BEARING ASSEMBLY FOR AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, AND ELECTRIC MOTOR

Abstract

Disclosed is a bearing assembly for an electric motor for a vehicle, providing at least one main bearing configured to support a rotational element of the electric motor, and a sacrificial bearing. The main bearing includes at least one inner ring, at least one outer ring and at least one plurality of rolling elements. The sacrificial bearing provides an outer ring, an inner ring, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the outer ring and the inner ring. A value of a breakdown voltage for the sacrificial bearing is less than a value of the breakdown voltage for the at least one main bearing.

Claims

1. A bearing assembly for an electric motor for a vehicle, comprising: at least one main bearing configured to support a rotational element of the electric motor, the main bearing comprising at least one inner ring providing at least one inner raceway, at least one outer ring providing at least one outer raceway, the inner and outer rings being in relative rotation, and at least one plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner and outer rings, one of the bearing rings being coupled in rotation with the rotational element of the electric motor, a sacrificial bearing comprising an inner ring with an inner raceway, an outer ring with an outer raceway, the inner and outer rings being in relative rotation, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner and outer rings, one of the sacrificial bearing rings being coupled in rotation with the rotational element of the electric motor, the other ring being grounded, and configured so that (i) the conductivity of the sacrificial bearing is higher than 20 μS, and (ii) a value of a breakdown voltage for the sacrificial bearing is less than a value of the breakdown voltage for the at least one main bearing.

2. The bearing assembly according to the claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of at least one component of the sacrificial bearing is greater than any of the surface roughness of the components of the at least one main bearing.

3. The bearing assembly according to the claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of at least one component of the sacrificial bearing (32) is greater than 50 nm.

4. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sacrificial bearing is provided with a lubricant configured to lubricate the rolling elements of the sacrificial bearing, wherein the lubricant is electrically conductive.

5. The bearing assembly according to the claim 4, wherein the lubricant of the sacrificial bearing comprises at least one additive that is configured to reduce lubricant oil dissociation and/or to prevent lubricant polymerization into a high viscosity matter.

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sacrificial bearing is provided with a cage configured to retain the rolling elements of the sacrificial bearing, wherein the cage also comprises a storage capacity for lubricant and/or at least one lubricant additive.

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sacrificial bearing is of reduced size with respect to the at least one main bearing.

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the value of Hertzian contact pressure of the sacrificial bearing is strictly smaller than a value of Hertzian contact pressure of the at least one main bearing.

9. The bearing assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one main bearing is a hybrid bearing with a set of ceramic rolling elements and/or at least one ceramic bearing ring, and/or the sacrificial bearing is a steel bearing with a set of steel rolling elements and steel bearing rings.

10. An electric motor comprising: a case, a stator having stator windings, a rotor having a rotor shaft and rotor windings, and at least one bearing assembly having for an electric motor for a vehicle, comprising: at least one main bearing configured to support a rotational element of the electric motor, the main bearing comprising at least one inner ring providing at least one inner raceway, at least one outer ring providing at least one outer raceway, the inner and outer rings being in relative rotation, and at least one plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner and outer rings, one of the bearing rings being coupled in rotation with the rotational element of the electric motor, a sacrificial bearing comprising an inner ring with an inner raceway, an outer ring with an outer raceway, the inner and outer rings being in relative rotation, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner and outer rings, one of the sacrificial bearing rings being coupled in rotation with the rotational element of the electric motor, the other ring being grounded, and configured so that (i) the conductivity of the sacrificial bearing is higher than 20 μS, and (ii) a value of a breakdown voltage for the sacrificial bearing is less than a value of the breakdown voltage for the at least one main bearing, wherein at least one main bearing of the bearing assembly is configured to support the rotor shaft of the electric motor, and it further comprises a sacrificial bearing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] At least one of the embodiments of the present invention is accurately represented by this application's drawings which are relied on to illustrate such embodiment(s) to scale and the drawings are relied on to illustrate the relative size, proportions, and positioning of the individual components of the present invention accurately relative to each other and relative to the overall embodiment(s). Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that the present invention is not limited to the scaled drawings and that the illustrated proportions, scale, and relative positioning can be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the broadest descriptions set forth in any portion of the originally filed specification and/or drawings. In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are described in relation to the drawings, wherein the drawings are exemplarily only, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. The scope of protection is defined by the accompanied claims, only.

