Electric motor with integrated cooling
Electric motors and stators thereof are described. The stators of the electric motors include a first header, a second header fluidly connected to the first header, a plurality of windings fluidly connected to the first header and the second header to receive a cooling fluid passing from the first header to the second header along one or more flow channels, and one or more phase-change material elements arranged to thermally interact with at least one of the first header, the second header, the one or more flow channels, and the plurality of windings.
1 . A stator of an electric motor comprising:
a first header;
a second header fluidly connected to the first header;
a plurality of windings;
one or more flow channels extending through the plurality of windings and fluidly connecting the first header to the second header, the one or more flow channels configured to receive a cooling fluid passing from the first header to the second header to pick up heat from the plurality of windings; and
one or more phase-change material elements arranged to thermally interact with at least one of the first header, the second header, the one or more flow channels, and the plurality of windings, wherein the one or more phase-change material elements each comprise a housing configured to thermally connect a phase-change material within the housing with the respective at least one of the first header, the second header, the one or more flow channels, and the plurality of windings,
wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged within one of the one or more flow channels.
2 . The stator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged between sections of the plurality of windings.
3 . The stator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element embedded within a structure of a winding of the plurality of windings.
4 . The stator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged along a radially interior surface of the plurality of windings.
5 . The stator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged within the first header.
6 . The stator of claim 5 , wherein the first header is an outlet header of the stator.
7 . The stator of claim 5 , further comprising one or more heat transfer augmentation features arranged within the first header and configured to provide an increased surface area of thermal contact between the phase-change material element and the cooling fluid within the first header.
8 . The stator of claim 7 , wherein the first header is an inlet header and the second header is an outlet header and the cooling fluid is configured to flow through the first header to the second header and provide cooling to the plurality of windings.
9 . The stator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a paraffin-based wax, a salt hydrate, an acrylic-based material, and a metallic-based material.
10 . An electric motor comprising:
a rotor rotatable about a rotation axis; and
a stator disposed relative to the rotor with a radial air gap between the rotor and the stator, the stator including:
a first header;
a second header fluidly connected to the first header;
a plurality of windings;
one or more flow channels extending through the plurality of windings and fluidly connecting the first header to the second header, the one or more flow channels configured to receive a cooling fluid passing from the first header to the second header to pick up heat from the plurality of windings;
one or more phase-change material elements arranged to thermally interact with at least one of the first header and the second header; and
one or more heat pipes arranged within at least one of the first header and the second header, wherein the one or more heat pipes are configured to provide an increased surface area of thermal contact between the phase-change material element and the cooling fluid within the respective header.
11 . The electric motor of claim 10 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged between sections of the plurality of windings.
12 . The electric motor of claim 10 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element embedded within a structure of a winding of the plurality of windings.
13 . The electric motor of claim 10 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged within one of the one or more flow channels.
14 . The electric motor of claim 10 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged along a radially interior surface of the plurality of windings.
15 . The electric motor of claim 10 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements each comprise a housing configured to thermally connect a phase-change material within the housing with the respective header.
16 . The electric motor of claim 10 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a paraffin-based wax, a salt hydrate, an acrylic-based material, and a metallic-based material.
17 . An aircraft power system comprising:
an electric motor having a rotor rotatable about a rotation axis and a stator disposed relative to the rotor with a radial air gap between the rotor and the stator, the stator including:
a first header;
a second header fluidly connected to the first header;
a plurality of windings;
one or more flow channels extending through the plurality of windings and fluidly connecting the first header to the second header, the one or more flow channels configured to receive a cooling fluid passing from the first header to the second header to pick up heat from the plurality of windings; and
one or more phase-change material elements arranged to thermally interact with at least the plurality of windings, wherein a phase-change temperature of the one or more phase-change material elements is based on a temperature limit of a material of the plurality of windings,
wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged within the first header.
18 . The aircraft power system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged between sections of the plurality of windings.
19 . The aircraft power system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more phase-change material elements include a phase-change material element arranged within one of the one or more flow channels.