Patent ID: 11885229
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  H  B  Y | IPC B  F  H

Claim 16:
17. A method of cooling an electric machine used for propulsion of an aircraft, the method comprising:
circulating a cooling fluid through a motor cooling conduit that defines a pathway for conveying a cooling fluid through or around at least a portion of an electric motor, the motor cooling conduit having a thermally conductive relationship with the at least a portion of an electric motor, the electric motor comprising a stator and a rotor;
transferring heat from the electric motor to the cooling fluid circulating through the motor cooling conduit by the thermally conductive relationship with the at least a portion of the electric motor; and
circulating the cooling fluid through a casing assembly conduit integrally formed within at least a portion of a casing assembly wherein the casing assembly conduit and the at least a portion of the casing assembly define a monolithic, single-piece construction, the casing assembly comprising a motor casing, a nacelle, and a plurality of support members circumferentially supporting the nacelle about the motor casing, the casing assembly conduit defining a pathway for conveying the cooling fluid through the at least a portion of the casing assembly, the casing assembly circumferentially surrounding at least a portion of the electric motor, and the casing assembly conduit having a thermally conductive relationship with an external surface of the casing assembly,
wherein the cooling fluid is circulated through the motor cooling conduit and the casing assembly conduit at least in part by a pump or a compressor operably coupled to a drive shaft, the drive shaft operably coupled to the rotor of the electric motor.