[0033] The figures show:

[0034] FIG. 1: a schematic view of an electric motor according to the prior art;

[0035] FIG. 2: a schematic view of an electric motor including a sacrificial bearing according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0036] FIG. 3: a schematic view of the sacrificial bearing of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from this disclosure that when a range is provided such as (for example) an angle/distance/number/weight/volume/spacing being between one (1 of the appropriate unit) and ten (10 of the appropriate units) that specific support is provided by the specification to identify any number within the range as being disclosed for use with a preferred embodiment. For example, the recitation of a percentage of copper between one percent (1%) and twenty percent (20%) provides specific support for a preferred embodiment having two point three percent (2.3%) copper even if not separately listed herein and thus provides support for claiming a preferred embodiment having two point three percent (2.3%) copper. By way of an additional example, a recitation in the claims and/or in portions of an element moving along an arcuate path by at least twenty (20°) degrees, provides specific literal support for any angle greater than twenty (20°) degrees, such as twenty-three (23°) degrees, thirty (30°) degrees, thirty-three-point five (33.5°) degrees, forty-five (45°) degrees, fifty-two (52°) degrees, or the like and thus provides support for claiming a preferred embodiment with the element moving along the arcuate path thirty-three-point five (33.5°) degrees. In the following, same or similar functioning elements are indicated with the same reference numerals.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a bearing assembly for an electric motor 20, particularly for a vehicle. The electric motor 20 includes a case 22, a rotor having a rotor shaft 24 and rotor windings 25, a stator having stator windings 26, two main bearings 28, 30 coupling the rotor shaft 24 to the case 22, and various electrical connections (not illustrated).

[0039] The two main bearings 28, 30 illustrated in the FIG. 2 are similar. Alternatively, main bearings 28, 30 may be of different type and size. Main bearings 28, 30 comprise each an inner ring 28a, 30a having at least one inner raceway, an outer ring 28b, 30b having at least one out raceway, and a set of rolling elements 28c, 30c, here balls, disposed between the inner and outer rings 28a, 28b and 30a, 30b, respectively. Advantageously, both the main bearings 28, 30 are provided with a lubricant, preferably a grease, configured to lubricate the rolling elements of the respective bearing. According to another embodiment, both the main bearings 28, 30 may be provided with a cage configured to retain the rolling elements 28c, 30c of the respective bearing 28, 30. The cage may also comprise a storage capacity for lubricant and/or at least one lubricant additive. This allows that fresh lubricant and/or lubricant additive can be supplied such that the lifespan of the bearing may be prolonged.

[0040] The inner ring 28a of main bearing 28 is coupled in rotation with an outer circumferential surface of the rotational shaft 24, and the outer ring 28b is fixed in the case 22. The inner ring 30a of main bearing 30 is coupled in rotation with an outer circumferential surface of the rotational shaft 24, and the outer ring 30b is fixed in the case 22. The main bearings 28, 30 support in rotation the rotational shaft 14 of the electric motor 20 with respect to the case 22. Advantageously, each of the main bearings 28, 30 is mounted on one side of the rotor and stator windings 25, 26.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 1 as prior art, high frequency grounding currents can be are generated in the rotor shaft 14, 24. These currents can then pass through one of the main bearings and damage its components. More particularly, the surfaces of raceways and/or the balls mays have failures. According to the invention illustrated in FIG. 2, the electric motor 20 is further provided with a sacrificial bearing 32.

[0042] The sacrificial bearing 32 is illustrated in FIG. 3, and comprises an inner ring 32a having an inner raceway, an outer ring 32b having an outer raceway, and a at least one set of rolling elements 32c, here balls, disposed between the inner ring and outer rings 32a, 32b. Advantageously, the sacrificial bearing 32 is provided with a lubricant, preferably a grease, configured to lubricate the rolling elements 32c. According to another embodiment, the sacrificial bearing 32 is provided with a cage 32s configured to retain the rolling elements 32c. The cage may also comprise a storage capacity for lubricant and/or at least one lubricant additive. This allows that fresh lubricant and/or lubricant additive can be supplied such that the lifespan of the bearing may be prolonged.

[0043] In the illustrated example, the outer ring 32b of the sacrificial bearing 32 is coupled in rotation with the rotor shaft 24, and the inner ring 32a is fixed to a grounded feature 34 of the electric motor 20. As an alternate embodiment, the inner ring 32a may be coupled in rotation with the rotor shaft 24, and the outer ring 32b is fixed to a grounded feature 34.

[0044] According to the present invention, and for protecting the main bearings 28, 30 from electrical discharge events, the conductivity of the sacrificial bearing 32 is higher than 20 μS, and the value of a breakdown voltage for the sacrificial bearing 32 is smaller than the value of the breakdown voltage for the main bearings 28, 30. As illustrated in FIG. 2, by decreasing the sacrificial bearing's breakdown voltage, a low resistance path is created through the sacrificial bearing for ensuring that the currents such as high frequency grounding currents and/or differential mode circulating currents are grounded through the sacrificial bearing 32. More precisely, the currents pass from the rotor shaft to the outer ring 32b, the rolling elements 32c and the inner ring 32a, successively, and then to ground 34.

