Patent ID: 7800261

Claim:
A rotary electric machine comprising: a rotor with a rotary shaft; a stator surrounding an outer periphery of the rotor; and a frame supporting the rotor and the stator, wherein the stator has an outer surface at least part of which is exposed to outside of the frame, and a plurality of protrusions and recesses are formed on the exposed part of the outer surface of the stator, so as to enhance dissipation of heat generated by operation of the rotary electric machine, wherein: the rotor includes first and second fans that are disposed away from each other and create air flow for cooling the rotary electric machine during the operation thereof, ambient temperature around the first fan is lower than that around the second fan during the operation of the rotary electric machine, the first fan has a less airflow rate than the second fan, and the protrusions and the recesses are so formed on the outer surface of the stator that the recesses make up air flow paths, along which the air flow created by the first and second fans passes over the outer surface of the stator, thereby cooling the outer surface.