Thermal management system for use with an integrated motor assembly

• Main Authors: DETTMANN BENJAMIN DAVID, JOHNSTON VINCENT GEORGE, DE BRUIJN WULFER ADRIJAN, RAWLINSON PETER DORE, SAMPSON NICHOLAS JOHN, VERZENI NICOLAS, KALAYJIAN NICHOLAS ROBERT, NELSON DAVID FRED, PEARCE, JR. EDWIN M, ROBBINS JIM, KUBBA MICHAEL RAJ, PINKLEY GARY ALLEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.05.2015
• Subjects: CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRICITY; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; GENERATION; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

An integrated drive system assembly is provided that combines an electric motor, a power inverter assembly and a gearbox into a single, multi-piece enclosure. Combining these components into a single enclosure reduces weight, reduces drive system complexity, reduces system volume, simplifies assembly integration into an electric vehicle, reduces manufacturing cost, allows the flexible and lengthy electrical cables between the power inverter and the electric motor to be replaced with short, low loss, rigid bus bars, and simplifies component cooling by allowing the use of a common thermal management system, i.e., a mutual thermal management system. The common thermal management system includes a liquid coolant loop that is thermally coupled to the electric motor, the power inverter assembly and the gearbox.