FR3065495B1 - ELECTRIC COMPRESSOR WITH TWO HALF VOLUTES - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric compressor (1) comprising a shaft (6) driven in rotation by an electric motor (5, 51, 52) via bearings (7), the shaft (6) rotating a wheel (3). ) of a compressor disposed in a volute (12), and having an electronic assembly (9), the volute (12) being formed by at least two parts (121, 122) each defining a portion of the volume (123) internal volute (12).

Description

ELECTRIC COMPRESSOR WITH TWO HALF VOLUTES

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

In the context of the invention, an electric compressor is a device used to supercharge a heat engine, operating with an electric motor. More specifically, the compressor comprises a compressor wheel driven by an electric motor. The wheel is arranged in a volute.

The electric compressor is placed on the air intake line of an internal combustion engine, in addition to 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, in some cases, the volute is made in two parts. One of the two parts is flat and the other half-part is in the form of half-volute, or semi-volute. The volume inside the volute, or internal volume of the volute is defined between the flat part and the half-volute shaped part. In this case of two-part volute, the flat part does not optimize the shape of the volute, and therefore does not optimize the internal volume of the volute nor the overall size of the volute.

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 with improved volute, thereby reducing the bulk of the volute, while optimizing the internal volume of the volute .

For this, the present invention proposes an electric compressor comprising a shaft driven in rotation by an electric motor, the shaft driving in rotation a compressor wheel disposed in a volute, the volute being formed by at least two parts each defining part of the volume. internal of the volute.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a portion of the internal volume of the volute is defined by a first volute piece, and a portion of the internal volume of the volute is defined by the second piece of volute.

Such a volute optimizes its integration and reduces the size of the compressor.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a first volute piece forms the upper part of the volute.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a second piece of volute forms the lower part of the volute.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the first part comprises the air inlet and the air outlet of the volute.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the first part comprises an open base whose edges form a first plate forming a part of the internal volume of the volute.

According to one embodiment of the invention, 50 percent of the internal volume of the volute is formed in the first plate.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the two parts are fixed with each other by any means compatible with the use of the compressor.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric motor is a variable reluctance or permanent magnet motor.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the compressor is an electric supercharging compressor of a heat engine. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood and will appear more clearly on reading the description given hereinafter with reference to the appended figures given by way of example and in which: Figure 1 is a schematic sectional representation showing an electric compressor according to the invention, - Figure 2 is a schematic sectional representation showing a portion of the electric compressor according to the invention.

The present invention relates to an electric compressor.

In the context of the invention, the term electric compressor, 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 a 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 5, bearings 7 and a compressor wheel 3. The electric motor 5 allows the rotation of a shaft 6 of the electric compressor via the 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. The electric motor comprises a rotor 51 and a stator 52.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the compressor 1 comprises an electronic assembly 9 for controlling the electric compressor 1.

According to one embodiment of the invention, at least part of the electronic assembly 9 is disposed at the rear of the wheel 3, between the wheel 3 and the electric motor 5, illustrated in FIG.

According to one embodiment of the invention, at least a portion of the electronic assembly 9 is disposed at one end of the shaft 6 opposite the end where the wheel 3, not shown, is located.

The intermediate portion of the shaft is protected by the compressor body 4.

The compressor comprises a volute 12 in which is disposed the wheel 3, and allowing the passage of the air compressor 1.

In the context of the invention, the volute 12 is in at least two parts, each of the two parts defining a portion of the internal volume 123 of the volute 12.

According to one embodiment, the volute 12 is in two parts.

With this type of volute 12 in two parts 121, 122 illustrated in detail in FIG. 2, the internal volume 123 of the volute 12 is thus formed by at least two parts 121, 122. According to one embodiment of the invention, the volume 123 internal of the volute 12 is formed by two parts 121,122.

Part of the internal volume 123 of the volute 12 is defined by the first volute piece 121, and another portion of the internal volume 123 of the volute 12 is defined by the second piece volute 122.

The internal volume of the volute is thus defined between the two parts 121,122.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a first volute piece 121 forms the upper part of the volute 12. This first part 121 comprises the air inlet E and the air outlet S, illustrated by arrows.

This first part 121 also comprises an open base whose edges form a first plate 1211. This first plate 1211 forms a part of the internal volume 123 of the volute 12. More specifically, this first plate 1211 comprises a cavity of the half-duct type, allowing complementarily with the second piece of volute 122 to form the internal volume 123 of the volute 12.

The second piece 122 of volute forms the lower part of the volute 12.

This second piece 122 is in the form of a second plate 1222. This second plate 1222 forms another part of the internal volume 123 of the volute 12. More precisely, this second plate 1222 comprises an elongate cavity of the half-duct type, which by way of complementarity with the first piece 121 of volute to form the internal volume 123 of the volute 12.

The first and second parts thus forming after assembly, the entire volute 12.

The upper and lower parts of the volute (12) are defined with respect to the longitudinal axis X, coinciding with the axis of the shaft 6, of the compressor. The upper part being the furthest part of the motor along the X axis, and the lower part being the closest part of the motor along the X axis.

According to one embodiment of the invention, 50 percent of the volume of the internal volume of the volute 12 is formed in the first plate 1211.

According to one embodiment of the invention, more than 50 percent of the volume of the internal volume of the volute 12 is formed in the first plate 1211.

According to one embodiment of the invention, less than 50 percent of the volume of the internal volume of the volute 12 is formed in the first plate 1211.

The two parts are fixed with each other by any means compatible with the use of the compressor. And more precisely are fixed by screws, glue, solder, clip ...

Such an architecture makes it possible to optimize the internal volume of the volute. Indeed, with a volute in two parts it is thus possible to improve the shape of the volute and thus its internal volume, while optimizing the size of the volute and therefore the compressor.

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 supported by the description.

Claims (9)

An electric compressor (1) comprising a shaft (6) driven in rotation by an electric motor (5) with variable reluctance or permanent magnet, the shaft (6) rotating a compressor wheel (3) arranged in a volute (12), characterized in that the volute (12) is formed by at least two parts (121, 122) each defining a portion of the volume (123) internal volute (12). The compressor (1) according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the internal volume (123) of the volute (12) is defined by a first volute piece (121), and a portion of the internal volume (123) of the volute (12) is defined by the second piece (122) of volute (12). 3. Compressor (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein a first piece (121) volute forms the upper part of the volute (12). 4. Compressor (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a second part (122) volute forms the lower part of the volute (12). 5. Compressor (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first part (121) comprises the air inlet (E) and the air outlet (S) of the volute (12). 6. Compressor (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first part (121) comprises an open base whose edges form a first plate (1211) forming a portion of the volume (123) internal to the volute (12). ). 7. Compressor (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, 50 percent of the volume (123) internal compression volute (12) is formed in the first plate (1211). 8. Compressor (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, the two parts are fixed with each other by any means compatible with the use of the compressor. 9. Compressor 1 according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the compressor is an electric supercharger compressor engine.