Patents by Inventor Steven VANHEE

Steven VANHEE has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240146156
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electric machine cooling. The electric machine, in one example, includes a cooling assembly with a coolant inlet that flows coolant into a first sealed chamber that is formed around end windings on a first axial side of the electric machine. The cooling assembly further includes a coolant outlet that receives coolant from a second sealed chamber that is formed around end windings on a second axial side of the electric machine and a coolant channel extending through a stator core and in fluidic communication with the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Jaywant S. PAWAR
  • Publication number: 20240146154
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electric machine cooling. The electric machine, in one example, includes a rotor that includes an outer circumferential surface with one or more spiral grooves, a stator that circumferentially surrounds the rotor and includes end windings, and an air passage radially extending from the stator to an air gap between the stator and the rotor. The electric machine further includes a cooling assembly configured to spray a coolant towards the end windings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Joachim DRUANT
  • Patent number: 11973398
    Abstract: Methods and systems for cooling an electric motor are provided. An electric motor system, in one example, comprises a rotor with a plurality of axial air conduits, a first balancing plate positioned on a first axial side of the rotor, the first balancing plate comprising an inlet air duct and an outlet air duct, and a second balancing plate positioned on a second axial side of the rotor, the second balancing plate comprising an inlet air duct and an outlet air duct. In the electric motor system, the inlet air duct in the first balancing plate is radially offset from the inlet air duct in the second balancing plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Steven Vanhee, Shawn P. A. Jackson, Maximilian Hombsch
  • Patent number: 11967888
    Abstract: An electric motor and inverter assembly and a method of assembly therefor, the electric motor and inverter assembly having a motor housing portion, a DC bus bar for electrically connecting a DC power source to an inverter power module where the DC bus bar is mounted on the housing portion, and a cooling channel disposed in between the housing portion and the DC bus bar for cooling the DC bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Steven Vanhee
  • Publication number: 20240100936
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an electric axle in a vehicle. An electric axle includes an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, a coolant manifold mounted to a first end plate of the rotor, the first end plate opposite a second end plate distal to the coolant manifold, wherein the coolant manifold is configured to flow coolant to rotor coolant lines extending axially through the rotor, and a spray ring comprising coolant lines coupled to the coolant manifold, wherein coolant flowing from the coolant manifold to the spray ring flows in a direction angled to an axial direction, wherein the spray ring is positioned circumferentially about axial stator end windings and configured to spray coolant onto an outer diameter of the end windings, wherein the first end plate and the second end plate are configured to spray coolant onto an inner diameter of the end windings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Carl TRUDEL, Steven VANHEE, Luke MILLER
  • Publication number: 20240106303
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electric motor cooling. The cooling system, in one example, includes a sealing ring coupled to or formed in a stator and including a flange that axially extends outward from an axial side of the stator. The cooling system further includes a first sealing sleeve with a first sealing interface that is formed between the sealing sleeve and a motor housing and a second sealing interface that is formed between the sealing sleeve and the flange, where a cavity is formed between the sealing sleeve and the sealing ring in which a stator end winding is at least partially immersed in a coolant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Matthew K. PASCHALL, Samuel Wesley COX, Carl TRUDEL, Alexandre PARE, Steven VANHEE, Luke MILLER, Christopher M. COOK
  • Publication number: 20240106304
    Abstract: Systems for removing excess coolant oil and air from a radial air gap between a stator and a rotor of an electric motor are provided. In one example, the systems may include a ring covering the radial air gap, the ring configured to route coolant out of the radial air gap via one or more channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Dolf VANDAMME
  • Patent number: 11942825
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling an electric motor in an electric drive unit are provided. In one example, the electric motor includes a stator and an inverter power module positioned within a motor housing. The inverter power module forms an interface with a peripheral surface of an outer section of stator laminations of the stator, and the stator laminations include a plurality of cutouts forming axially extending oil ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: DANA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Steven Vanhee, Thibault Devreese
  • Patent number: 11942832
    Abstract: The present document relates to an electric drive unit, comprising: a stator configured to produce a stator magnetic field, at least a first rotor including first rotor windings, the first rotor windings for instance including multi-phase windings, and at least a first inverter electrically connected with the first rotor windings and configured to produce an electric current in the first rotor windings for producing a first rotor magnetic field. The stator magnetic field is configured to interact with the first rotor magnetic field to exert a torque on the first rotor. The present document further relates to a method of operating the electric drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Steven Vanhee
  • Patent number: 11923754
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for a system for cooling an electric motor that includes a rotor shaft rotatably mounted inside a motor housing, a lamination stack integrally connected to the rotor shaft, an encoder-end balance plate integrally connected to a first end of the lamination stack and a first end of the rotor shaft, an output-end balance plate integrally connected to a second end of the lamination stack and a second end of the rotor shaft, an oil supply coupled to the output-end balance plate and the rotor shaft. A closed-looped coolant pathway is formed between the transmission, the rotor shaft, the encoder-end balance plate, the lamination stack, and the output-end balance plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Shawn P. A. Jackson, Steven Vanhee
  • Patent number: 11916459
