US 4,742,257 AGranted

Totally enclosed fan cooled induction motor with improved cooling

AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation

InventorKeith H. Carpenter

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Abstract

An induction motor comprises a stator and rotor totally enclosed in a case with no air communication through the case, an internal shaft mounted fan at each end of the rotor and an external fan and fan shield at one end to direct cooling air along the outer surface of the case. The motor is further provided with hollow, toroidal baffles internally at each end which force the air within the case at each end of the motor to be circulated across the bearing and ends of the windings to pick up heat and along the internal surface of the case to exchange the heat through the case with the fan driven outside air. A further improvement is the provision of an air channel from the fan shield along the outer surface of the case to the other end of the motor and radial ducts from the channel to the interior of the baffle and from the opposite side of the baffle to the case, whereby a portion of the fan driven external cooling air is forced through the interior of the driving end baffle. Another improvement is the provision of a lower axially extending inlet duct and an upper radially extending outlet duct for the fan end baffle for air to be driven therethrough by the external fan.

An induction motor comprising a generally cylindrical case having a circumferential portion and a pair of axial ends, a stator with insulation covered windings in the case and a rotor on a shaft rotatable in bearings in the case, the case totally enclosing the stator and rotor with no air communication therethrough, the rotor comprising internal fan means on each axial end thereof, the motor further comprising an external fan mounted on and driven by the shaft projecting from one end of the case and a fan shield surrounding the external fan and directing cooling air driven by the external fan axially over the surface of the case, the motor further comprising, adjacent each axial end of the case:

a hollow toroidal baffle suspended axially between the internal fan means of the rotor and the axial end of the case and radially between the shaft and the circumferential portion of the case, each baffle thereby creating an internal air flow circulation path wherein internal air is driven by the internal fan means radially outward across the ends of the stator windings to the circumferential portion of the case to pick up heat from from the stator windings, axially along the inner surface of the circumferential portion of the case and radially inwardly along the inner surface of the axial end of the case for cooling heat exchange through the case to the cooling air driven by the external fan, over the bearing to pick up heat therefrom and axially back to the internal fan means;
an enclosed air channel extending from the fan shield along the outer surface of the case;
an inlet air duct extending radially inward through the case from the air channel to the hollow toroidal baffle at the axial end of the motor opposite the external fan;
and
an outlet air duct extending radially outward through the case from the hollow toroidal baffle diametrically opposite the inlet air duct, whereby cooling air is channeled from the fan at one end of the motor along the outer surface of the case and through the hollow toroidal baffle at the other end for internal heat exchange with the air circulated by the internal fan means.

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Abstract

Claims4