Abstract: A cooling system of an electric machine includes a hub, a rotor core, and a thermal interfacial material interposed between respective complementary mating surfaces of the hub and the rotor core for substantially eliminating air gaps therebetween. A method of cooling an electric machine having a rotor core and a hub includes placing a thermal interfacial material onto a heat transfer interface between the rotor core and the hub, whereby the thermal interfacial material reduces contact resistance at the heat transfer interface. A method includes providing a rotor core having a radially inner surface, coating at least one of a radially outer surface of a hub and the radially inner surface of the rotor core with a thermal interfacial material, and inserting the hub into the rotor core, whereby the thermal interfacial material is interposed between the inner surface of the rotor core and the outer surface of the hub.

Abstract: A planetary gear assembly includes a ring gear configured for connection to a rotor of an electric motor when in a first position and configured for connection to a housing of the electric motor when in a second position, a sun gear configured for connection to the housing when the ring gear is in the first position and configured for connection to the rotor when the ring gear is in the second position, and a plurality of planet gears configured to mesh with the ring gear and the sun gear.

Abstract: A liquid-cooled rotor assembly for a rotary electric machine, including a shaft provided with a fluid passageway receivable of a liquid coolant, and a substantially cylindrical rotor core rotatable in unison with the shaft. The rotor core is provided with a plurality of passages each terminating at a void in a rotor core axial end. Permanent magnets are disposed in rotor core passages, a gap is defined between each magnet and its respective rotor core passage. The shaft fluid passageway is in fluid communication with the rotor core end voids through the gaps, whereby the rotor core and the magnets are convectively cooled by liquid coolant receivable by the shaft fluid passageway and delivered to a rotor core end through the rotor core passages. Also, a method for liquid cooling a rotor assembly.

Abstract: A rotor of an electric machine includes a lamination stack having a plurality of longitudinally extending magnet channels each having a magnet space and longitudinally extending gaps on each lateral end of the magnet space. A plurality of permanent magnets are respectively disposed in ones of the magnet channels, substantially non-magnetic bars are disposed in each longitudinally extending gap, and a thermally conductive filler material secures the magnets and the bars within the channels. A method of thermal management of an internal permanent magnet (IPM) rotor includes installing, into at least one longitudinally extending magnet channel of a lamination stack, a pair of substantially non-magnetic bars adjacent opposite lateral ends of a longitudinally extending permanent magnet, and transferring heat from the magnet through the bars into the lamination stack.

Abstract: A rotor includes a stack of metal laminations each having a plurality of magnet slots, corresponding magnet slots of the laminations being substantially aligned with one another and thereby forming longitudinal channels in the rotor, selected ones of the magnet slots having at least one feature protruding from at least one long side thereof. The rotor also includes a plurality of magnets each having a pair of long sides in cross-section, each magnet being disposed in a respective one of the longitudinal channels, and includes a thermal conductor connecting at least one of the long sides of one of the magnets with an adjacent long side of a magnet slot having the at least one feature. The feature abuts a long side of a respective one of the magnets at a distance away from the long side of the respective magnet slot.

Abstract: A conductive element is provided and includes an electrically conductive material and a coating surrounding the electrically conductive material to form a coated member. The coated member is formed with a crown defined by bends in first and second transverse dimensions. The electrically conductive material is formed to define at least one divot proximate to the crown. The at least one divot is discernible through the coating.

Abstract: A buss bar assembly for electrically interconnecting phase leads of first, second, and third phase coil winding assemblies arranged about a stator central axis. A substantially annular dielectric body defines a buss bar central axis, and has an inner face. Substantially annular first, second, and third phase bars at least partially disposed within the body have first, second, and third pluralities, respectively, of phase bar contacts angularly spaced from each other at locations about the buss bar central axis and electrically engagable from outside of the body. The buss bar assembly is adapted for installation such that the stator central axis is substantially surrounded by the body, the coil winding assemblies and inner face interface, and phase leads of the first, second, and third phase coil winding assemblies are electrically engaged with the first, second, and third pluralities of phase bar contacts, respectively.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module comprising a housing including a sleeve member and at least one end cap. In some embodiments, the sleeve member can include a first coolant jacket and a second coolant jacket. Also, in some embodiments, the end cap can include an end cap coolant jacket. Also, some embodiments provide an electric machine including stator end turns, housing at least partially enclosing the electric machine, and an end cap coolant jacket positioned substantially axially outward relative to at least one of the stator end turns.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a chassis, a traction member associated with the chassis, and a drive system associated with the chassis and the traction member comprising an electric traction motor, a planetary gear assembly coupled to the electric traction motor, the planetary gear assembly comprising an output member coupled to the traction member, wherein rotation of the output member provides a drive torque for the traction member.

