US 11,309,770 B2Granted

In-wheel electric motor provided with a cooling system

AssigneeE-Traction Europe B.V.

InventorsTimothy Van Seventer, Reinhard Peter Van Der Wal

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Abstract

An in-wheel electric motor includes at a vehicle side an elongated connector, a cylindrical stator body connected to the connector and on an outer surface of the stator body equipped with stator windings, a cylindrical rotor body enclosing the stator, and a power electronics device powering the stator windings. The connector is provided with a first opening of a feed channel for coolant and a second opening of a return channel for coolant, each of the feed and return channels being parallel to an axial direction of the connector. The electric motor includes a cooling circuitry with a feed connector and a return connector for coolant, which circuitry includes a coolant supply channel that extends from the feed connector through first the power electronics device and subsequently through a cooling jacket that is situated at the perimeter of the cylindrical stator body and from there to the return connector.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An in-wheel electric motor (4) for a vehicle, the in-wheel electric motor (4) comprising:

a stator (30) with at a vehicle side (2) an elongated connector member (33), a cylindrical hollow stator body (31) connected to the elongated connector member (33) with a central axis (R) and on an outer surface of the cylindrical hollow stator body (31) equipped with stator windings;
a cylindrical rotor body (60) coaxially enclosing the stator (30) and rotatable around the in-wheel electric motor (4) rotation axis;
a cooling jacket (37) that is situated at the perimeter of the cylindrical hollow stator body (31) and arranged for cooling the stator windings;
a power electronics device arranged within the cylindrical hollow stator body (31) and adapted for powering the stator windings;
wherein the elongated connector member (33) is provided with a first opening of a feed channel (92) for liquid coolant and a second opening of a return channel (93) for liquid coolant, each of the feed and return channels being substantially parallel to an axial direction (A) of the elongated connector member (33);
wherein the in-wheel electric motor (4) comprises an internal cooling circuitry with a feed connector (102) and a return connector (103) for liquid coolant, with the feed connector arranged for liquid tight coupling to the first opening of the feed channel (92) and the return connector arranged for liquid tight coupling to the second opening of the return channel (93), and
wherein the internal cooling circuitry comprises a coolant supply channel (45B, 45C, 45D) that extends from the feed connector (102) through first the power electronics device (42) and subsequently to the cooling jacket (37),
wherein the feed connector (102) is arranged on an inlet of the coolant supply channel (45B, 45C, 45D) into the power electronics device, and the return connector (103) is arranged on an outlet of the coolant supply channel (45B, 45C, 45D) from the power electronics device.

5 more elements

A method for assembling an in-wheel electric motor (4);

the in-wheel electric motor (4) comprising a stator (30) with at a vehicle side (2) an elongate connector member (33), a cylindrical hollow stator body (31) connected to the elongate connector member (33) with a central axis (R) and on an outer surface of the cylindrical hollow stator body (31) equipped with stator windings, and further comprising a cylindrical rotor body (60) coaxially enclosing the stator (30);
the in-wheel electric motor (4) further comprising a power electronics device for powering the stator windings,
wherein the elongate connector member (33) comprises a first opening (92) of a feed channel for liquid coolant and a second opening (93) of a return channel opening for liquid coolant, each of the feed and return channels being substantially parallel to an axial direction (A) of the elongate connector member (33);
wherein the method comprises providing a housing (100) comprising control electronics, the housing (100) having an outgoing cooling channel with a first male connector and a return cooling channel, with a second male connector situated near the first male connector and sliding the first and second male connectors of the housing (100) into the first and second openings (92, 93).

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/632,117Filed 20 Jul 2018
Priority: NL 201930220 Jul 2017
Published: US 2020/0177054 A14 Jun 2020
Granted: 19 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H02K 11/33
Structural association with control circuits or drive circuits: drive circuits, e.g. power electronics
H02K 1/20
Stationary parts of the magnetic circuit: with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium
H02K 5/203
With channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium: specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets
H02K 9/00
Arrangements for cooling or ventilating

Family

US 2020/0177054 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Jun 2020
US 11,309,770 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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