Electric Machine Cooling System and Method

An electric machine module capable of being cooled by a coolant, the electric machine module comprising:

• an electric machine including a stator with stator end turns and a rotor;
• a housing enclosing the electric machine, an inner wall of the housing defining a machine cavity;
• a cover coupled to the housing and extending radially inward into the machine cavity;
• and
• an agitator ring operatively coupled to the rotor and extending substantially outward along at least a portion of an axial length of the stator end turns,
• the cover, the agitator ring, and the stator end turns defining a stator cavity, the stator cavity being in fluid communication with the machine cavity.

A method for cooling an electric machine comprising:

• providing the electric machine including
• a rotor with generally opposing end faces, and
• a stator substantially circumscribing the rotor and including stator end turns;
• substantially enclosing at least a portion of the electric machine within a housing,
• defining at least a portion of a machine cavity with an inner wall of the housing;
• providing a cover coupled to the housing and extending radially inward into the machine cavity;
• introducing a coolant into the machine cavity;
• and
• concentrating the coolant near the stator end turns using the cover in order to cool the stator end turns.