Electric motor with heat pipes
View Patent ↗A motor including a frame that defines a motor portion and an adjacent cooling portion, and a plurality of heat pipes disposed within and fully enclosed by the motor frame. Each heat pipe has an evaporator end disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the motor portion and a condenser end disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the cooling portion. A cooling chamber within the motor cooling portion is structured to have a fluid introduced therein by a working device such that at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion is cooled via the working fluid, thereby extracting heat from the heat pipe condenser ends and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
1. A motor comprising:
a frame that defines a motor portion and an adjacent cooling portion that is separated from the motor portion by a structural interface disposed within the frame to define a cooling chamber within the motor cooling portion;
an electrical package disposed within the motor portion such that the motor frame encloses the electrical package from exterior elements, the electrical package comprising a rotor and a stator; and
a plurality of heat pipes disposed within and fully enclosed by the motor frame, the heat pipes having an evaporator ends disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the motor portion and condenser ends disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the cooling portion,
wherein the cooling chamber is structured to have a working fluid introduced therein by a working device that is structured to be driven by the motor shaft and is operable to pump a high volume of the working fluid into the cooling chamber such that at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion is cooled via the working fluid introduced into the cooling chamber and via contact with the working device mounted thereto, thereby extracting heat from the heat pipe condenser ends and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
2. The motor of claim 1 , wherein the motor cooling portion is structured to have a pump mounted thereto such that during operation of the motor, the pump is driven by motor shaft to pump a fluid into the cooling chamber to cool at least a portion of the frame defining the motor cooling portion, thereby extracting heat from the heat pipe condenser ends and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
3. The motor of claim 1 , wherein the motor cooling portion is structured to have a pump mounted thereto such that during operation of the motor, the pump is driven by motor shaft to pump one of oil and water into the cooling chamber to cool at least a portion of the frame defining the motor cooling portion, thereby extracting heat from the heat pipe condenser ends and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
4. The motor of claim 1 , wherein the motor cooling portion is structured to have an air chamber and fan assembly mounted thereto, whereby a fan of the air chamber and fan assembly is mounted to the motor shaft such that during operation of the motor, the fan is driven by motor shaft to pump air into the cooling chamber to cool at least a portion of the frame defining the motor cooling portion, thereby extracting heat from the heat pipe condenser ends and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
5. The motor of claim 1 , wherein the motor cooling portion is structured to have a cooling system mounted thereto, whereby a compressor of the cooling system is coupled to the motor shaft such that during operation of the motor, the compressor is driven by motor shaft to compress a refrigerant and generate a flow of the refrigerant through the cooling chamber such that the refrigerant contacts at least a portion of the frame defining the motor cooling portion, thereby extracting heat from the heat pipe condenser ends and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
6. A method for cooling a motor rotor and stator assembly, said method comprising:
disposing and fully enclosing a plurality of heat pipes within a frame of the motor, wherein the frame defines a cooling portion of the motor and an adjacent motor portion of the motor that is separated from the cooling portion by a structural interface disposed within the frame, the motor portion housing and enclosing an electrical package that includes a rotor and a stator, and wherein evaporator ends of heat pipes are disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the motor portion and condenser ends of the heat pipes are disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the cooling portion; and
mounting a working device driven by the motor to the frame such that a cooling chamber is formed within the cooling portion between the structural interface and the working device, the working device structured and operable to pump a high volume of working fluid that is introduced into the cooling chamber such that at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion is cooled via the working fluid introduced into the cooling chamber and via contact with the working device mounted thereto, thereby extracting heat from the condenser ends heat pipes and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein mounting the working device driven by the motor the frame comprises mounting a pump to distal ends of the portion of the frame defining the cooling portion, wherein the pump is structured and operable to pump a fluid through the cooling chamber to cool at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein mounting the working device driven by the motor the frame comprises mounting a pump to distal ends of the portion of the frame defining the cooling portion, wherein the pump is structured and operable to pump one of oil and water through the cooling chamber to cool at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein mounting the working device driven by the motor the frame comprises mounting an air chamber and fan assembly to distal ends of the portion of the frame defining the cooling portion, wherein the air chamber and fan assembly is structured and operable to circulate air through the cooling chamber to cool at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein mounting the working device driven by the motor the frame comprises mounting a cooling system compressor device to distal ends of the portion of the frame defining the cooling portion, wherein the compressor device is structured and operable to circulate a refrigerant through the cooling chamber to cool at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion.
11. A motor and working device assembly comprising:
a motor comprising:
a frame that defines a motor portion and an adjacent cooling portion that is separated from the motor portion by a structural interface disposed within the frame;
an electrical package disposed within the motor portion such that the motor frame encloses the electrical package from exterior elements, the electrical package comprising a rotor and a stator; and
a plurality of heat pipes disposed within and fully enclosed by the motor frame, the heat pipes having an evaporator ends disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the motor portion and condenser ends disposed within the portion of the frame that defines the cooling portion; and
a working device driven by the motor and mounted to the frame such that a cooling chamber is formed within the cooling portion between the structural interface and the working device, the working device structured and operable to pump a high volume of working fluid that is introduced into the cooling chamber such that at least a portion of the frame defining the cooling portion is cooled via the working fluid introduced into the cooling chamber and via contact with the working device mounted thereto, thereby extracting heat from the condenser ends heat pipes and cooling the motor portion of the motor.
12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the working device comprises a pump.
13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the working fluid comprises oil.
14. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the working fluid comprises water.
15. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the working device comprises an air chamber and fan assembly.
16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the working fluid comprises air.
17. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the working device comprises a cooling system compressor device.
18. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the working fluid comprises a refrigerant.