Radial vent composite heat pipe

A stator assembly for an electrical machine, said stator assembly comprising:

• a plurality of stator core packs assembled together such that a plurality of stator vents are formed between adjacent stator core packs;
• and
• a radial vent composite heat pipe system disposed partially within a plurality of stator slots of each stator core pack and partially within the stator vents, the radial vent composite heat pipe system comprising:
• a plurality of radial vent composite heat pipe assemblies, wherein each heat pipe assembly comprises:
• a slot portion disposable within a respective one of a plurality of the stator slots;
• and
• a vent portion thermally connected to the slot portion and disposable within a respective one of the stator vents, wherein:
• the slot portion of each heat pipe assembly is structured and operable to absorb heat from a respective one of a plurality of stator coils of the stator assembly and transfer the absorbed heat to the respective vent portion, and
• the vent portion of each heat pipe assembly is structured and operable to reject the transferred heat from the slot portion of the respective heat pipe assembly into a cooling air flowing through the respective stator vent, thereby rapidly transferring heat from the respective stator coil to the cooling air flowing through stator vent.

A method for rapidly transferring heat from stator coils of an electrical machine to a cooling air flowing through stator vents to thereby greatly increasing the power density of the electrical machine, said method comprising:

• absorbing heat from a plurality of stator coils of a stator assembly of an electrical machine via a plurality of slot portion of a plurality of radial vent composite heat pipe assemblies disposed within a plurality of stator slots of the stator assembly;
• transferring the absorbed heat to vent portions of each heat pipe assembly that are thermally connected to slot portions, the vent portions disposed within the stator vents;
• and
• rejecting the transferred heat, via the vent portions, into a cooling air flowing through the stator vents and the vent portions, thereby rapidly transferring heat from the respective stator coil to the cooling air.