a large current passes through the copper bar, the temperature of the copper bar and the terminal is easy to be too high, so that the conveying efficiency and stability of the current are reduced, and the performance of the whole power system is affected.

Accordingly, there is a continuing need for efficient cooling of copper bars.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling assembly. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electric machine comprising the cooling assembly.

The invention aims at realizing the following technical scheme:

a cooling assembly, comprising:

a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet disposed on the end cap;

a copper bar opening provided on a side surface of the end cap;

a copper bar having one end extending through the copper bar opening and attached to a sidewall of the copper bar opening by a spacer, and the other end forming an electrical connection with the terminal;

a first cooling passage disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and

a second cooling passage connected in series in the first cooling passage and disposed within the end cap;

wherein a portion of the end cap separates the second cooling passage from the gasket, and wherein the gasket is configured to be both insulating and thermally conductive.

Optionally, the copper bar is attached to a side wall of the copper bar opening near the side of the housing by a gasket.

Optionally, a sealing means is provided at the junction of the first cooling passage and the second cooling passage.

Optionally, the sealing means is an O-ring or a sealant.

Optionally, bolts are provided in the end caps, the bolts passing through and pressing the terminals and the copper bars so that the terminals and the copper bars are in close contact and form an electrical connection.

Optionally, the second cooling passage is a recess provided in the end cap.

Alternatively, the concave portion has an arc shape.

An electric machine, comprising:

a housing;

an end cap disposed at one end of the housing;

a bottom cover disposed at the other end of the case;

a stator and a rotor disposed in a cavity surrounded by the housing, the end cover and the bottom cover, an

The cooling assembly is characterized in that the terminals are electrically connected with the stator.

Optionally, the first cooling passage extends reciprocally in the housing to form an S-shaped cooling passage throughout the housing.

Optionally, the fluid inlet is configured to be attached to a source of cooling fluid such that the cooling fluid enters and flows through the first cooling passage and the second cooling passage through the fluid inlet to remove heat generated by the copper bar during operation via a portion of the gasket end cap and the cooling fluid exits from the fluid outlet.

The cooling assembly and the motor have the advantages of simple structure, easiness in manufacturing, convenience in installation and the like, and can effectively cool the copper bar, so that the stability of the temperature of the copper bar and the performance of the motor are improved.

Drawings

The invention will be described in further detail below in connection with the drawings and the preferred embodiments, but it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these drawings are drawn for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments only and thus should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Moreover, unless specifically indicated otherwise, the drawings are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the compositions or constructions of the described objects and may contain exaggerated representations, and the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the motor of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the end cap of the embodiment shown in fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these descriptions are merely illustrative, exemplary, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

First, it should be noted that terms of top, bottom, upward, downward, etc. are defined herein with respect to the directions in the respective drawings, which are relative concepts and thus can be changed according to the different positions and different practical states in which they are located. These and other directional terms should not be construed as limiting terms.

Furthermore, it should also be noted that any individual feature described or implicit in the embodiments herein, or any individual feature shown or implicit in the drawings, can still be combined between these features (or their equivalents) to obtain other embodiments of the invention not directly mentioned herein.

It should be noted that in different drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or substantially the same components.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the motor of the present invention. Wherein the motor 100 includes: a housing 110; an end cap 120 provided at one end of the housing 110; a bottom cover 120a provided at the other end of the case 110; a cooling assembly, comprising: a fluid inlet 130 and a fluid outlet 133 disposed on the end cap 120; a copper bar opening 121 provided on a side surface of the end cap 120; a copper bar 141, one end of which extends through the copper bar opening 121 and is attached to a side wall of the copper bar opening 121 by a spacer 142, and the other end of which is electrically connected to a terminal not shown.

Optionally, the copper bar 141 is attached to a side wall of the copper bar opening 121 on the side close to the housing 110 by a spacer 142.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in fig. 1. Wherein the housing 110, the end cover 120, and the bottom cover 120a collectively enclose a cavity, and the stator 150 and the rotor 160 are disposed in the cavity. One end of the terminal 140 is coupled to the stator 150, and the other end thereof is coupled to the copper bar 141. Wherein the cooling assembly further comprises: a first cooling passage 131 provided in the housing 110; and a second cooling passage 132 that is serially connected in the first cooling passage 131 and is disposed within the end cap 120, wherein a portion of the end cap 120 separates the second cooling passage 132 from the gasket 142, and wherein the gasket 142 is configured to be both insulating and thermally conductive.

Although not shown, it is readily understood that the first and

second cooling passages

131, 132 are configured to be in fluid communication with the fluid inlet 130 and the fluid outlet 133. The fluid inlet 130 and the fluid outlet 133 may be attached to a cooling circuit outside the motor, respectively.

Alternatively, the first cooling passage 131 reciprocally extends in the housing 110 to form an S-shaped cooling passage extending throughout the housing 110.

Alternatively, the gasket 142 may be made of a material that is both insulating and thermally conductive, including but not limited to a siliceous material, etc.

Optionally, the end cap 120 is made of an aluminum alloy.

