Electrical machine with reduced windage loss

摘要

An electrical machine (10) includes a rotor (12) located at a central shaft (18) and a stator (14) located radially outboard of the rotor and secured at a back iron (26). A first baffle (46) is coupled to the central shaft at one axial end (44) of the rotor, the baffle extending radially outwardly from the shaft toward a baffle cavity (48) at the back iron. A flow of coolant is urged toward the baffle cavity along the baffle via centrifugal force. A method of flowing coolant through an electrical machine includes injecting a flow of coolant substantially radially into an electrical machine cavity (34). The flow of coolant is urged radially outwardly along a rotating baffle (46) located at one axial end (44) of a rotor (12) of the electrical machine via centrifugal force and into a baffle cavity (48) disposed at the back iron (26) at a radial end of the baffle.