COOLANT SUPPLY FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AXLE DRIVE

Abstract

A coolant supply system for an electric vehicle axle drive having an electric machine, in the electric machine housing of which a stator interacts with a rotor. The electric machine outputs to at least one vehicle wheel of the vehicle axle via a transmission arrangement. A coolant separator is arranged in the electric machine housing, which divides the interior of the electric machine housing into a radially outer stator chamber, in which the stator with its stator windings is arranged, and into a radially inner rotor chamber, which is separated therefrom in a largely fluid-tight manner and in which the rotor is arranged.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A coolant supply system for an electric vehicle axle drive having an electric machine, in the electric machine housing of which a stator interacts with a rotor, wherein the electric machine outputs to at least one vehicle wheel of the vehicle axle via a transmission arrangement, and wherein a coolant separator is arranged in the electric machine housing, which divides the interior of the electric machine housing into a radially outer stator chamber, in which the stator with its stator windings is arranged, and into a radially inner rotor chamber, which is separated therefrom in a largely fluid-tight manner and in which the rotor is arranged, and wherein the stator chamber has a drain point from which the coolant flowing out of the stator chamber can be returned to a coolant reservoir, wherein the coolant is returned by a return pump.

12. The coolant supply system according to claim 11, wherein the stator chamber is part of a stator hydraulic circuit, and the rotor chamber is part of a rotor hydraulic circuit, and that in particular the stator hydraulic circuit is at least partially fluidically decoupled from the rotor hydraulic circuit.

13. The coolant supply system according to claim 11, wherein the transmission arrangement has a transmission housing, and in particular that the transmission housing forms the coolant reservoir in which a coolant column is located, and/or that an axle differential is arranged in the transmission housing, the input side of which is connected to the electric machine, either directly or indirectly, for example via a gear stage for torque conversion, and the output side of which is connected to at least one vehicle wheel of the vehicle axle.

14. The coolant supply system according to claim 13, wherein the return pump and/or the feed pump are arranged in the transmission housing, and/or that the feed pump and the return pump are combined to form a common dual pump.

15. The coolant supply system according to claim 13, wherein a hollow body that is open on top, in particular a shell, is arranged in the transmission housing, which shields a coolant-free installation space that is open on top from the coolant column located in the transmission housing, and that in particular a transmission component, such as the axle differential, protrudes into the installation space.

16. The coolant supply system according to claim 11, wherein the coolant supply system has a transmission hydraulic circuit in which at least one transmission component arranged in the transmission housing can be supplied with coolant in a dry sump lubrication or injection lubrication, in particular by the feed pump, and that in particular in the case of injection lubrication the coolant is guided from a transmission supply line to a transmission component lubrication point, and that in particular the coolant dripping from the transmission component collects at the bottom of the hollow body, and that in particular at the bottom of the hollow body a drain point is formed, via which the coolant can be returned in the direction of the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

17. The coolant supply system according to claim 15, wherein the hollow body has an emergency inlet via which coolant flows from the coolant column located in the transmission housing into the hollow body, so that in particular in the event of a pump failure, an emergency coolant supply to the transmission component is ensured, in which a coolant column forms in the hollow body, in which the transmission component is immersed.

18. The coolant supply system according to claim 11, wherein a leaked coolant emerging from the stator chamber and/or a coolant discharged from an internal rotor cooling system collects at the bottom of the rotor chamber, in particular on the coolant separator, and that at least one rotor chamber drain point is formed, in particular at the bottom of the rotor chamber, via which the coolant can be returned to the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

19. The coolant supply system according to claim 11, wherein the stator chamber is substantially completely filled with coolant, and/or that the rotor hydraulic circuit causes internal rotor cooling, in which the rotor shaft is designed as a hollow shaft, through the cavity of which coolant at least partially flows.

20. The coolant supply system according to claim 12, wherein the transmission arrangement has a transmission housing, and in particular that the transmission housing forms the coolant reservoir in which a coolant column is located, and/or that an axle differential is arranged in the transmission housing, the input side of which is connected to the electric machine, either directly or indirectly, for example via a gear stage for torque conversion, and the output side of which is connected to at least one vehicle wheel of the vehicle axle.

21. The coolant supply system according to claim 14, wherein a hollow body that is open on top, in particular a shell, is arranged in the transmission housing, which shields a coolant-free installation space that is open on top from the coolant column located in the transmission housing, and that in particular a transmission component, such as the axle differential, protrudes into the installation space.