    Abstract: Various systems and methods are provided for an electric motor of a vehicle, and particularly to an electric motor including a coolant spray ring. In one example, a spray ring for an electric motor comprises an outer circumferential surface including a plurality of axial grooves, an inner circumferential surface including a plurality of nozzle orifices in fluidic communication with the plurality of axial grooves, and a plurality of nozzle guide surfaces formed through the spray ring and extending from the plurality of axial grooves to the plurality of nozzle orifices in a direction toward a central opening of the spray ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: DANA HEAVY VEHICLE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Darren J. Ziskovsky, Steven Vanhee, Louis Lambourg
  • Publication number: 20240048005
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an electric motor including multiple rotor and stator sections. In one example, a system may include the multiple rotor sections configured to be mechanically coupled and decoupled from each other concurrently with multiple stator sections configured to be electrically coupled and decoupled from each other, within certain regimes of operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Joachim DRUANT, Steven VANHEE
  • Publication number: 20240044394
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a transmission for a vehicle having a power source, the transmission comprising: an input member for receiving power from the power source; an output member for outputting power to at least one component of the vehicle; at least one power split gear set having a plurality of members and operatively connected between said input member and said output member; an electromagnetic variator having a stator, an outer rotor and an inner rotor; wherein the inner rotor is at least partially received in the outer rotor and the electromagnetic variator is configured to provide variable torque transmission ratios between the outer rotor and inner rotor; and wherein said first and second rotors are each operatively connectable to different ones of said members of said power split gear set and are each operatively connectable to the input member to be driven thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Bert HANNON, Joachim DRUANT
  • Patent number: 11876434
    Abstract: Systems for removing excess coolant oil and air from a radial air gap between a stator and a rotor of an electric motor are provided. In one example, the systems may include a ring covering the radial air gap, the ring configured to route coolant out of the radial air gap via one or more channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: DANA LIMITED
    Inventors: Steven Vanhee, Dolf Vandamme
  • Patent number: 11870302
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an electric motor including multiple rotor and stator sections. In one example, a system may include the multiple rotor sections configured to be mechanically coupled and decoupled from each other concurrently with multiple stator sections configured to be electrically coupled and decoupled from each other, within certain regimes of operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DANA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Steven Vanhee
  • Publication number: 20230402900
    Abstract: Systems are provided for an electric motor. In one example, a rotor assembly of the electric motor includes a shaft, a lubricant distributor inserted into the shaft, the lubricant distributor comprising a first section comprising a plurality of first nozzles and a second section comprising a plurality of second nozzles, the lubricant distributor further comprising an overflow portion arranged between the first and second sections, and a stationary lance positioned adjacent to the first section of the lubricant distributor, the lance comprising a plurality of radial nozzles. The rotor assembly controls coolant flow towards the rotor and bearings, helping to decrease drag losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Alexandre PARE, Enrico MOSCHETTI, Jaywant S. PAWAR, Joachim DRUANT, Frederik DESMET, Luke MILLER, Sergio DE SANTIS, Carl TRUDEL
  • Publication number: 20230361654
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for thermal management of an electric motor via a coolant flow around portions of the electric motor, where the coolant flow is disrupted by an arrangement of pin-fins. In one example, an electric motor comprises: a casing including a coolant inlet arranged opposite to a coolant outlet across a central axis of the electric motor; a stator housed within the casing and forming a plurality of pin-fins extending straight outward radially, relative to the central axis, from outer circumferential surfaces of the stator in a staggered arrangement around an entire perimeter of the stator; and a plurality of clearances formed between adjacent pin-fins of the plurality of pin-fins, the plurality of clearances adapted to flow a coolant from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Jaywant S. PAWAR, Chetan PRASHANT, Amol G. THAKARE, Steven VANHEE
  • Patent number: 11799362
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for a system for cooling an electric motor. The cooling system includes a primary coolant passage through a rotor shaft linked to a plurality of secondary passages though lamination stacks of a rotor configured to receive coolant at a central region of the lamination stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC
    Inventors: Thibault Devreese, Steven Vanhee, Joachim Druant
  • Patent number: 11757334
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for thermal management of an electric motor via a coolant flow around portions of the electric motor, where the coolant flow is disrupted by an arrangement of pin-fins. In one example, an electric motor comprises: a casing including a coolant inlet arranged opposite to a coolant outlet across a central axis of the electric motor; a stator housed within the casing and forming a plurality of pin-fins extending straight outward radially, relative to the central axis, from outer circumferential surfaces of the stator in a staggered arrangement around an entire perimeter of the stator; and a plurality of clearances formed between adjacent pin-fins of the plurality of pin-fins, the plurality of clearances adapted to flow a coolant from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Dana Belgium N.V.
    Inventors: Jaywant S. Pawar, Chetan Prashant, Amol G. Thakare, Steven Vanhee
  • Publication number: 20230261536
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to cool an electric machine. In one embodiment, an electric machine includes a rotor assembly that includes a rotor shaft and a stack of rotor laminations. The rotor assembly further includes one or more nozzles designed to receive pressurized coolant from a rotor shaft coolant passage and deliver the coolant to a set of open coolant channels in the stack of rotor laminations, wherein the set open coolant channels includes outlets that are profiled to direct the coolant towards a groove in a balancing plate that is coupled to the rotor assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Joachim DRUANT, Thibault DEVREESE, Carl TRUDEL, Luke MILLER, Jaywant S. PAWAR