FR3048035A1 - ELECTRIC COMPRESSOR - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric compressor (1) comprising at least one compressor wheel (3) driven by an electric motor assembly (2) controlled by an electronic assembly (9), via a shaft (6) and bearings (7). , the bearings (7) being arranged on the same side of the electric motor (5), between the compressor wheel (3) and the electric motor (5), in a bearing housing (71) formed from a rear plate (31) of the compressor wheel (3).

Description

ELECTRIC COMPRESSOR

The present invention relates to the field of electric compressors, and more particularly to an electric supercharger for a motor vehicle.

In the context of the invention, an electric compressor is a device used to supercharge a combustion engine, operating with an electric motor driving a compressor wheel and having an electronic assembly.

The electric compressor is placed on the air intake line of an internal combustion engine, for example diesel, gasoline or fuel cell, in addition for example a turbocharger. The electric compressor plays the same role as the turbocharger, namely increase the intake pressure of the fresh gases in the engine, but is used in particular during transient phases to overcome turbocharger response time problems.

Currently, the bearings are arranged on both sides of the electric motor. This arrangement of the bearings requires a housing on either side of the engine which is bulky.

The present invention therefore aims to overcome one or more of the disadvantages of the devices of the prior art by providing an electric compressor whose arrangement and integration of bearings are improved, thus optimizing the size of the compressor.

For this purpose, the present invention proposes an electric compressor comprising at least one compressor wheel driven by an electric motor assembly controlled by an electronic assembly, via a shaft and bearings, the bearings being disposed on the same side of the electric motor, between the wheel. of the compressor and the electric motor, in a bearing housing formed from a back plate of the compressor wheel.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the bearing housing is integrally formed with the rear plate of the compressor wheel.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric motor assembly comprises at least one electric motor disposed in a motor housing, the electronic assembly being disposed outside the motor housing.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the motor housing is formed by a cylinder open outwardly at one end.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the motor housing is open at the opposite end to the compressor wheel relative to the electric motor.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electronic housing is formed of two sub-housings, an upper housing and a lower housing.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electronic housing is disposed on a rear plate of the compressor wheel.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the compressor comprises a cooling circuit arranged inside the lower housing of the electronic housing, at the rear of the compressor wheel.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is a permanent magnet motor. The invention also relates to the use of the electric compressor according to the invention in an internal combustion engine or to a fuel cell. Other aims, characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood and will appear more clearly on reading the description made, hereinafter, with reference to the appended FIG. 1, given by way of example and which is a diagrammatic representation in section showing an electric compressor according to the invention.

The present invention relates to an electric compressor 1.

In the context of the invention, the term electric compressor 1, an air compressor, volumetric or not and for example centrifugal or radial, driven by an electric motor, for the purpose of supercharging a heat engine. According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is an asynchronous DC or AC motor, or any type of electric motor of the same type.

More specifically, according to one embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is a variable reluctance motor (also called SRM machine for Switched Reluctance Motor according to English terminology).

According to another embodiment of the invention, the motor is a permanent magnet motor.

Figure 1 illustrates an example of an electric compressor 1. The electric compressor 1 comprises at least one electric motor assembly 2, and a compressor wheel 3. The electric motor assembly comprises a housing 4 or envelope 4 motor in which is disposed, inside, an electric motor 5. The electric motor 5 comprises at least one rotor and a stator. The electric motor 5 allows the rotation of a shaft 6 of the electric compressor via bearings 7. The shaft 6 thus rotates the wheel 3 of the compressor 1. More precisely one end of the shaft 6 is rotated. by the electric motor, and another end of the shaft 6 rotates the wheel 3 of the compressor.

In the context of the invention the bearings 7 are disposed on the same side of the electric motor 5. More specifically, the bearings are arranged between the wheel 3 of the compressor and the electric motor 5.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the bearings 7 are disposed between a rear plate 31 of the wheel 3 of the compressor and the electric motor 5.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the bearings 7 are arranged in a bearing housing 71 formed from the rear plate 31 of the compressor wheel 3.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the bearing housing 71 is formed in one piece with the rear plate 31 of the compressor wheel 3.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the motor housing 4 is formed by a cylinder 41 open outwardly at one end. More specifically, the motor housing 4 is open at the end 42 opposite the compressor wheel 3 with respect to the electric motor.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the compressor 1 comprises an electronic assembly 9 for controlling the electric compressor 1. The term "electronic assembly 9" refers to the power and / or control electronics, and for example the electronic card, the filtering components (inductances, etc.), the capacitors, the power modules, etc.