22. The coolant supply system according to claim 12, wherein the coolant supply system has a transmission hydraulic circuit in which at least one transmission component arranged in the transmission housing can be supplied with coolant in a dry sump lubrication or injection lubrication, in particular by the feed pump, and that in particular in the case of injection lubrication the coolant is guided from a transmission supply line to a transmission component lubrication point, and that in particular the coolant dripping from the transmission component collects at the bottom of the hollow body, and that in particular at the bottom of the hollow body a drain point is formed, via which the coolant can be returned in the direction of the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

23. The coolant supply system according to claim 13, wherein the coolant supply system has a transmission hydraulic circuit in which at least one transmission component arranged in the transmission housing can be supplied with coolant in a dry sump lubrication or injection lubrication, in particular by the feed pump, and that in particular in the case of injection lubrication the coolant is guided from a transmission supply line to a transmission component lubrication point, and that in particular the coolant dripping from the transmission component collects at the bottom of the hollow body, and that in particular at the bottom of the hollow body a drain point is formed, via which the coolant can be returned in the direction of the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

24. The coolant supply system according to claim 14, wherein the coolant supply system has a transmission hydraulic circuit in which at least one transmission component arranged in the transmission housing can be supplied with coolant in a dry sump lubrication or injection lubrication, in particular by the feed pump, and that in particular in the case of injection lubrication the coolant is guided from a transmission supply line to a transmission component lubrication point, and that in particular the coolant dripping from the transmission component collects at the bottom of the hollow body, and that in particular at the bottom of the hollow body a drain point is formed, via which the coolant can be returned in the direction of the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

25. The coolant supply system according to claim 15, wherein the coolant supply system has a transmission hydraulic circuit in which at least one transmission component arranged in the transmission housing can be supplied with coolant in a dry sump lubrication or injection lubrication, in particular by the feed pump, and that in particular in the case of injection lubrication the coolant is guided from a transmission supply line to a transmission component lubrication point, and that in particular the coolant dripping from the transmission component collects at the bottom of the hollow body, and that in particular at the bottom of the hollow body a drain point is formed, via which the coolant can be returned in the direction of the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

26. The coolant supply system according to claim 16, wherein the hollow body has an emergency inlet via which coolant flows from the coolant column located in the transmission housing into the hollow body, so that in particular in the event of a pump failure, an emergency coolant supply to the transmission component is ensured, in which a coolant column forms in the hollow body, in which the transmission component is immersed.

27. The coolant supply system according to claim 12, wherein a leaked coolant emerging from the stator chamber and/or a coolant discharged from an internal rotor cooling system collects at the bottom of the rotor chamber, in particular on the coolant separator, and that at least one rotor chamber drain point is formed, in particular at the bottom of the rotor chamber, via which the coolant can be returned to the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

28. The coolant supply system according to claim 13, wherein a leaked coolant emerging from the stator chamber and/or a coolant discharged from an internal rotor cooling system collects at the bottom of the rotor chamber, in particular on the coolant separator, and that at least one rotor chamber drain point is formed, in particular at the bottom of the rotor chamber, via which the coolant can be returned to the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

29. The coolant supply system according to claim 14, wherein a leaked coolant emerging from the stator chamber and/or a coolant discharged from an internal rotor cooling system collects at the bottom of the rotor chamber, in particular on the coolant separator, and that at least one rotor chamber drain point is formed, in particular at the bottom of the rotor chamber, via which the coolant can be returned to the coolant reservoir, in particular by the return pump.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in the following on the basis of the appended figures. In the figures:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a coolant supply system;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of a coolant supply system;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a comparative example not comprised by the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] For easier understanding of the invention, reference is first made to FIG. 3, in which a drive device for a vehicle axle of a two-track vehicle is indicated in a roughly schematic representation. The drive device has an electric machine which, when installed transversely, for example, is arranged axially parallel to the flange shafts 3 guided to the vehicle wheels. A stator 4 with a rotor 5 interacting therewith is arranged in a housing 2 of the electric machine. The rotor shaft 6 is rotatably mounted in bearing openings with pivot bearings 13, 15 interposed on axially opposite housing walls 8, 9 of the electric machine housing 2.

[0026] The rotor shaft 6 of the electric machine is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a transmission input shaft 17 of a transmission arrangement 19, which outputs onto the two flange shafts 3. In FIG. 3, the transmission arrangement 19 is constructed from a gear stage 18 and an axle differential 20.

[0027] In FIG. 3, the stator 4 has a plurality of stator windings, of which only two stator windings 21 are indicated in FIG. 1. Each stator winding 21 has a winding head 23, 25 on both axial sides, which projects into a winding head space 27. Each winding head space 27 is integrated into an electric machine hydraulic circuit E described later, with the aid of which oil can be applied to the respective winding head space 27 in order to cool the winding heads 23, 25 of the stator 4. In each of the winding head spaces 27, an oil/air mixture moves in a vortex flow around the rotor shaft 5, which rotates at high speed.