[0045] To this end, the main bearings 28, 30 on one hand, and/or the sacrificial bearing 32 on the other hand, are configured to have different breakdown values. More particularly, to a given breakdown value of the main bearings 28, 30, the sacrificial bearing 32 is configured to have a smaller breakdown value than that of the main bearings. On the contrary, for a given breakdown value of the sacrificial bearing 32, the main bearings 28, 30 are configured to have an higher breakdown value than that of the sacrificial bearing. In the following, some examples are given to illustrate technical solutions to adjust the breakdown values of the main bearings and/or sacrificial bearing so as to ensure the current passage through the sacrificial bearing and the protection of the main bearings from electrical discharge events.

[0046] Advantageously, the capacitance and/or a breakdown voltage of the main bearings 28, 30 can be increased. For example, material and/or geometrical characteristic of the main bearings 28, 30 may also be optimized in such a way that the capacitance and/or a breakdown voltage of the main bearings 28, 30 is increased.

[0047] To further aid in the protection of the main bearings 28, 30, the breakdown voltage of the sacrificial bearing 32 is decreased such that the sacrificial bearing 32 provides a low resistance path for ensuring that the currents such as high frequency grounding currents and/or differential mode circulating currents are grounded through the sacrificial bearing. This can be achieved by using an electrically conductive lubricant in the sacrificial bearing 32.

[0048] For this purpose, the conductive lubricant of the sacrificial bearing 32 may be advantageously configured to reduce a buildup of electric potential. Additionally, material and/or geometrical characteristic of the sacrificial bearing 32 may also be optimized in such a way that a breakdown voltage of the sacrificial bearing 32 is decreased.

[0049] For example, the conductive lubricant may include an additive that is configured to bind itself on a surface of the at least one inner raceway and/or the at least one outer raceway and/or the rolling elements of the sacrificial bearing 32 and to decrease a surface potential and/or a surface isolation. This may also lead to a lower dielectric strength of the sacrificial bearing 32 and thus a decrease of the breakdown voltage for the sacrificial bearing 32.

[0050] Furthermore, the conductive lubricant may be a fluid, preferably a non-polar, polar base fluids or ionic fluid. Moreover, the conductive lubricant may comprise strong acids, preferably near to or fully ionized, or soluble weak acids, or one or more soluble bases, preferable hydroxides of alkali metals. Also, the fluid may comprise a high ion mobility, and the hydroxides may have a high solubility.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sacrificial bearing 6 is advantageously relatively small or at least smaller than the main bearings 28, 30 to reduce a rolling element surface velocity. For example, the sacrificial bearing 32 may have a bore diameter between 6 mm and 12 mm, for example around 8 mm and an outer diameter between 18 mm and 26 mm, for example around 22 mm. The rolling element surface velocity is related to the breakdown voltage. Thus, by reducing the rolling element surface velocity the breakdown voltage can also be decreased.

[0052] To further decrease the breakdown voltage ration of the sacrificial bearing 32, the bearing 32 has preferably a large ratio between the radius of the rolling elements 32c and a ring cross radius which reduces a Hertzian contact pressure. This decreases a capacitance of the sacrificial bearing 32 and therefore also a breakdown voltage of the sacrificial bearing 32. Vice versa, it could be advantageous to configure the main bearings 28, 30 for a larger Hertzian contact pressure, which increases the value of the breakdown voltage of the main bearings 28, 30 and therefore the lifetime of the main bearings 28, 30. Finally, the value of Hertzian contact pressure of the sacrificial bearing 32 is smaller than a value of Hertzian contact pressure of the main bearings 28, 304.

[0053] According to another embodiment of the invention, at least one of the components of the sacrificial bearing 32, such as the inner ring 32a, the outer ring 32b and/or the rolling elements 32c, has preferably a rather large surface roughness as this also decreases a breakdown voltage. For example, the surface roughness of the at least one of the components of the sacrificial bearings 32 is larger than 50 nm. In contrast, the surface roughness of a component of the main bearing 28, 30 may be preferably low. The raceways of the main bearing 28, 30 may advantageously, comprises a coating that increases the breakdown voltage.

[0054] For example, the main bearing may be a hybrid bearing with a set of ceramic rolling elements and/or at least one ceramic bearing ring. Moreover, the sacrificial bearing may be a steel bearing with a set of steel rolling elements and steel bearing rings. The rolling elements of the main bearings and of the sacrificial bearing may be any kind of rolling element such as balls, rollers, tapered rollers, needle rollers, etc.

[0055] In summary, a lifespan of a main bearing supporting a rotor of an electric motor can be increased by inherently increasing the main bearing capacitance and breakdown voltage, and by providing a high resistance path for the flow of currents such as common mode grounding currents and/or differential mode circulating currents while simultaneously creating a low resistance path through a sacrificial bearing for ensuring that the currents such as high frequency grounding currents and/or differential mode circulating currents are grounded. This is achieved by providing the sacrificial bearing with an electrically conductive lubricant.