Abstract: An electro-dynamic machine is provided and includes stator assembly end turns and a coolant chargeable bladder disposable to contact the end turns.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a magnet stack for placement in a core member of a permanent magnet electric machine includes providing a plurality of magnet segments, each of the plurality of magnet segments including opposing axial faces having a first surface finish. The method further includes assembling the plurality of first magnet segments into a magnet stack, the magnet stack including a first end with a first axial face of a first magnet segment and an opposing second end with a second axial face of a second magnet segment. Additionally, the method includes finishing the opposing ends of the magnet stack such that the first axial face and the second axial face have a second surface finish that different than the first surface finish.

Abstract: An electric machine including a stator having a body provided with at least one alignment member, and a resolver positioned relative to the stator. The resolver includes at least one alignment element. An alignment adaptor is configured to receive each of the stator and the resolver. The alignment adaptor includes an alignment system that positions the alignment member and the alignment element to establish a desired alignment between the stator and the resolver.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module including a module housing. The module housing can include a sleeve member coupled to at least one end cover and can define a machine cavity. In some embodiments, the sleeve member can include an inner perimeter and can be coupled to a stator assembly of an electric machine. In some embodiments, the electric machine can be positioned within the machine and at least partially enclosed by the module housing. In some embodiments, a coolant jacket can be defined by at least a portion of the sleeve member and at least a portion of the stator assembly.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module including a housing defining a machine cavity. In some embodiments, an electric machine can be positioned within the machine cavity and include a rotor hub coupled to rotor laminations. The rotor hub can include first and second axial ends and the rotor laminations can include a recess. In some embodiments, the recesses can be aligned to define a portion of a plurality of coolant channels that can be in fluid communication with the machine cavity. In some embodiments, the rotor hub can include first and second rotor hub inlets in fluid communication with at least a portion of the coolant channels. The first and the second rotor hub inlets can be adjacent to the axial ends of the rotor hub. In some embodiments, the coolant channels are in fluid communication with the rotor hub inlets are not the same coolant channels.

Abstract: A method of operating an electric machine includes flowing a coolant into an interior portion of a housing of the electric machine, and sensing a level of coolant in a coolant collection area within the interior portion with a coolant level sensor arranged at the housing.

Abstract: A permanent magnet electric machine includes a housing, a stator mounted within the housing, and a rotor assembly rotatably mounted within the housing relative to the stator. The rotor assembly includes a rotor body having a plurality of rotor laminations. A plurality of permanent magnets having axial end portions is mounted to the rotor body. An amount of thermal interface material (TIM) is arranged between the axial end portions of adjacent ones of the plurality of permanent magnets.

Abstract: An electric machine includes a housing having an outer surface and an inner surface that defines an interior portion. The housing also includes a connection zone having a first end portion that extends from the outer surface to a second end portion that is exposed to the interior portion. The connection zone includes a connection passage. A terminal block extends through the connection passage. The terminal block includes a non-electrically conductive member that is sealed against the connection passage, and an electrically conductive member covered by the non-electrically conductive member. The electrically conductive member includes a first end section that extends to a second end section through an intermediate section. The first end section has a first connection zone and the second end section has a second connection zone. The second connection zone is at an angle relative to the first connection zone.

Abstract: A method of making a first stator winding and a second stator winding comprises forming an open winding arrangement on a first stator core, the open winding arrangement including conductor segments positioned in stator slots with at least four layers of conductor segments in each slot, the open winding arrangement further comprising a plurality of leads to a plurality of the conductor segments. The method further comprises forming the open winding arrangement on a second stator core. In addition, the method comprises closing the open winding arrangement on the first stator core by connecting the plurality of leads with first additional conductors to form a three phase winding in a single-shape configuration. Furthermore, the method comprises closing the open winding arrangement on the second stator core by connecting the plurality of leads with second additional conductors to form a three phase winding in a multi-shape configuration.

Abstract: A method of forming a rotor includes placing a plurality of laminations into a stack having a plurality of longitudinally extending magnet slots, placing a plurality of permanent magnets into ones of the magnet slots, and injecting a low viscosity epoxy resin into the lamination stack, thereby substantially filling the magnet slots with a portion of the epoxy resin having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.3 Watts/(meter*degree Kelvin) and substantially filling axial spaces between adjacent ones of the laminations with a portion of the epoxy resin having a thermal conductivity less than that of the epoxy resin in the magnet spaces.

Abstract: A permanent magnet electric machine including a housing, a stator mounted within the housing, and a rotor assembly rotatably mounted within the housing relative to the stator. The rotor assembly includes a plurality of laminations. Each of the plurality of laminations includes a plurality of slots and one or more permanent magnets mounted within respective ones of the plurality of slots. Each of the plurality of permanent magnets includes a sacrificial coating formed from a thermal interface material (TIM).