Electric compressor for use in a motor vehicle having a housing with an inner circumferential recess closed by a control unit to form a cooling duct

Abstract

An electric compressor for compressing a gas, and in particular, an electric compressor for a motor vehicle comprising a compressor wheel, an electric motor, wherein the compressor wheel can be driven by the electric motor, a control unit, wherein the electric motor can be controlled by the control unit, and a housing having at least one open end for receiving the control unit. The housing has at least one recess on the inner circumference at the open end that is designed so as to be open in the direction of the housing interior. The control unit can be inserted into the housing in such a way that it closes the open end of the housing and the recess on the inner circumference.

Claims

1. An electric compressor for compressing a gas and configured for use in a motor vehicle, the electric compressor comprising: a compressor wheel rotatable about an axis; an electric motor configured to drive the compressor wheel; a control unit configured to control the electric motor; a housing including an interior terminating at an open end having an inner circumference and defining a recess extending radially into the inner circumference; and the control unit positioned in axial alignment with the recess and axially closing the open end and defining a continuous radial inner surface of a cooling duct formed by the recess radially between the control unit and the housing, wherein the cooling duct is sealed from the interior of the housing.

2. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein a cooling fluid flows through the recess on the inner circumference of the housing.

3. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a jacket composed of a material of good thermal conductivity.

4. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the housing is of substantially cylindrical design on the inner circumference at the open end, in the region of the open end.

5. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the housing defines a first annular groove for receiving a seal element axially in front of the recess and wherein the housing defines a second annular groove for receiving a seal element axially behind the recess, and wherein at least one of the first and second grooves is defined along the inner circumference of the housing.

6. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the housing is of single-part or multi-part construction.

7. The electric compressor according to Claire 1, wherein the electric motor of the electric compressor is arranged at least partially in the housing.

8. The electric compressor according to claim 2, wherein the cooling fluid cools the control unit.

9. The electric compressor according to claim 1 wherein at least one seal element is positioned radially between the control unit and the inner circumference of the housing axially outside of the recess.

10. The electric compressor according to claim 5 wherein a first seal is positioned in the first annular groove and wherein a second seal is positioned in the second annular groove.

11. The electric compressor according to claim 5 wherein the first and second annular grooves are defined between the housing and the control unit.

12. The electric compressor according to claim 1 wherein the housing defines a cooling flow inlet radially extending into the cooling duct and a cooling flow outlet radially extending from the cooling duct.

13. An electric compressor for compressing a gas and configured for use in a motor vehicle, the electric compressor comprising: a housing extending about and along an axis and defining an interior compartment and terminating axially at an open end; the open end having an inner circumference defining a recess extending radially into the inner circumference and annularly along the inner circumference; a compressor wheel disposed in the interior compartment and rotatable about the axis; an electric motor disposed in the interior compartment and configured to drive the compressor wheel; a control unit configured to control the electric motor and axially closing the open end of the housing and positioned axially over the recess and axially closing the open end and defining a continuous radial inner surface of a cooling duct formed by the recess radially between the control unit and the housing, wherein the cooling duct is sealed from the interior of the housing; at least one seal element positioned radially between the control unit and the inner circumference of the housing axially outside of the recess.

14. The electric compressor according to claim 13 wherein the housing defines at least one annular groove receiving the at least one seal element.

15. The electric compressor according to claim 13 wherein the housing defines a cooling flow inlet radially extending into the cooling duct and a cooling flow outlet radially extending from the cooling duct.

16. The electric compressor according to claim 12 wherein the recess and the control unit each have a substantially circular shape.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an electric compressor according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an illustrative electric compressor according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a housing of an electric compressor.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through a housing with an inserted control unit of an electric compressor.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a housing with an inserted control unit of an electric compressor.

DESCRIPTION

(7) One or more example embodiments of an electric compressor are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through an illustrative electric compressor 16 according to the invention. The electric compressor 16 has a compressor wheel 17, an electric motor 18, a control unit 1 and a housing 2. The electric motor 18 can be controlled by means of the control unit 1 and serves for the selective driving of the compressor wheel 17. The compressor wheel 17 and the electric motor 18 are arranged coaxially on a common shaft 19, wherein the shaft 19 is formed along a central longitudinal axis 8 of the electric compressor 16. The compressor wheel 17 is arranged in a compressor wheel housing 20. The compressor wheel housing 20 is formed by the joining together of a first compressor wheel housing part 21 and a second compressor wheel housing part 22.