Optionally, a sealing means is provided at the junction of the first cooling passage 131 and the second cooling passage 132.

Optionally, the sealing means is an O-ring or a sealant.

Alternatively, a bolt 122 is provided in the end cap 120, which passes through and presses the terminal 140 and the copper bar 141, so that the terminal 140 and the copper bar 141 are in close contact and form an electrical connection. In addition, the bolts 122 also press the copper bar 141 so that the copper bar 141 is attached to the gasket 142.

Optionally, the cross-section of the second cooling passage 132 extends parallel to the gasket 142.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the end cap of the embodiment shown in fig. 1. Wherein the second cooling passage 132 is a recess provided in the end cap 120.

Optionally, the second cooling passage 132 or recess has an arcuate shape.

In operation, in one aspect, the fluid inlet 130 is configured to be attached to a cooling fluid source (e.g., a cooling system of a vehicle), not shown, such that cooling fluid enters the cooling circuit through the fluid inlet 130 and flows through the first and

second cooling passages

131, 132, and finally exits the fluid outlet 133. On the other hand, current flows through the terminal 140 via the copper bar 141 and reaches the stator 150. At this time, the current flowing in the copper bar 141 causes the copper bar 141 to generate heat. At least a portion of this heat is transferred through the gasket 142 to the end cap 120 and ultimately to the cooling fluid in the second cooling passage 132. The continuous flow of cooling fluid carries heat away through the cooling circuit.

It is to be readily understood that in the above-described embodiment, the cooling fluid first flows from the fluid inlet 130 into the first cooling passage 131 to cool the housing 110; the cooling fluid then flows into the second cooling passage 132 in series with the first cooling passage 131, and cools the copper bar 141; the cooling fluid then exits the second cooling passage 132 and returns to the first cooling fluid passage 131, continuing to cool the housing 110. Finally, the cooling fluid exits the first cooling fluid path 131 and exits from the fluid outlet 133.

Through the above process, heat generated by the copper bar 141 during operation is taken away through the cooling circuit, thereby effectively lowering the temperature of the copper bar 141.

The gasket 141 has both insulation and thermal conductivity, and prevents the copper bar 141 from shorting with the end cap 120, and also effectively guides heat generated by the copper bar 141 to the end cap 120.

Optionally, the cooling fluid is water or cooling oil.

By adopting the cooling assembly of the invention, heat generated by the copper bar 141 in operation can be effectively dissipated, thereby ensuring that the copper bar 141 does not overheat. The cooling component reduces the temperature of the whole point power system, improves the power density of the motor and reduces the volume of the motor, thereby effectively protecting a motor controller and electronic elements therein and improving the stability of the temperature of the copper bars and the performance of the motor.

From the above disclosure, an electric machine comprising a cooling assembly according to the invention is readily available to a person skilled in the art.

The present specification discloses the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and also enables one skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems, selecting suitable materials, and using any incorporated methods. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims and encompasses other examples that will occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples should be considered to be within the scope of protection as determined by the claimed subject matter, so long as such other examples include structural elements that are not literally different from the claimed subject matter, or include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A cooling assembly, comprising:

a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet disposed on the end caps and respectively attached to the cooling circuit of the vehicle cooling system;

a copper bar opening provided on a side of the end cap;

a copper bar having one end extending through the copper bar opening and attached to a side wall of the copper bar opening by a spacer, and the other end forming an electrical connection with a terminal;

a second cooling passage in series in the first cooling passage and disposed within the end cap;

wherein a portion of the end cap spaces the second cooling passage from the gasket, and wherein the gasket is configured to be both insulating and thermally conductive.

2. The cooling assembly of claim 1, wherein the copper bar is attached to a side wall of the copper bar opening on a side near the housing by the gasket.

3. A cooling assembly according to claim 2, wherein sealing means are provided at the junction of the first and second cooling passages.

4. A cooling assembly according to claim 3, wherein the sealing means is an O-ring or a sealant.

5. The cooling assembly of claim 2, wherein bolts are provided in the end caps, the bolts passing through and pressing the terminals and the copper bars so that the terminals and the copper bars are in close contact and form an electrical connection.

6. The cooling assembly of claim 2, wherein the second cooling passage is a recess provided in the end cap.

7. The cooling assembly of claim 6, wherein the recess has an arcuate shape.

8. An electric machine, characterized in that it comprises:

a housing;

an end cap disposed at one end of the housing;

a bottom cover disposed at the other end of the case;

a stator and a rotor disposed in a cavity surrounded by the housing, the end cover, and the bottom cover, an

The cooling assembly of any one of claims 1-7 wherein an electrical connection is formed between the terminal and the stator.

9. The electric machine of claim 8, wherein the first cooling passage extends reciprocally in the housing to form an S-shaped cooling passage throughout the housing.

10. The electric machine of claim 8, wherein the fluid inlet is configured to be attached to a source of cooling fluid such that cooling fluid enters and flows through the first and second cooling passages through the fluid inlet to carry away heat generated by the copper bar during operation via a portion of the end cap and the gasket, and the cooling fluid exits from the fluid outlet.