Patent ID: 8167585

Claim:
A motor cooling system comprising: an electric motor, with a housing having therein: a rotor having first and second axial ends, the rotor defining axial ventilation pathways from its first end to its second end; a stator having first and second axial ends, the stator defining radial air ventilation pathways exhausting about a stator circumference; and a baffle radially spaced apart from the stator and defining with at least a portion of the stator circumference an air chamber extending axially from the first to the second stator end; the motor having an airflow ventilation pattern pathway from the respective first ends to the respective second ends of the rotor and stator defined by the axial and radial air ventilation pathways and the air chamber; a motor enclosure enveloping the motor housing and having baffles defined therein for directing airflow from the respective second ends of the rotor and stator proximal a mounting flange coupled to the enclosure; an electric motor-powered cooling fan adapted to operatively cool said electric motor, said electric motor-powered cooling fan releasably, directly, and operatively coupled, to the mounting flange to said motor enclosure and in fluid communication with the airflow ventilation pattern pathway, said electric motor-powered fan: adapted to circulate cooling air within the airflow ventilation pattern pathway within the housing of said electric motor such that the cooling air directly flows from the first respective ends of the rotor and stator to the second ends thereof, and from the second ends to the motor-powered fan; having a fan shaft that defines a longitudinal axis that is substantially non-collinear with a longitudinal axis of a shaft of said rotor of said electric motor; and said fan shaft driven by an auxiliary motor distinct from the electric motor.