Cooling assembly for electric machine
A cooling assembly including a generally cylindrical body to be inserted inside the generally cylindrical internal stator of an electric machine is described herein. The body includes a cylindrical external contact surface configured and sized to contact the internal surface of the stator. The bottom surface of the body is machine with a channel that is partially closed by a cover to yield a peripheral fluid passage inside the body. An inlet and an outlet aperture are provided.
1. A cooling assembly to be inserted in the internal stator of an electric machine, the internal stator being provided with an internal surface, the cooling assembly comprising:
a tubular body provided with a gap and an external surface configured and sized as to be applied to the internal surface of the internal stator; the tubular body being provided with a bottom surface defining a cooling channel; the tubular body being also provided with an inlet and an outlet provided on either side of the gap and open to the cooling channel;
a cover so configured and sized as to be mounted to the bottom surface so as to close the cooling channel;
a biasing assembly so mounted to the body in the vicinity of the gap as to selectively bias the external surface of the body against the internal surface of the stator;
wherein a fluid passage between the inlet and the outlet is defined by the cooling channel closed by the cover.
2. The cooling assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel is provided with a shoulder portion and the cover has a corresponding T-shaped cross-section.
3. The cooling assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel is provided with a projection defining a direction change in the cooling channel.
4. The cooling assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a thinner portion corresponding to the projection.
5. The cooling assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel has a generally T-shaped cross-section.
6. The cooling assembly as recited in claim 5 , wherein the cover has a generally T-shaped cross-section corresponding to a portion of the generally T-shaped cross section of the cooling channel.
7. The cooling assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the cover is secured to the body via an adhesive.
8. The cooling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cover is fastened to the body; the cooling assembly further including a gasket provided between the cover and the body to seal the fluid passage.
9. The cooling assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the cover is welded to the body.
10. The cooling assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the biasing assembly includes at least one compression spring mounted in the gap of the tubular body.
11. The cooling assembly as recited in claim 10 , wherein the biasing assembly includes three compression springs mounted in shoulders provided in facing surfaces defining the gap of the tubular body.
12. The cooling assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein the biasing assembly includes two wedges and wherein the gap of the tubular body is defined by two convex surfaces; the wedges are so mounted to the tubular body by fasteners provided between the wedges that they biais the external surface of the tubular body towards the internal surface of the stator when they are brought closed together.