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US 4,348,604 AGranted
Totally enclosed air cooled electrical machines
AssigneeGeneral Dynamics Corporation
InventorHerbert W. Thode
Life of this patent
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AssigneeGeneral Dynamics Corporation
InventorHerbert W. Thode
Estimating the term…
A totally enclosed electrical machine, particularly a high power electric motor, is provided with a plate-type, crossflow, air-to-air heat exchanger which is seated on the frame of the electrical machine. Adjacent plates of the heat exchanger are modular units which define an array of ducts through which the internal air heated by the machine flows in a direction away from the machine. The ducts at opposite ends of the array provide passages for the bi-directional flow of air, such that air which is cooled in the heat exchanger is returned to the opposite ends of the machine. The heat exchanger is provided with a plenum in which air is returned to the end ducts. A baffle in the plenum distributes the air in different amounts, which vary progressively but in opposite senses, to the return ducts which communicate with the opposite ends of the machine thereby equalizing the temperature of the return air supplied to the opposite ends of the machine and providing uniform cooling of the machine. External air is directed through channels between adjacent plates of the heat exchanger, the opposite sides of which define the ducts for the internal machine air. The entire unit can readily be assembled at low cost.
An enclosed air cooled electrodynamic machine comprising a frame housing said machine, said frame being open on one side thereof, a cross flow plate heat exchanger mounted on said frame on said one side thereof, partitions between alternate pairs of the plates in said heat exchanger defining a plurality of separate ducts having opposite ends, said ducts communicating at one of said opposite ends with the interior of said frame, a baffle disposed adjacent to the other opposite ends directing the flow of internal air in opposite directions through different ones of said ducts so that said internal air circulates through said machine and said heat exchanger where said internal air is cooled by external air passing through said heat exchanger in cross flow relationship with said internal air.
An enclosed electrical machine having a body portion and portions at opposite ends of said body portion, said machine comprising a frame having walls in which said machine is disposed, means in said frame defining passages communicating the body portion and at least one end portion of said machine with one wall of said frame, a heat exchanger disposed on said one wall and having a plurality of plates defining a plurality of interleaved channels for the flow of external air and internal air of said machine in adjacent ones thereof, said internal air channels having means defining first and second ducts in each of said channels communicating at one thereof, through said one wall with said passages which communicate with at least one of said end portions and body portion of said machine respectively, and means at the ends of said first and second ducts opposite from said one end thereof for directing the internal air from said second to said first ducts whereby said internal air from said body portion of said machine circulates through said heat exchanger, is cooled therein by heat exchange with said external air, and circulates back to said machine at said one end portion thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.