3D Printed Motor Cooling Jacket
Problem statement
The world of transportation heavily relies on motors to turn energy into usable torque. Unfortunately, a large portion of this energy is turned into unusable heat. Properly disposing of this heat is crucial to protect the integrity of the motor and prevent failure from overheating. This is particularly important for high-performance Formula 1 electric motors where efficiency and reliability are top concerns to ensure the motor is competitive. Beyond this, if cooling capabilities are improved, faster and more powerful motors can be developed. One effective method of dissipating heat is water cooling. With water cooling, a cooling jacket is placed around the motor and water is pushed through the jacket wall. As the heat conducts from the motor to the jacket wall, the heat is convected from the jacket wall to the water where it can be pumped away from the motor. In this project, a cooling jacket will be 3D printed for comparison with a jacket made with traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. By using a 3D printer, more intricate geometries can be integrated into the jacket design and the effects of 3D printing on material properties can be tested. This project seeks to build on the previous work of senior design groups to determine the feasibility of using a 3D printed jacket for dissipating 5kW of heat generated from a stator and compare the thermal heat dissipation ability to a conventional jacket.
Team members
John Torresani – leader
Vito Immordino – communicator
Zhengwei Yu – accountant
Eli Mitchell – admin
Client
Brian Fehring, Arnold Magnetic Technologies