In the context of the invention, the electronic assembly 9 is disposed outside the motor assembly 2.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electronic assembly 9 is disposed outside the motor housing 4, in an electronic housing 8 independent of the motor assembly 2. This electronic housing 8 serves as a support for the elements of the electronic assembly.

More precisely, the upper portion 81 of the electronic housing 8 serves to support the electronic assembly 9.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the lower portion 82 of the electronic housing 8 serves as a housing for the cooling circuit.

The electronic housing 8 thus consists of two sub-housings 81, 82, an upper housing 81 and a lower housing 82.

In the context of the invention, lower and upper being defined relative to the compressor wheel 3. The lower sub-housing 82 being the one located closest to the compressor wheel 3.

The electronic housing 8 thus forms a ring disposed around the housing 4 engine.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electronic housing 8 is disposed around the electric motor, co-axially relative to the shaft 6 of the compressor.

The electronic housing 8 is thus arranged all around the motor assembly 2 along the axis of the shaft 6.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electronic housing 8 is disposed on the rear plate 31 of the compressor wheel 3.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric compressor 1 thus comprises a cooling circuit 10 located in the sub-housing 82 of the lower housing 8 electronic.

The cooling circuit 10 is thus disposed at the wheel 3 of the compressor, that is to say at the rear face 31 of the wheel 3.

The cooling circuit 10 is thus disposed at most rock of the electronic assembly 9. More precisely, the cooling circuit 10 is disposed between the rear of the wheel 31 and the electronic assembly 9.

Such a configuration optimizes the cooling of the electronic assembly and reduces the size of the compressor.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the compressor 1 conventionally comprises a volute 12 allowing the passage of air from the compressor 1. The wheel 3 of the compressor is disposed in the volute 12.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the wheel of the compressor 1 is a paddle wheel.

According to an embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2, the compressor 1 comprises a protective cover 11 arranged on the electric motor assembly 2 and the electronic assembly 9.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the cover is fixed to the electronic housing 8.

In a first variant of the invention, the electronic assembly 9 is fixed to the motor housing 4.

In a second variant of the invention, the electronic assembly 9 is fixed inside the protective cover 11.

A compressor according to the invention is used in a combustion engine, and for example an internal combustion engine or fuel cell.

The scope of the present invention is not limited to the details given above and allows embodiments in many other specific forms without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present embodiments should be considered by way of illustration, and may be modified without departing from the scope defined by the claims.

Claims (10)

An electric compressor (1) comprising at least one compressor wheel (3) driven by an electric motor assembly (2) having an electric motor (5) controlled by an electronic assembly (9), via a shaft (6), and bearings (7), characterized in that the bearings (7) are arranged on the same side of the electric motor (5) between the compressor wheel (3) and the electric motor (5) in a bearing housing (71). formed from a rear plate (31) of the compressor wheel (3). Electric compressor (1) according to claim 1, wherein the bearing housing (71) is integrally formed with the rear plate (31) of the compressor wheel (3). 3. Electric compressor (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the electric motor assembly (2) comprises at least one electric motor (5) disposed in a housing (4) engine, the assembly (9) electronic being disposed outside the housing (4) motor. 4. The electric compressor (1) according to claim 3, wherein the housing (4) motor is formed by a cylinder (41) open outwardly at one end. 5. Electric compressor (1) according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the housing (4) motor is open at the opposite end to the wheel (3) of the compressor relative to the motor (5) electric. 6. Electric compressor (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the assembly (9) is arranged in an electronic housing (8) formed of two electronic sub-housing, an upper housing (81) and a lower housing (82). 7. Electric compressor 1 according to claim 6, wherein the housing (8) is arranged on the electronic back plate (31) of the wheel (3) compressor (1). 8. Electric compressor (1) according to one of claims 6 or 7, comprising a cooling circuit (10) disposed within the lower housing (82) of the housing (8) electronics, the rear (31) of the wheel (3) of the compressor. Electric compressor according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the electric motor is a permanent magnet motor; 10. Use of the electric compressor according to one of claims 1 to 9 in an internal combustion engine or fuel cell.