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US 11,387,712 B2Granted
Method to reduce oil shear drag in airgap
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsDerek F. Lahr, Farzad Samie, Alireza Fatemi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric motor includes a stator, a rotor, a rotor shaft and a pump. The rotor is disposed within the stator and separated from the stator by an airgap. The airgap inadvertently accumulates a fluid. The rotor shaft is connected to the rotor. The pump is configured to move the fluid out of the airgap.
Claims20
An electric motor comprising:
- a stator;
- a rotor disposed within the stator, and separated from the stator by an airgap, wherein the airgap inadvertently accumulates a fluid;
- a rotor shaft connected to the rotor, and defining an airway and a plurality of lubrication holes in fluid communication between the airway and the rotor;
- a feed nozzle at one end of the airway, wherein the feed nozzle, the airway, and the lubrication holes are configured to transfer the fluid from external to the electric motor into the rotor;
- and
- a pump configured to draw air from an atmosphere outside the electric motor and push the air into the airgap to push the fluid out of the airgap.
3 more elements
An electric motor comprising:
- a stator;
- a rotor disposed within the stator, and separated from the stator by an airgap, wherein the airgap inadvertently accumulates a fluid;
- a rotor shaft connected to the rotor, and defining an airway and a plurality of lubrication holes in fluid communication between the airway and the rotor;
- a feed nozzle at one end of the airway, wherein the feed nozzle, the airway, and the lubrication holes are configured to transfer the fluid from external to the electric motor into the rotor;
- and
- an air pump configured to draw air from an atmosphere outside the electric motor and force the air into the airgap, wherein the air forced into the airgap pushes the fluid out of the airgap.
3 more elements
An electric motor comprising:
- a stator;
- a rotor disposed within the stator, and separated from the stator by an airgap, wherein the airgap inadvertently accumulates a fluid;
- a rotor shaft connected to the rotor, and defining an airway and a plurality of lubrication holes in fluid communication between the airway and the rotor;
- a feed nozzle at one end of the airway, wherein the feed nozzle, the airway, and the lubrication holes are configured to transfer the fluid from external to the electric motor into the rotor;
- and
- a kinetic pump driven by the rotor shaft, and configured to draw air from an atmosphere outside the electric motor and push the air into the airgap to push the fluid out of the airgap.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.