(9) The electric motor 18 is designed as an internal-rotor electric motor and has a rotor 23 with permanent magnets 24 and a stator 25 with stator windings 26. The electric motor 18 serves to drive the compressor wheel 17. The rotor 23 of the electric motor 18 is formed integrally with the shaft 19. The compressor wheel 17 is arranged for conjoint rotation on the shaft 19. The rotational energy generated by the electric motor 18 is transferred to the compressor wheel 17 via the common shaft 19.

(10) The control unit 1 is arranged coaxially with the electric motor 18 along the central longitudinal axis 8 of the electric compressor 16 and is connected electrically to the electric motor 18, more precisely to the stator windings 26 of the stator 25 of the electric motor 18, by at least one connecting element 27. The electric motor 18 is arranged in the housing 2. The housing 2 and the compressor wheel housing 20 thus form an overall compressor housing 28 (FIG. 2).

(11) FIG. 2 shows, in a perspective view, the illustrative electric compressor 16 according to the invention shown in a longitudinal section in FIG. 1, wherein here a compressor gas inlet 29 and a compressor gas outlet 30 are formed on the first compressor wheel housing part 21 of the compressor wheel housing 20. Moreover, the assembly of the compressor wheel housing 20 and of the housing 2 to form the compressor housing 28 of the electric compressor 16 can be seen. The compressor wheel housing 20 can also be formed integrally with the housing 2 of the electric compressor 16.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a housing 2 of the electric compressor 16. The housing 2 has at least one open end 3 to receive the control unit 1. In the region of the open end 3, the housing 2 is of substantially cylindrical design on its housing inner side 7. At the open end 3, the housing 2 has at least one recess 4 on the inner circumference, wherein the recess 4 is designed so as to be open in the direction of the housing interior 5 of the housing 2. The recess 4 is designed to be annular in shape along the housing inner side 7. In relation to a direction along a longitudinal axis 8 of the housing 2, the housing 2 has a respective annular groove 9 in front of and behind the recess 4. Annular, fully encircling seal elements 10 are placed in each of the annular grooves 9 (FIG. 4).

(13) FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the housing 2 of the electric compressor 16 with the control unit 1 inserted. The control unit 1 is inserted into the housing 2 in such a way that, on the one hand, it closes the open end 3 of the housing 2 and, on the other hand, closes the recess 4 on the inner circumference. Sealing by means of the seal elements in the annular grooves 9 is effected through the interaction of the control unit 1 and the seal elements 10.

(14) In FIG. 4, it can be seen that, by virtue of the formation of a respective groove 9 with in each case a seal element 10 arranged therein in front of and behind the recess 4 in relation to a direction along a longitudinal axis 8 of the housing 2, a first sealing region 14 in front of the recess 4 and a second sealing region 15 behind the recess 4 are formed by means of the inserted control unit 1. The recess 4 on the inner circumference of the housing 2 is designed to enable a cooling fluid to flow through. In this arrangement, the cooling fluid enters the recess 4 of the housing via a cooling fluid inlet 11 and leaves the recess 4 of the housing 2 again via a cooling fluid outlet 12 (FIG. 5).

(15) In the illustrative embodiment under consideration, the control unit 1 is almost completely surrounded, with the exception of contact points 13, by a jacket 6 (FIG. 4, FIG. 5). In particular, the control unit 1 is surrounded by the jacket 6 in the region in which the control unit 1 closes the recess 4.

(16) The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(17) 1. control unit 2. housing 3. open end (of the housing) 4. recess 5. housing interior 6. jacket 7. housing inner side 8. longitudinal axis 9. groove 10. seal element 11. cooling fluid inlet 12. cooling fluid outlet 13. contact points 14. first sealing region 15. second sealing region 16. electric compressor 17. compressor wheel 18. electric motor 19. shaft 20. compressor wheel housing 21. first compressor wheel housing part 22. second compressor wheel housing part 23. rotor 24. permanent magnet 25. stator 26. stator winding 27. connecting element 28. compressor housing 29. compressor gas inlet 30. compressor gas outlet