[0028] In the bearing arrangement on the right in FIG. 3, one shaft end of the rotor shaft 6 is rotatably mounted in a hub section 31 via a pivot bearing 15.

[0029] The oil hydraulic circuit has an oil tank 35 which is connected to a feed pump 37 via a suction line. A pressure line leads from the feed pump 37 to oil supply lines 41, 43. By means of the supply line 41, oil is fed into a radially outer circumferential annular gap 45. From there, the oil is guided via radially outer stator channels 47 to a further annular gap 49 in the right winding head space 27. The two annular gaps 45, 49 are separated from the respective winding head space 27 via oil splash rings 44. Each of the oil splash rings 44 has nozzles 46 distributed in the circumferential direction, via which oil can be injected into the respective winding head space 27.

[0030] By means of the supply line 43, oil is guided through the rotor shaft 6 and conducted via a flow connection 51 into radially inner stator channels 53 into the right winding head space 27. In FIG. 3, there is a suction point 54 on the housing bottom of the electric machine housing, via which oil collecting on the housing bottom can be returned to the oil tank 35 with the aid of a return pump 56.

[0031] In contrast to FIG. 3, in FIG. 1 or 2, according to the invention, the stator 4 having its winding heads 23, 25 is no longer cooled by means of an air/oil vortex flow. Rather, the interior of the electric machine housing 2 is divided by means of a coolant separator 57 into a radially outer annular stator chamber 59 and a radially inner rotor chamber 61. The stator 4 with its stator windings 21 is positioned in the stator chamber 59, while the rotor 5 is arranged in the radially inner rotor chamber 61, separated from it in a fluid-tight manner. According to the invention, the stator 4 therefore no longer comes into cooling contact with a vortex flow forming in the rotor chamber 61. Rather, in FIG. 1, the stator chamber 59 is completely filled with the coolant during electric machine operation, so that the coolant especially flows completely around the winding heads 23, 25, which results in better efficiency in comparison to vortex flow cooling. However, the core concept of the invention is first to house the coolant in the unit at a location (i.e., in the stator chamber 59) where it is needed anyway. Second, the invention keeps the coolant largely out of the rotor chamber 61. This because when using the spray oil cooling known from the prior art from FIG. 3, there is a problem in that, depending on the temperature of the coolant, very different amounts of coolant remain on the winding. In order to provide a sufficient amount of coolant for the pressure pump, a comparatively large amount of coolant has to be added.

[0032] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the electric machine is installed transversely in the vehicle, analogous to FIG. 3, having a rotor shaft 6 extending in the vehicle transverse direction y, i.e., axially parallel to the vehicle axis. In addition, in FIG. 1 the electric machine and the transmission arrangement 19 are arranged adjacent to one another in the vehicle transverse direction y. The transmission housing 63 of the transmission arrangement 19 is also flanged directly to the electric machine housing 2. The transmission arrangement 19 is positioned in the transmission housing 63 and, according to FIG. 3, has the gear stage 18 and the axle differential 20.

[0033] A core concept of the invention is that a separate oil tank (reference number 35 in FIG. 3) is dispensed with and instead the transmission housing 63 in a double function additionally acts as an oil tank or as a coolant reservoir in which an oil column 65 is formed. In addition, the feed pump 37 and return pump 56 shown in FIG. 3 are combined to form a common dual pump 64. In the dual pump 64, the feed and return pumps 37, 56 are driven by an electric motor using a common drive shaft (not shown).

[0034] As can be seen from FIG. 1, a shell 67 which is open at the top is positioned as a hollow body at the bottom of the transmission housing 63 and shields a coolant-free installation space 69 which is open at the top from the oil column 65. The axle differential 20 partially protrudes into the installation space 69. Normally, injection lubrication occurs, in which oil is fed via the transmission supply line 42 in the direction of the axle differential 20. The coolant dripping from the axle differential 20 collects at the bottom of the shell 67 and is led from there via a drain point 68 into a return line 73 which is connected to the suction side of the dual pump 64.

[0035] During electric machine operation, oil is fed into the stator chamber 59 via the supply line 41 at an inlet point 69 near the transmission by means of the dual pump 64. The oil is drained from the stator chamber 59 at an axially opposite drain point 71, remote from the transmission. The stator chamber drain point 71 remote from the transmission can be implemented as an aperture, possibly also as a pressure relief valve. The stator chamber drain point 71 also has a flow connection via a first return line 72 to the oil column 65 located in the transmission housing 63, into which the first return line 72 opens. In addition, oil can accumulate within the hub section 31 of the pivot bearing 15 remote from the transmission, which oil can also be led into the first return line 73 via a further drain point 80.

