Electric machine rotor cooling method
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsKyle K. McKinzie, Daryl T. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric motor coupled to a driven device of a vehicle. The electric motor includes a rotor and a shaft coupled to the rotor. The rotor has at least one radially oriented cavity and at least one fluid channel. The fluid channel extends in a generally axial direction. The fluid channel is fluidly connected to the at least one radially oriented cavity. The shaft has a fluid passageway therein. The at least one radially oriented cavity has a fluid connection to the fluid passageway of the shaft. The at least one radially oriented cavity leads to a radial exit from the rotor for a flow of fluid therefrom.
Claims20
A vehicle, comprising:
- a driven device;
- and
- an electric motor coupled to and driving said driven device, the electric motor including:
- a rotor having at least one radially oriented cavity and at least one fluid channel, said fluid channel extending in a generally axial direction, said fluid channel being fluidly connected to said at least one radially oriented cavity, said at least one radially oriented cavity having a first portion radially inward of said fluid channel and a second portion radially outward of said fluid channel;
- and
- a shaft coupled to said rotor, said shaft having a fluid passageway therein, said at least one radially oriented cavity having a fluid connection to said fluid passageway, said at least one radially oriented cavity leading to a radial exit configured for a flow of fluid from said rotor.
An electric machine coupled to a driven device in a vehicle, the electric machine comprising:
- a rotor having at least one radially oriented cavity and at least one fluid channel, said fluid channel extending in a generally axial direction, said fluid channel being fluidly connected to said at least one radially oriented cavity, said at least one radially oriented cavity having a first portion radially inward of said fluid channel and a second portion radially outward of said fluid channel;
- and
- a shaft coupled to said rotor, said shaft having a fluid passageway therein, said at least one radially oriented cavity having a fluid connection to said fluid passageway, said at least one radially oriented cavity leading to a radial exit from said rotor for a flow of fluid.
A method of cooling an electric machine coupled to a driven device in a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
- moving a fluid though a fluid passageway in a shaft, said shaft being coupled with the driven device;
- continuing the movement of the fluid from said fluid passageway into at least one radially oriented cavity of a rotor connected to said shaft;
- diverting at least a portion of the fluid into at least one fluid channel in said rotor, said fluid channel being fluidly connected to a first portion and a second portion of said at least one radially oriented cavity, said first portion radially inward of said fluid channel and said second portion radially outward of said fluid channel;
- and
- causing the fluid to exit from said rotor by way of at least one radial exit in said rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.