More efficient cooling systems are an enabler for the increase in power-density in an electric traction motor. Contemplating to existing reviews, this paper presents a comprehensive collection of heat transfer mechanisms for the different heat removal techniques used in electric traction motors. In the first section, an overview of various cooling concepts in existing and future traction motors is presented and the cooling approaches are compared. The following literature review compiles geometry-based calculation formulas of the different mechanisms of cooling heat transfer applied in motor-technology. Furthermore general heat transfer phenomena appearing in electric traction motors are reviewed and compiled for easy access. Various specifically relevant aspects, including rotor shaft cooling, different spray cooling concepts, different air convection phenomena, bearing heat transfer and the stator-housing-contact, are examined in more detail. For validation of the review result, based on a well-known motor design a thermal analysis and comparison of the different cooling methods is carried out. Modeling is done with a lumped parameter thermal networks (LPTN). The paper concludes demonstrating the advantages and disadvantages of the different cooling concepts based on the collection of modeling data.

For identifying new improvement potentials for electric traction motors, accurate models are needed. In this paper, a geometry-based 2D lumped parameter thermal network model for different electric traction motor and cooling concepts is studied and validated. In the second section, the design and functionality of the thermal model is explained. In the third section, the best fit of the literature correlations for describing the different heat transfer mechanisms was identified and a parameter study of the heat transfer coefficients was carried out and discussed. In the last section, the model is validated with measurement results from six different electric traction motors and drives units. For validation measurement results of stationary operating points, peak operating points and drive cycles are used. Based on the validation results, a model error of less than 10% is achieved for the most motor components in the different cooling concepts and traction motor designs. Inaccuracies and deviations are discussed and suggestions for improvement are made.

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