[0036] In FIG. 1, the coolant supply system is used to cool the rotor internally, resulting in the oil guidance S shown in FIG. 1. The oil guidance S in the rotor shaft 6 is designed such that both the bearing 13 close to the transmission and the bearing 15 remote from the transmission are cooled from the inside. The goal of the oil guidance S is to achieve the smallest possible temperature difference between the inner ring and the outer ring of the respective bearing 13, 15.

[0037] According to the oil guidance S, the oil is fed via the supply line 43 into the cavity of the rotor shaft 6, which is designed as a hollow shaft, up to the axial height of the rotary bearing 15 remote from the transmission. From there, the oil is guided into the rotor channels 53 via a flow connection 76 remote from the transmission. In the rotor channels 53, the oil flows in the further course in the opposite direction to a flow connection 77 near the gear, where the oil is returned to the cavity of the rotor shaft 6. The returned oil is led from the rotor shaft 6 via a drain point 78 into the rotor chamber 61. There, the oil collects at the bottom of the rotor chamber, from where it is led into the second return line 73 via rotor chamber drain points 79 formed on both sides of the electric machine housing 2. This is connected to the suction side of the dual pump 64.

[0038] In FIG. 1, the dual pump 64 has a riser line 66 on its pressure side, via which the returned oil is fed into the transmission housing 63. In addition, a suction line 74 is connected to the suction side of the dual pump 64, which is fluidically connected to the oil column 65.

[0039] As can be seen from FIG. 1, an emergency inlet 81 is formed on a wall of the shell 67, via which oil can flow from the coolant column 65 located in the transmission housing 63 into the shell 67. In the event of a pump failure, an emergency supply of coolant to the axle differential 20 is thus ensured, in which a coolant column forms in the shell 67, into which the axle differential 20 can immerse itself as in a splash lubrication system. In FIG. 1, the emergency inlet 81 is a bottom-side opening in the shell 67. Alternatively, the emergency inlet 81 can also be implemented as an upper overflow edge of the shell 67.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a second exemplary embodiment of the invention, the structure and mode of operation of which essentially corresponds to the structure and mode of operation of the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, the oil flow direction in the stator hydraulic circuit is reversed. This means that the return line 73 is connected to a stator chamber drain point 71 close to the transmission. This is connected to the suction side of the dual pump 64. In contrast, a suction line 74 is connected to the stator chamber inlet point 69 remote from the transmission, via which the oil is sucked in from the oil column 65 located in the transmission housing 63.

[0041] The transmission housing 63 can be designed to be so narrow in the vehicle transverse direction y that during vehicle lateral acceleration the suction line 74 is always immersed in the coolant column 65 and thus oil suction is ensured. The coolant supply system is designed such that the dual pump 64 only sucks oil out of the transmission housing 63 via a single suction point (i.e., suction line 74). The suction point is to be positioned in the vehicle longitudinal direction x in such a way that oil is reliably sucked in during positive or negative longitudinal acceleration and splashes into the shell 67 under the differential chamber when the acceleration has a different sign.

[0042] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the electric machine is additionally integrated in a cooling water circuit K, in which the cooling water flows around the outer circumference of the electric machine housing 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0043] 2 electric machine housing [0044] 3 flange shafts [0045] 4 stator [0046] 5 rotor [0047] 6 rotor shaft [0048] 68 housing wall [0049] 11 bearing opening [0050] 13, 15 pivot bearing [0051] 17 transmission input shaft [0052] 18 gear stage [0053] 19 transmission arrangement [0054] 20 axle differential [0055] 21 stator winding [0056] 23, 25 winding head [0057] 27 electric machine chamber [0058] 31 hub section [0059] 33 sealing element [0060] 35 coolant tank [0061] 37 feed pump [0062] 41, 43 coolant supply lines [0063] 44 oil splash ring [0064] 45 annular gap [0065] 46 nozzles [0066] 47 radially outer stator channel [0067] 49 annular gap [0068] 51 flow connection [0069] 53 radially inner stator channel [0070] 54 suction point [0071] 56 return pump [0072] 57 coolant separator [0073] 59 stator chamber [0074] 61 rotor chamber [0075] 63 transmission housing [0076] 64 dual pump [0077] 65 coolant column [0078] 66 riser [0079] 67 hollow bodies [0080] 68 hollow body discharge point [0081] 69 stator chamber inlet point [0082] 71 stator chamber discharge point [0083] 72 further return line [0084] 73 return line [0085] 74 suction line [0086] 76 flow connection remote from the transmission [0087] 77 flow connection near the transmission [0088] 78 drain point [0089] 79 rotor chamber drain point [0090] 80 hub section drain point [0091] 81 emergency inlet [0092] S oil supply for internal rotor cooling [0093] K cooling water circuit