How this new Renault EV keeps its cool
S. Himmelstein | August 26, 2022The new Renault Megane E-Tech electric vehicle (EV) features a 220 hp engine, a 160 kW electric motor, an ultra-flat 60 kWh battery and a driving range of 280 miles. The EV is also engineered with a new oil cooling system for the wound rotor synchronous motor.
The system maintains the wound rotor synchronous motor at an optimal temperature by the use of oil to splash targeted areas of the engine and an optimized oil cooling circuit.
“Electric motors must have an excellent cooling system in order to be efficient. We therefore worked with our colleagues in both Japan and Cléon, France, to develop two patented innovations. The first of those patents covers the oil cooling system for our wound rotor synchronous motor. We fitted injectors in strategic places to splash the electric wound rotor motor while simultaneously cooling both the rotor and the stator. The second patented innovation covers a clever technique that enables us to harness the rotor’s momentum, using a ring gear system to accentuate stator cooling by projecting oil towards the heads,” explained Fabrice Bernardin of Renault’s engineering department.
The design lends itself to a more compact, energy efficient engine whose mass has been reduced by 33% compared to the previous generation of electric motors.